My First Geese Hopefully

[SillyCityGirl]

Hi everyone,

Today I was given about 14 goose eggs. They are AfricanXEmbden covered by an Embden gander, there was also a Pilgrim goose in the pen too but we are not sure if she has laid any eggs. We are not sure how old the eggs are, I got some that look a little bit older and some that look like they were laid more recently. The lady that I got them from recently had her house burn down and hadn't been pulling any of the eggs, just going by to feed and water the animals. She was going to blow out the eggs and decorate them. She said that she hadn't been turning them but I am sure that mama goose has been. A few of the eggs are a bit dirty and have some dried yolk on them, should I wash them or just scrape it off?

I am planning on putting about 4 of the eggs or what ever will fit under one of my little bantam cochin hens that decided to go broody again 4 days ago. She has hatched out little birds for me before. I was told that I still need to mist the eggs daily and that seems like what I will do.

As far as the rest of the eggs I have an old Hovabator still air incubator. I originally got it for hatching out snakes so I will be hand turning. I live in the desert and don't have a hygrometer so I have no way of measuring humidity, so what I am wondering is

1)Do I need to fill up one or both channels full of water in addition to the daily mistings and when I go into lockdown add wet sphagnum moss or wet rags to bump up the humidity? Or???

2) What temps to you recommend I run it at since it is a still air? I have read varying reports and currently have it set at 99.5 although I haven't put any eggs in it yet. I'm getting ready to weigh, mark and candle them.

3) Is there anything that I need to keep an eye out considering that they are mixed breed geese? I'm just happy I'm might have some geese to help keep people from knocking on my front door, since they ignore the beware of dog, do not disturb and no trespassing signs.

Thank you.

 

[SillyCityGirl]

Well I couldn't find my scale but I candled them and marked the air sacs. Most of them look good, I could see non stuck yolks, there are a couple questionable darker ones with large sacs but we'll see what happens. Who knows what mama goose has or hasn't been doing. One of them had a very small air sac, about the size of my thumb print. Hmm.

I'm so excited

I have been wanting, studying and getting ready for geese for about 4 years now. I just figured I would get day olds.

 

[jenlynn4]

I would say the one with the smaller air cell is a fresh egg... When I got mine all the air cells were only about the size of a dime so I assumed they were very fresh. If I were you I would try to get some kind of hygrometer. You can get fairly inexpensive ones in the reptile department at the pet store for about 6 bucks...I currently have one but am not sure how accurate it is so I went and bought this one on ebay yesterday:

It claims to be very accurate and I hope it is. It will be here on Monday so I will be able to give my goose eggs the best possible chance. I want to try some pure sebastopol eggs after this if all goes well.

 

[CorinneP]

Good Luck I hope you have a Great HAtch !

 

[yinepu]

congrats on the eggs!...

I set 14 this week too (trying to get a few more before all the girls stop laying for this season). Mine are all shipped and most have wonky air cells.. so we'll see

I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya that you have a great hatch!

 

[Fishwife]

Good luck! I hatched my first two goslings a week ago, and if you are half as excited as I was.. you are going to have a great time..

Fishwife

 

[SillyCityGirl]

Just wanted to update, I must be doing something right cause I am seeing little veins in the eggs when I candled tonight.

Keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well.

Thanks.

 

[SillyCityGirl]

Ok, 28 days later, 4 of the eggs have made it this far. All air cells have dipped down, one has internally pipped, got my humidity cranked up and eagerly waiting. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

[SillyCityGirl]

One hatched and another one pipped. Unfortunately the one that hatched has a deformed beak. I'm just going to wait and see how that baby does.

 

[sianara]

Waiting excitedly with you