Let's have a gosling hatchalong!

[pete55]

Best of luck with the premature gosling. It will only need fluids and warmth at this stage as the yolk should sustain its nutritional needs.

I'll keep everything crossed for you.

 

[Iain Utah]

How precious, kuntry!! Congrats!!!!

Pete, I have a random question....... I have 2 dewlap girls that went 100% broody 2 weeks ago with 1 egg in nest. They both share their nests with their bestest girlfriends who keeps laying eggs in the nest. As of yesterday, they each have 7-8+ eggs. I'm not sure they are even fertile, but if so, is there anything I can do to help make sure they have a good hatch?

 

[pete55]

Well the first thing I'd do is to ensure they have their own nest and no sharing. Sharing almost always leads to problems and with Dewlaps you just don't need more!

However I do think eggs at least started under a broody do have a higher hatchability rate. A good compromise is to let them go halfway then finish the eggs off in the incubator. They really are not they best breed for hatching their own and new-borns. However they're devoted parents and easy to foster older youngsters to. We usually make up little families for them to care for when the goslings are well established.

How's the Buff Dewlap eggs going as you must be getting close

 

[Iain Utah]

Before season started, I set up numerous boxes, but they all seemed determined to set up nests in pairs.

It won't be a problem to take the eggs from my buff girls, but do I destroy nest when I take eggs or substitute dummy eggs in place of? However, it will be Armageddon getting my grey girls out of their nest box.

All of the dewlap eggs I set are from my two grey girls bred to my buff gander. My first egg is on day 24 and I can see it rocking as it turns into hatching position. I have two more eggs on day 21, and then a few staggered every 4-5 days from there on. I'm quite nervous about the 1st egg as it did not look like it was losing enough moisture, so I've been running bator below 20% and misting 2x daily for the past week. I'm not sure when to raise humidity to avoid shrink wrap, which is a major issue in my super dry climate.

 

[Iain Utah]

Also... the pair of girls I am setting eggs from are getting very aggressive and upset about me taking egg. Should I fend them off and keep collecting or let them gather and begin setting a clutch? As of today, they have laid 16 & 15 eggs respectively, and as of yesterday, I had to use a Tupperware bin to block their full on attacks when grabbing their eggs.

By the way.... when is your 1st dewlap scheduled to hatch??

 

[pete55]

You could start to let them accumulate eggs now to make up a clutch but personally I don't really like our Dewlaps going broody as they lose condition and don't make the best job of it. I would just collect your eggs for now and leave dummy eggs in the nest.

Don't worry about increasing humidity until you're certain the gosling has internally pipped. At that stage the shell is intact so there wont be issues with shrink wrapping so to speak. Just try to gauge if you're near the target for weight loss. Sounds like you're eggs are getting close now and must be strong embryos as you're beginning to see movement.

Nice mating too as your youngsters can all be sexed so easily when hatched.

We have our first eggs due next week although Ive left a gap between setting as thinking of a new incubator and Im away first weekend of May.

 

[Iain Utah]

I forgot we are hatching our first dewlaps at the same time!

What is the best way to break their nest up once they have gone completely broody?? Won't they hate me?

 

[pete55]

Just break up the nest and if in a shed then shut them out during the day. They soon get over it and start building themselves back up ready for a 2nd clutch or the moult.

Hoping this year to secure some young stock from our Grey and Buff lines as the best birds are getting older now. We'll soon see. Like yourself we are struggling to get the Dewlap eggs to lose sufficient weight despite dry incubation

 

[RiverGoddess]

Well hearing all the dewlap hatching issues

~ I have 2 White Africans & a Grey & A Peanut egg. Utah can you tell me which pairings these are? Do you have pics I can see again? Will You break down the pairings for me to reference to, If you could humor an

. I am getting to know your flock on a first name basis

 

[RiverGoddess]

Hey Pete I see in you raise rheas? How does that work for you? Any pics? Do you hatch them too? I have hatched my 1st 4 Emus this year ~