The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: cluckyclaire on April 08, 2009, 10:10:18 am
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Does anyone know how long it takes a goosling to hatch from the egg once it has pipped? Have got one that has just pipped in last half hour so wondering how long till i hopefully have a goosling!
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sometimes they just pop out quickly, and sometimes they have a little rest and take their time. As long as you don't keep opening the incubator, and have the moisture right, they should be allright left to do their thing.
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I'm trying so hard to stop myself opening the incubator but i know that it needs to be left alone - wouldn't want to kill them now!!! This one is obviously gonna take its time as although it is still wriggling round (egg is moving) it hasn't done anything since about 9.30 this morn. About to go out for a couple of hours so at least the temptation will be out of the way!!!
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Good luck, let us know what happens and please can we have some pictures?
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will post piccies as soon as i find the lead - lost it at the mo! Providing anything hatches successfully of course.
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Any news?
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Got one so far and can still hear chirpping and movement in the incubator so hopefully the one in the brooder will soon have a friend (got a knitted chick for company at the mo as it seemed lonely!!!).
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Thats brilliant, well done. My 2 geese discovered I had the ducklings out in their run and god did they become aggressive. The ducklings were terrified, although they were safe. When I went to chase them for the forst time ever I felt frightened of them. They are little buggers.
Fingers crossed your others hatch soon and safe.
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I now have a mental image of tom and jerry style gosling cuddled up to a knitted friend. aahh.
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A second one is literally working it's way out of the shell as i type!!!
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Has goosey baby number 2 arrived yet? - no goose icon either :'( :&> :&> :&>
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number 2 is out 3and 4 are working on it!! Really surprised as we norm have problems with humidity during hatching chicken eggs (right at the end they pip and then the membranes always seem to dry around them) so thought we had no real chance with the goose eggs. Must have done something right. 8)
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hi well done, I hatched out 5 gooslings 7 weeks ago, be careful with water supply as one of mine drowned first night, dish with pebbles in it is good idea. the other 4 are all huge now! they grow very very quickly, and eat you out of house and home! but its well worth it. still trying to find out when its best to intrigrate them into flock of other adult geese??
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Luckily i don't have to worry about introducing to adult geese this year - will have that dilema next year hopefully. I have however got 18 week old gooslings tha i got from a commercial supplier earlier in the week so the two lots will have to be intergratered at some point but keeping the new ones in the living room for a bit so that hopefully they will be slightly tamer!!! 4 have hatched succesfully now and a 5th is working on it - not bad out of 8 eggs from ebay!!! ;D
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well done on the hatching front. i think my wife would kill me if i had any more chicks in the house. had loads in the previous two years, but have to keep my babies in the garage now, as all the chick flufff gets everywhere.9 and the whiff.
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Well 6 have hatched although had to help last 2 as the humidity started playing up and the membranes were drying around the gooslings. One of the last 2 is not looking great at the moment (still in incubator drying) as it is not getting up on its feet and moving around so will have to wait and see. Had the same sort of prob with a duckling which came to me as a day old recently and after a couple of weeks of caring for it indoors it final lost it's fight on tuesday and don't think i can do that again so it better start moving when it gets out!!!!
be careful with water supply as one of mine drowned first night, dish with pebbles in it is good idea.
We have found that an ice cube try is fantastic. Only have fill the compartments at the begining and grdually increase the depth of water over time. We have used this method successfully with chicks and ducklings in the past and touch wood have never lost any to drowning. It also means that they can't go for a swim and get wet and cold. Change the water once or twicce a day depending on how dirty the have made it!!!
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I hope your wee one gets on ok Claire. Sometimes I have found with the ducklings that if I help them out they are very weak for the first few hours.They always have made it for me though, I am pleased that I have never "lost" any once they start hatching or once they are out. I think it is probably because although we paniced and believed we were doing the right thing the wee thing simply wasn't quite ready to come out. So, when we let it free it's weak as it's not quite ready for the big wide world, if that makes sense. That's my thoughts anyway.
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I think you could be right James. An athlete trains for a big event by exercising more and more each day and the way I look at chicks/ducklings is they are training by pecking a bit more of the egg little by little, so if you help them out too soon they aren't getting the right amount of training before coming out altogether - just my logic kicking in again!
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Hi all. Well they are all alive and seem to be doing ok. Moving around, eating and drinking. The weak little one seems to have splayed legs so have got them strpped up and it is managing to get around the box ok so fingers crossed!!! They all seem quite friendly at the moment - when i go and sit by the box they all come over and peck at my fingers and more especially my rings so hopefully they will stay like that. At least they don't hide in the corner when ever i go near like the slighty older ones i have got do!!
Have also now got a chicken that seems to have gone broody so need to go and sort out a home for her. If she seems to sit tight i'll give her some fertile eggs later in the week - i'll give her a couple of china eggs first tho!! I love this time of year!!!