I really thought this gosling had died. I hadn't had a high level of success with goose eggs this season presumably because of humidity problems. The humidity inside swings wildly from 20something to 80something and every time it comes to hatch time it seems like a drought follows.
But anyway, it's 2 days late and I thought this egg was a goner so I tried to candle it without turning just in case. I gently gave it a tap to try to see any movement and what not. There was nothing. So, I cracked open the air cell side of the shell and it looked like a standard case of shrink-wrap death. I misted it and the veins looked red and healthy so I thought maybe it had JUST DIED. Still didn't see any movement but didn't want to open the membrane. When I misted the membrane it became somewhat transparent and I could see a large yolk sack. With a dampened finger I started feeling it to see if I could feel where the bill is and I couldn't feel that. At this point the baby started moving and I realize it was alive and possibly positioned so that the head is on the small end? What do you think?
So, I started thinking about it and have lost them before because they are unable to pip and breathe out of the wrong end. So, I cracked open a small hole in the other end and immediately saw what looked like a knee. I stopped at that point and put the egg inside a breathable plastic bag - the type fish are shipped in. It allows air exchange with no moisture loss. The bag is open at the air cell end. So, now the membrane is still 100% completely in tact but I'm not sure if the baby is backwards or not. I didn't want to go any further with an assisted hatch because of the yolk being so big.
Just editing to say that it WAS backwards in the shell. I might have mistaken movement before but whatever happened before, the goose is dead now. It also had a deformity or something that looked like a kink in the neck. It looked very unnatural. I don't think this one could have hatched...
But anyway, it's 2 days late and I thought this egg was a goner so I tried to candle it without turning just in case. I gently gave it a tap to try to see any movement and what not. There was nothing. So, I cracked open the air cell side of the shell and it looked like a standard case of shrink-wrap death. I misted it and the veins looked red and healthy so I thought maybe it had JUST DIED. Still didn't see any movement but didn't want to open the membrane. When I misted the membrane it became somewhat transparent and I could see a large yolk sack. With a dampened finger I started feeling it to see if I could feel where the bill is and I couldn't feel that. At this point the baby started moving and I realize it was alive and possibly positioned so that the head is on the small end? What do you think?
So, I started thinking about it and have lost them before because they are unable to pip and breathe out of the wrong end. So, I cracked open a small hole in the other end and immediately saw what looked like a knee. I stopped at that point and put the egg inside a breathable plastic bag - the type fish are shipped in. It allows air exchange with no moisture loss. The bag is open at the air cell end. So, now the membrane is still 100% completely in tact but I'm not sure if the baby is backwards or not. I didn't want to go any further with an assisted hatch because of the yolk being so big.
Just editing to say that it WAS backwards in the shell. I might have mistaken movement before but whatever happened before, the goose is dead now. It also had a deformity or something that looked like a kink in the neck. It looked very unnatural. I don't think this one could have hatched...
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