Recognizing early quitters

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

I have searched everywhere, and cannot find this information… I have never incubated anything because I knew it was way better to give the eggs to a mama!

I have a goose egg that I have seen no movement in after day 10. It was moving all over the place then, and was so cute. On day 12 I looked again - no movement. I have looked everyday since then and there is none. We are on day 16 now. My eyes are bad, but I had managed to see it move before. While the dark area seems a lot larger than before, I am believing that it’s probably because the baby died and has concentrated into one spot. Nothing floats around inside when I turn the egg in any way. The air sac continues to grow larger and the egg loses the correct weight. I imagine that would be the same whether dead or alive? Is the best thing to do just wait until there is an awful smell? That’s so gross. Are there any other signs?

I really want to know if it’s alive because I have to buy another incubator for 3 days to attempt to hatch a dead baby. I’d rather spend the $200 and have the baby be alive!! The seller gave me six more eggs to replace the first 6 and I added them to the incubator. The first 5 were not viable, and the other is the one I think is dead now. I just put the new ones in the incubator yesterday.

I tried to take pics of all sides, but had to use the lousy candler on the incubator so I could hold the phone. There should be a pic of all sides. I am so upset with myself for getting these eggs! Dead baby geese is way more than I can emotionally handle and now I have no choice but to see it through.

 

[NatJ]

I have a goose egg that I have seen no movement in after day 10. It was moving all over the place then, and was so cute. On day 12 I looked again - no movement. I have looked everyday since then and there is none. We are on day 16 now. My eyes are bad, but I had managed to see it move before. While the dark area seems a lot larger than before, I am believing that it’s probably because the baby died and has concentrated into one spot. Nothing floats around inside when I turn the egg in any way. The air sac continues to grow larger and the egg loses the correct weight. I imagine that would be the same whether dead or alive? Is the best thing to do just wait until there is an awful smell? That’s so gross. Are there any other signs?

You can keep candling it, and see if it keeps growing. Growth is a very good sign of life in eggs

I really want to know if it’s alive because I have to buy another incubator for 3 days to attempt to hatch a dead baby. I’d rather spend the $200 and have the baby be alive!! The seller gave me six more eggs to replace the first 6 and I added them to the incubator. The first 5 were not viable, and the other is the one I think is dead now. I just put the new ones in the incubator yesterday.

Rather than buying another incubator, you might be able to put this egg in a mesh basket inside the main incubator to hatch. That will limit how much goo can get on other eggs, and will keep the baby (if it hatches) from kicking the other ones all around.

Of course that idea only works with incubators of some sizes and some shapes, and it works better with a single egg (like you have) than with larger number of eggs.

For a mesh basket, one option is to get needlepoint canvas (plastic mesh) at a craft store, cut it with scissors, and sew it together with any kind of thread or string. Or fasten it with twisties or zip ties. You can close the top the same way, then open it later by cutting the thread or zip ties, or untwisting the twisties.

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

You can keep candling it, and see if it keeps growing. Growth is a very good sign of life in eggs


Rather than buying another incubator, you might be able to put this egg in a mesh basket inside the main incubator to hatch. That will limit how much goo can get on other eggs, and will keep the baby (if it hatches) from kicking the other ones all around.

Of course that idea only works with incubators of some sizes and some shapes, and it works better with a single egg (like you have) than with larger number of eggs.

For a mesh basket, one option is to get needlepoint canvas (plastic mesh) at a craft store, cut it with scissors, and sew it together with any kind of thread or string. Or fasten it with twisties or zip ties. You can close the top the same way, then open it later by cutting the thread or zip ties, or untwisting the twisties.

So the mesh basket would keep the egg from turning, or would I have to turn off the auto turn and hard turn the others at that point? How would I get the humidity high for just that one baby though? Do you think if it is a dead egg, it will start to smell within a week anyways and then I will know? I don’t want to keep candling it because it’s frustrating and disheartening. How is everyone else tough enough to hatch out geese??

 

[NatJ]

So the mesh basket would keep the egg from turning, or would I have to turn off the auto turn and hard turn the others at that point?

It would depend on what style of auto turner you have, but the mesh basket would probably keep the egg from turning. Depending on the size of the mesh, you might lay a piece of cardboard or paper towel or something in the bottom, to make sure no gosling toes can go through the mesh and get caught by the turner.

How would I get the humidity high for just that one baby though?

Raise the humidity for the entire incubator for the correct days, then after the one has hatched you can drop the whole incubator humidity extra-low for about the same number of days. Candle the other eggs and check the air cell size to know when to adjust it back into normal range-- the size of the air cell at hatching is more important than the exact humidity on most days during incubation.

Do you think if it is a dead egg, it will start to smell within a week anyways and then I will know?

Probably but not guaranteed.

I don’t want to keep candling it because it’s frustrating and disheartening.

You don't have to candle every day, but I would definitely candle again before you make a final decision about setting up a mesh basket for hatching, or ordering another incubator.

If it keeps growing, it must be alive. The more days you wait between candling, the more obvious the growth (or not-growth) is.

How is everyone else tough enough to hatch out geese??

I've never done geese but have done chickens. I've found that a good distraction can help with all the waiting and worrying (book, movie, video game, hobby, other project, etc.)

 

[Dinosaur Village Keeper]

It would depend on what style of auto turner you have, but the mesh basket would probably keep the egg from turning. Depending on the size of the mesh, you might lay a piece of cardboard or paper towel or something in the bottom, to make sure no gosling toes can go through the mesh and get caught by the turner.


Raise the humidity for the entire incubator for the correct days, then after the one has hatched you can drop the whole incubator humidity extra-low for about the same number of days. Candle the other eggs and check the air cell size to know when to adjust it back into normal range-- the size of the air cell at hatching is more important than the exact humidity on most days during incubation.


Probably but not guaranteed.


You don't have to candle every day, but I would definitely candle again before you make a final decision about setting up a mesh basket for hatching, or ordering another incubator.

If it keeps growing, it must be alive. The more days you wait between candling, the more obvious the growth (or not-growth) is.


I've never done geese but have done chickens. I've found that a good distraction can help with all the waiting and worrying (book, movie, video game, hobby, other project, etc.)

Thank you! I wasn’t even thinking about the importance of the humidity being just to properly grow the air sac. I was just following instructions to keep the humidity at a certain level! And I have read the incubating guide over 20 times so far. You can see why I have to continue reading it, lol!

It makes perfect sense to put the egg in a basket with something underneath. The incubator tray would continue to move, but the egg being in the mesh basket would keep it from turning as long as I made it the same size as one of the egg holding slots. Might have a dizzy little gosling though. My incubator is called nurture 360.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you! I wasn’t even thinking about the importance of the humidity being just to properly grow the air sac. I was just following instructions to keep the humidity at a certain level! And I have read the incubating guide over 20 times so far. You can see why I have to continue reading it, lol!

It took me quite a while to figure that out, too.

Older books on incubating, before humidity gauges were common, have instructions to adjust humidity by checking air cell size once a week. Then adjust up or down to bring it to the right point by hatching time. If the air cell is way too big or way too small, more chicks (or goslings) die at hatching time.

When the eggs are actually hatching, it is important to have the humidity high enough, because you don't want the baby to dry out partway through, and stick to the shell. If you have lots of eggs hatching at once, the humidity goes up anyway because of all those wet baby birds making holes in their shells and letting moisture out. But with just one egg, it's not going to raise the humidity enough by itself, so you will have to adjust it.

It makes perfect sense to put the egg in a basket with something underneath. The incubator tray would continue to move, but the egg being in the mesh basket would keep it from turning as long as I made it the same size as one of the egg holding slots. Might have a dizzy little gosling though. My incubator is called nurture 360.

Yes, with that style of turner, a basket will work fine to keep the egg inside from turning. You will need to make sure the basket is the right size & shape that it doesn't get jammed as it sits on the turner going around.