Questions about goose egg air cell size

adrian

Songster
10 Years
May 12, 2009
736
25
141
Regina, SK
I have three breeds of geese in my incubator as of now: 2 snow geese, 3 african geese and 3 pilgrim geese. The 2 snow geese are due much earlier – probably day 25 - 27 from the looks of it. They've just started internally pipping today, on day 23. All the eggs are on day 23. The africans and pilgrims are due around June 8th. Now, I have a question about humidity.

We live in a very dry, dry climate. My humidity in the incubator has been around 50-65% on average, sometimes lower although I add humidity when I see it is lower than 45%. My african eggs, with thick thick shells, have big air cells. Big, but not too huge. I've seen people candling eggs with air cells this large that successfully hatched. However, the snow geese and pilgrims (particularly the latter) have had smaller air cells the entire time. The pilgrim geese have lost about 8-9% of their weight by day 23. I know the air cell gets massively bigger once they internally pip – so are they safe?

As for the african eggs, they have lost 12-16% of their weight (only one has lost 16% and it was an old, old egg about 9 days old when set – I was upset at the breeder's quality of eggs) and I am worried about their hatchability as well. This older egg was the only one of many old eggs that actually developed. He is so strong and has developed against all odds. He has a thinner shell as well, and moves a lot more. Seems to be such a healthy baby, and I'd hate to lose him.

What does everyone think? Is it more dangerous for me to keep it lower so that the pilgrim eggs lose more weight, or should I raise the humidity so that the african eggs don't lose too much more?

For the record, I have a hatcher set up so that I can do the staggered hatch. The hatcher is at about 98F and 85% humidity. So no worries about that one. But if someone could verify that 85% humidity is alright, I would be very much grateful. Also, should I remove the vent plug or keep it in in the hatcher? I want to keep the humidity up but I don't want the babies to suffocate.


Sorry for the myriad of questions... Very anxious.
 
Hi adrian, I don't know about the weight loss, but 85% humidity is what everyone has told me. Since it should only take a few days for the snow geese to hatch, I have an idea.
Since the africans are almost ready to hatch, and obviously need more humidity, why don't you put those eggs in a bowl and also put them in the hatcher with the higher humidity? That way, the babies can't get goo all over the africans eggs (being protected by the bowl), but you could try to get your pilgrim eggs to lose some. I wouldn't think that being in the hatcher this late in the stage would harm them, and not turning them for the remainder wouldn't harm them either, it may actually help them. I don't know, this is what I would do. What do you think?

ETA: You should definitely remove the vent plug, the babies need lots of oxygen!! You do remember what I said before about the paper towels, don't you? Just line the wire with wet paper towel, and watch your humidity skyrocket!! Just be sure to put some wet sponges on top of the paper towel, as they will dry out very quickly!
 
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My only worry is whether 85% humidity is going to cause problems relating to the goslings drowning in their air cells... Or does this only happen when the air cells are so small that the baby breathes in yolk rather than air, thus meaning it unsuccessfully pips? If my african eggs were kept at 98F and 85% humidity, would it hurt them? If I moved them tomorrow, on day 24, turning is probably not necessary, but would the lower temperature or higher humidity hurt them?

I have an interesting set up in the hatcher. A rather wet towel lining the bottom of the incubator, the wire and liner taken out. I have sponges on top of the wet towel. I will be hatching the birds in a plastic container, which is lined with moist paper towel and shelf liner. I have noticed condensation on the top of the incubator. As the vent plug needs to be removed, I think I will set up a method of re-wetting the towels and sponges without opening the lid, but that allows the vent plug to remain open. I think that would be good.

I think 12-15% weight loss is desirable in eggs, the larger the egg the more weight that needs to be lost.

So should I move the africans in with the snow geese? I could probably put a barrier in the large plastic bowl that would separate the africans from the snow goose eggs.
 
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98 degrees shouldn't affect them, and I hatched mine with 85% humidity. Granted, I only hatched one of two, but the other one had pipped the air cell at least 4 days before it was due, and I was still turning them. Also, they were still in the incubator, at only around 50% humidity. So I totally believe that the turning and the low humidity together caused it to not hatch, as it was pipped into the air cell.

If anything, the lower temps might make them be a bit later, but you can open the hatcher (and should) until the other eggs pip, so you can check them to make sure they are still doing okay.

Do you have to have the temperature lower? I don't do that with any of mine, except button quail. It's too tricky with my bator, and doesn't seem to affect them.

Even with all those things in the incubator, your humidity is only at 85%?? I would worry that removing the plug would make it drop, but it really needs to be done.

The babies drowning is caused by the air cell having water in it, but goose and duck eggs need to have higher humidity. I don't remember what the membrane of the gosling I hatched looked like, but the ducks look very rubbery. They need the extra humidity to soften that up.

But like I said, since the africans obviously need more humidity, I would move them in with the snow geese.
 
Thanks for all your help! And yes... With all of that, only 85%... Like I said, absolutely terrible humidity levels outside and it's even drier in the house. Even when it's 69% humidity outside, it feels bone-dry inside.

It's odd that air cells would have water in them. Never in my life have I had problems with eggs pipping and then dying, and when eggs die, I open them up. I've never seen anything except, well, air in the air cell.

I did lower the temperature because I was told it made hatching easier for them... I don't know why this is, but even incubation manuals say 99-99.5F for geese from days 1-25, then 26-hatch, 98-98.5. A degree lower.

I am getting myself so anxious about everything. In two eggs it's more difficult to see the embryo and veining, although I think I can see something. And just that fact has me freaking out, worried that they're dead!
 
The only ones I have had pip and drown were ducks, and they did pip into the yolk. But they also pipped low, because their air sacs were fine. I don't think moving the africans and the snows into the hatcher will hurt anything, just be sure to spray them daily until the snows pip the shell.

Do you have the bator in a seperate room, that can be closed off? Maybe you should put a hiidifier or vaporizer in there to help with the humidity, if it is a problem once removing the plug. And also make sure that your a/c is not running in the room they are in, as this will dry it out even more.
 
I have them in a closet together, and I don't trust any other location nor moving an already adjusted incubator into another room... I don't have an air conditioner on and actually sacrifice my own comfort for the eggs, so that's not a worry, at least. I'll try to do my best with keeping the hatcher up to at least 80% humidity... It might take some work, however.
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If anyone else sees this, I would like to ask whether it will cause my goslings to drown if, at 24 days, I put my goose eggs in an environment of 85% humidity. They have already lost enough weight throughout the incubation process and I don't want them to lose too much more.

Some more opinions would be great. I am anxious.
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98 degrees shouldn't affect them, and I hatched mine with 85% humidity. Granted, I only hatched one of two, but the other one had pipped the air cell at least 4 days before it was due, and I was still turning them. Also, they were still in the incubator, at only around 50% humidity. So I totally believe that the turning and the low humidity together caused it to not hatch, as it was pipped into the air cell.

If anything, the lower temps might make them be a bit later, but you can open the hatcher (and should) until the other eggs pip, so you can check them to make sure they are still doing okay.

Do you have to have the temperature lower? I don't do that with any of mine, except button quail. It's too tricky with my bator, and doesn't seem to affect them.

Even with all those things in the incubator, your humidity is only at 85%?? I would worry that removing the plug would make it drop, but it really needs to be done.

The babies drowning is caused by the air cell having water in it, but goose and duck eggs need to have higher humidity. I don't remember what the membrane of the gosling I hatched looked like, but the ducks look very rubbery. They need the extra humidity to soften that up.

But like I said, since the africans obviously need more humidity, I would move them in with the snow geese.

Hello! I know this thread was a long time ago but I was wondering if you had any advice; I'm incubating some pilgrim goose eggs and following the incubator instructions has lead to a humidity of around 60-65%. Most of the things I've been reading here however have suggested that 40-55% is best for weight loss. The eggs have been losing about a gram a day so far. In your experience, do you think I should be concerned?
 

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