Here we go again - I'm hatching more goslings!!

[pete55]

Iain - pleased to hear your considering all the options carefully. The other thing to consider is that despite many reports of them developing slowly many of our yearling Dewlaps breed. if they did then its a bonus.

re4boxer - not a problem, I recommend you turn your eggs 180 degrees in alternate directions at 7am, 4pm and bedtime. They'll be fine with that and dont try to turn an even number of times in a day always an odd number - 3 or 5 for example.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Boxer, I would hand turn if the motor is having that much trouble working 4 eggs. 3 times a day for tuning is perfect, so you would be fine. Well as long as your morning routine allows you turn all the eggs that is.


We have an auto turner, I built goose racks out of 1/4" hardware cloth and the plastic craft mesh to allow the eggs rideon their sides. I go in and turn 180 by hand every day. All eggs get 180 in the morning before the house wakes up. I candle and check weights in the evening just before bed.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I just started collecting eggs on yesterday, so I have a long way to go before putting them in the incubator. :/

 

[pete55]

Dont worry Kuntrygirl as ours have only just started laying so we're just at the start of our breeding season too

 

[r4eboxer]

Iain - pleased to hear your considering all the options carefully. The other thing to consider is that despite many reports of them developing slowly many of our yearling Dewlaps breed. if they did then its a bonus.

re4boxer - not a problem, I recommend you turn your eggs 180 degrees in alternate directions at 7am, 4pm and bedtime. They'll be fine with that and dont try to turn an even number of times in a day always an odd number - 3 or 5 for example.

Boxer, I would hand turn if the motor is having that much trouble working 4 eggs. 3 times a day for tuning is perfect, so you would be fine. Well as long as your morning routine allows you turn all the eggs that is.
We have an auto turner, I built goose racks out of 1/4" hardware cloth and the plastic craft mesh to allow the eggs rideon their sides. I go in and turn 180 by hand every day. All eggs get 180 in the morning before the house wakes up. I candle and check weights in the evening just before bed.

Thanks folks! I am going to take the turner out when I get home from work. I am going to add 2-5 more eggs now that I don't have to worry about that turner. Do you think a staggared hatch will work with one bator, the eggs will be 3 days apart (if the girls are willing that is) I stole another egg this morning so I need 4 more, come on girls.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Boxer, swing through a TSC and grab a still air styro bator for $40. That way you can set collections or 4 eggs and move those for lock down to the still air. Will make for fewer headaches for you in the long run.

 

[r4eboxer]

Thanks COF, I'm going to have to find out where there is a TSC, I think there is one in the town 30 min south of me. Off to mapquest it.

Boxer, swing through a TSC and grab a still air styro bator for $40. That way you can set collections or 4 eggs and move those for lock down to the still air. Will make for fewer headaches for you in the long run.

 

[Iain Utah]

$40 for a still air bator? Grrrr..... they are $55 at our local stores. I still bought two of them.

 

[Oregon Blues]

If I want 2 pairs, then it is $420 plus shipping. I can buy 15-20 eggs for that price. Hm....

So now you know why they can get $25 per egg.

However, Pete is much too polite. I looked at that eBay listing for the $25 goose eggs and even though it is difficult to judge from a photo, I would say those are not good enough quality to show. I would not buy from them.

If you don't want to pay Holderread's prices, there are other serious breeders of Dewlap Toulouse in the USA. You would have to hunt them down, and the geese still won't be cheap, although, perhaps a little less. I've seen some photos of some good looking Toulouse in The Poultry Press, doing some winning. Holderread is not the only source for show geese.

If he won't fill the box with inexpensive ducks, he does sell mixed batches of leftover geese for not much money, so you could buy a pair of Toulouse and then 2-3 of the cheap hatchery choice (probably the pet quality, for that price). Cheap enough to eat them, really.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Iain, yep still air are priced at $40, maybe something to do with Brinsea being based here? No idea really.