Author Topic: Geese are hatching!! (Read 3760 times)

Jackie 2 · « **on:** April 03, 2013, 04:41:38 pm »

My first lot of geese are just starting to break the shell!!

I set 24 in the no.1 hatcher, read everything I could find so hopefully we will get a few. Its day 27

Im so thrilled about them as last year we didnt have a hatcher but still tried with a heat bulb and turning and didnt get any.

No.2 hatcher is day 1 for more

goosepimple · « **Reply #1 on:** April 03, 2013, 07:01:02 pm »

fab, keep us posted!

HesterF · « **Reply #2 on:** April 03, 2013, 11:46:28 pm »

Oooh, exciting. I'm jealous. I've only one goose so it takes a while to collect. The first lot of seven were all infertile and I've now got the next batch of six in. Being impatient, I've just tried candling (at day 3) an can't see a thing (nor in the duck eggs which I could see at this stage last time). My dreams of being a breeder are falling apart....but your story is inspiring me to be patient.

H

doganjo · « **Reply #3 on:** April 04, 2013, 01:13:07 pm »

I've thought about having geese but a bit wary since foxy loxy took my ducks and hens. Would a big aggressive gander keep a fox away? I've still got a pen and ashed I can shut them in at night, but they'd free range in the daytime.

Jackie 2 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 04, 2013, 05:59:39 pm »

Mine are free range in the day (16 of them) and go back to their shed at night. A fox has only ever taken a young one once in the daytime so go for it Anne

HesterF · « **Reply #5 on:** April 04, 2013, 06:03:11 pm »

I think a fox can take a gander though - there was somebody on here who lost one to a fox and the breeders I bought from reckoned they weren't fox proof. I must admit I'm very wary at the moment because I know this is a hungry time of year or foxes and with this weather there's probably less food around than usual.

goosepimple · « **Reply #6 on:** April 04, 2013, 08:25:38 pm »

Ganders are more aggressive at this time of year, Feb - May and then can go back to their tolerant selves - I would think they could be taken by a fox.

doganjo · « **Reply #7 on:** April 04, 2013, 09:43:24 pm »

If they were inside at night they'd be OK hopefully - would only have a trio probably. Not sure though after speaking to a chap at my ringcraft class tonight - he's off to find a fox that went on the rampage and killed some swans.

lachlanandmarcus · « **Reply #8 on:** April 04, 2013, 11:44:16 pm »

Quote from: doganjo on April 04, 2013, 01:13:07 pm

I've thought about having geese but a bit wary since foxy loxy took my ducks and hens. Would a big aggressive gander keep a fox away? I've still got a pen and ashed I can shut them in at night, but they'd free range in the daytime.

A gander of mine was taken by a fox, head bitten off and body left, they like to eat the brains it seems, nice...this wasnt shut up at night cos it was behind a 7 foot wire fence, which had been completely fox proof for 5 years. The one that was killed was the outcast gander with the others paired up so I reckon they gaggles together and were fine but he was Norman no mates and was got. He was a large fully grown embden which are heavy geese so any size can be taken.

Jackie 2 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 13, 2013, 08:40:25 am »

With such lot of eggs in the hatcher we only got 2 that hatched, one has since died

so we have 1 chick

When we broke all the eggs afterwards a lot had died inside the egg so something went badly wrong somewhere along the line

Its an automatic hatcher and the temp was 'right' and we kept the moisture up too so have no idea why?

The other hatcher is on day 20 so we will see.

HesterF · « **Reply #10 on:** April 13, 2013, 01:28:10 pm »

From what I've read (Chris Ashton - Keeping Geese, brilliant book) humidity is vital but not quite so simple as just keeping it up. Early season eggs can have thicker shells so often need a lower humidity because they have to lose a certain percentage of moisture. Weighing the eggs and plotting weightloss is, I believe, the only way to judge that. You do need the moisture up for hatching but certainly the breeder I bought from tends to run the incubator dry and spray the eggs once a day when they're turning them (incidentally, that's another point - goose eggs benefit from manual, end over end turning even if you incubator rocks automatically) until close to hatch.

Having said all of that, I've still had no fertile goose eggs and very few fertile duck eggs. I've had a batch of four fertile duck eggs under a broody and all were alive and kicking yesterday, one had hatched this morning but I don't think the others are going to make it - no movement or peeping coming from them. So my stats are way worse than yours and you may wish to ignore any advice (but buy Chris Ashton's book!). Fingers crossed for your second batch (and my one remaining kicking egg which is under a second broody),

H