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

[Iain Utah]

Good morning, hatching friends. Hope everyone's babies and eggs are doing well! All juveniles and babies are alive and well here.... whew! No more eggs set to hatch for at another 3 weeks. Bigger whew!

My research into brinsea so far seems like it is not that bad a price ($150) for the Octagon 20. While it only holds 9 goose eggs... I think it may be the way to go for hatching. I am sick and tired of hand-hatching babies because no matter how high I raise the humidity or how good I am about not opening bator once in lockdown... I am still having shrinkwrap issues. So even though I'm pretty much done hatching after my last set of dewlaps (except for maybe one more stab at hatching more cayugas), do I really want to play the hand hatching game with 9 grey dewlaps? $150 seems like a decent price to pay to lower my stress level for hatching.

Marty, look forward to reports of more spiders from Carole's eggs!!
Celtic, glad you finally got your dewlap eggs and that they are fresh.
Erin, I'm thinking diet issues may be contributing to the problems with your eggs.
Goosed, good luck sexing your pilgrim baby!

I'm off to catch a flight to LA for a business meeting... will pop on when I can.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Quote:
Okay what the geese eat: Daily: bucket mix of layer, meat bird, cracked corn, oats ...that is at night when they are penned... During the day they free range on 7 acres of horse pature, with a helping of horse feed that has molassas in it...there is a 15 acre field of alfalfa connecting to our property to they go there also. Summer: They have free range over the garden we plant, tomatoes, corn, strawberries, pumpkins, watermelons, lettuce...Winter...is the bucket mix noted at top, race horse hay that is 18% protein bermuda grass..they rummage through and eat the flakes. We also throw them all our bread scraps, loaves or buns... That is what the birds eat here...do I need to add something? What do you feed?

Morning Erin, I have been told that corn packs on fat on geese and they gain it around the reproductive organs which can lead to fertility issues. I do know it is reccomended for severely cold areas in winter only for added body heat though. That would be a limited part of the year though for most. Bread also does the same thing and is called a useless fatty filler. They love breads, but it serves no nutritional purpose. I wouldn't feed corn during the breeding season or summer, and limit it during the winter to only the coldest part of the season. We feed Mazuri waterfowl, it gets blended with BOSS, oats, red wheat (only in the winter and pre breeding months). They also get some red cell fed to them year round and water soluable vitemins and electrolytes in summer because of our high heat. I will top dress feed pans with a handful of millet (when on hand)and purina omega 3 layer pellet as well. We have a pair of geese who won't eat BOSS, they pick right around it every time. They get extra BOSS and millet We feed the LF ducks pretty much the same formula and they look amazing on the Mazuri, they all like it, it floats in water so little no waste like you get with crumble food. You feed less per bird because they waste less, and have a more complete diet. I made a believer out of hubby recently when we picked up a new pair of breeder French white Scovy for him. They weren't skinny, but their feathers were in really rough shape and they were much smaller than his original birds we hatched and raised. After 1 week on our feed blend their feathers are laying nicely, they are more active, eyes are bright and you can visually see a difference in them. Oh and you don't risk angel wing in waterfowl when feeding it as much as if offering game bird. The blending of the additional feed items also help keeping the protien in check.

 

[erijn5]

Morning Erin,
I have been told that corn packs on fat on geese and they gain it around the reproductive organs which can lead to fertility issues. I do know it is reccomended for severely cold areas in winter only for added body heat though. That would be a limited part of the year though for most. Bread also does the same thing and is called a useless fatty filler. They love breads, but it serves no nutritional purpose. I wouldn't feed corn during the breeding season or summer, and limit it during the winter to only the coldest part of the season.
We feed Mazuri waterfowl, it gets blended with BOSS, oats, red wheat (only in the winter and pre breeding months). They also get some red cell fed to them year round and water soluable vitemins and electrolytes in summer because of our high heat.
I will top dress feed pans with a handful of millet (when on hand)and purina omega 3 layer pellet as well. We have a pair of geese who won't eat BOSS, they pick right around it every time. They get extra BOSS and millet
We feed the LF ducks pretty much the same formula and they look amazing on the Mazuri, they all like it, it floats in water so little no waste like you get with crumble food. You feed less per bird because they waste less, and have a more complete diet. I made a believer out of hubby recently when we picked up a new pair of breeder French white Scovy for him. They weren't skinny, but their feathers were in really rough shape and they were much smaller than his original birds we hatched and raised. After 1 week on our feed blend their feathers are laying nicely, they are more active, eyes are bright and you can visually see a difference in them.
Oh and you don't risk angel wing in waterfowl when feeding it as much as if offering game bird. The blending of the additional feed items also help keeping the protien in check.

Well it is a good thing you didn't ask me to take corn completely out of their diet, Farmer on the other side of the property connecting one of the horse pastures usually rotates Sweet corn / beans every other yr...and they can't get enough..

I have never heard of the BOSS or Mazuri?? What size bags does it come in? My 6yr is going to disappointed I'm going to have to tell him to feed the chickens the bread instead of the geese...he likes to hand feed them and they all surround him..

On another question, let's pretend that these geese were wild, and no one fed them...what would they add in their diet to help with fertility? Not that they would care about it, but I just wondered?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Wild geese have high mortality rates due to poor diet and predators. If times are plentiful and lots of good food then they have better hatches. If there is drought or another environmental problem fewer eggs poor hatches.

BOSS is black oil sunflower seeds, I buy the 50lb bags and have 1 bag delivered twice a month with our feed order.

Mazuri waterfowl feed is a brand name. It's a zoological feed, they make a wide variety of specialty feeds.

 

[EmusandLovinem]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and need some advice. I've never hatched out geese eggs before. I've read up on it but I'm confused as to rocking my eggs. (My incubator rocks from side to side.) I'll position them horizontally in the incubator and hand turn them 3 times daily, end over end as well as mist them. But should I turn the rocking motion off? Thanks and good luck with all your Egglings!

 

[Iain Utah]

I just call a call from my husband. My two stronger buffs laid on my 3rd buff's head and smothered him to death. I feel so heartbroken right now. Not sure how to vent sex so don't know if my remaining pair are mixed genders... Am really on fence about getting a few more buff eggs.

 

[psue]

I just call a call from my husband. My two stronger buffs laid on my 3rd buff's head and smothered him to death. I feel so heartbroken right now. Not sure how to vent sex so don't know if my remaining pair are mixed genders... Am really on fence about getting a few more buff eggs.

poor Iain!!!!!!

It has not been your year for hatching.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Iain, oh no! Vent sexing is oh so very easy. You can do it when you return home. I thought you had more buffs set beyond this group that just hatched?

 

[psue]

Celtic? Why red wheat only in the winter and pre breeding months and what is red cell?

Can you give aprox. % of each that you feed?

I'm trying to #1 figure out how much to feed my ducks and geese when they'er adult so they are healthy ( not fat) and #2 see if we can afford the more expencive food.
Thank you for all the help you give!!!

 

[Marty1876]

I just call a call from my husband. My two stronger buffs laid on my 3rd buff's head and smothered him to death. I feel so heartbroken right now. Not sure how to vent sex so don't know if my remaining pair are mixed genders... Am really on fence about getting a few more buff eggs.

Oh Iain, thats awful.

Psue is right, its been a rough year. Most of us have had bad hatches and losses to healthy stock. Its so frustraiting. Iain, Don't you have more buff in the incubator? I thought there were severall eggs. Of course, if you get more eggs, and hatch more babies out, you'll have your choice of the best from several for you breeding program, and you can always sell the others. (Use the money to get more eggs next year!)

Your a nice lady, Janet, and you desearve a good hatch and grow out. (me too darn it! And PSue, Celtic, Erin, and everyone....)