I GOT MY SEBASTAPOL EGGS - PIC'S!!!!!!

[Broke Down Ranch]

When hatching sebastopol eggs they are a little different than other goose eggs - at least mine are. The shells are probably the toughest I have ever seen - even tougher than a guinea egg. Super thick. Whenever I have hatched them in an incubator I almost ALWAYS have to help them out. I am not a hands-off kind of hatcher - but I know how long my eggs should take to hatch too. Before moving the eggs to a hatcher I candle and listen. If I hear a tapping then I know it will/should pip within 24 hours. If I only see the baby moving up into the air sac but no pipping I leave it be for 24 hours. The next day I look for pips on the eggs that had tapping and listen to the ones that just had a baby moving into the air sac. If I have one still tapping but not "crying" I leave it be. If it's making the peeping-crying sound I will look for the biggest part of the air sac and break the egg and slowly peel away shell until I am getting close to the inner membrane. It helps to have a hot wet paper towel there so you can drip a few drops of weater to moisten the membrane. And then I let it alone. And I check it every hour or 2 to see how it's doing, wet the membrane, and see if more of the veins have been absorbed. Once a gosling has pipped it generally take 24 hours to get out so I go by that guideline and take it nice and slow.

I can not count how many sebastopols I lost that got RIGHT THERE and died because I didn't know to help them. I have not lost any that I did help out and I know the ones I have helped would have died.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

That's excellent to know...and if my remaining two eggs to get that point...I'll have a better idea on what I should be doing to help them....Thanks!

 

[tnkinhunting]

Yes, thanks, I didn't know any of that - I was told "hands off" and I really hate to lose a chick/gosling. Appreciate your sharing that with us. Don't know that I will try again, but I might if I ever have my own eggs - shipping is really rough on eggs.

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Well, hands off may work for some or even most people but for ME and my eggs I will ALWAYS interfere if it means the difference between them hatching or not and the sebastopol eggs are atrociously hard. If you have ever cracked one you will know what I mean...I'm sorry you had such a hard time with them but I was there once too when I first got mine. I had decided that it was just impossible for me to hatch them when I finally gave in and started helping them. If they are under a hen they seem to hatch just fine....

 

[turbo]

She got her eggs from me. Mine usually hatch just fine on their own. We did help one that had the membrane dried to it. Our little call ducks need more help than enything else. Can a chicken hatch a big goose egg?

 

[Chicken Cluck]

They sure look like good eggs!

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

Quote:
Oh sure chickens can hatch them just fine. Matter of fact ALL of my goose eggs this year have been incubated by hens until they either hatch or right before the hatch. LOL, you should see a silkie trying to sit 3 of them

I apologize, I wasn't trying to say anything bad about your eggs, just stating what I have had to do with any sebbie eggs I've tried hatching whether from my birds or bought elsewhere. I know I had 1 year (think it was my 2nd with sebbies) where I had 2 hatch by themselves and the rest which was something like 8-9 just died. It was hearbreaking so that's when I decided I would start interveneing if it sounded or seemed like they needed it....I wasn't trying to be derogatory about anyone elses eggs...

 

[Chicken Cluck]

i HOPE THERE GOOD!

 

[turbo]

No pun taken.......

I know some people don't touch the eggs at all and just let them die if they can't hatch. I guess the theory is if they are strong enough to hatch they will produce strong babies. I am with you, if we pay alot for eggs we really watch the hatches and try to help them if they need it. The best call ducks are sometimes the smallest and the weakest so we help some when needed.

 

[tnkinhunting]

I always help my chicken eggs, if they need it, but that's after they pip - these didn't pip - I held them to my ear and listened and tapped and nothing. I have good hatches with my own eggs, but out of 33 shipped eggs, including the sebbies, I have hatched one chick. However, with my own eggs, I would say my hatch rate is at least 75% if not more.

I sure hope my odds improve, I have four shipments in the bator now in various stages of incubation. That's the Sportsman - the 28 eggs were in the LG and I had a temp drop. The sebbies were in the Sportsman until they were to come out of the turner and then they came into my bedroom in an LG that was holding perfect temp and humidity.......they are still there, I am going to toss them the 17th......and look at them to see if I can tell when they stopped developing.