Help! Mama goose not taking care of eggs/babies day 33

[Ozarkhomesteader]

Ok, so I have a beautiful African goose named Nakira. She has been dutifully sitting on a clutch of 13 for about 33 days. At around day 21 a rouge chicken egg hatched and i found the poor chick dead in the nest.

Then, about a week ago we had a rotten egg explosion. I cleaned up as best i could, candled the remaining eggs, and whittled the nest down to 7- 5 were definitely alive at the time of candling, 2 look slightly odd, but not rotten so i left them a little unsure. She took a little encouragement after the stinky explosion, but went back to sitting.

Now, this morning i go out to check the nest and find a hatched egg! BUT the poor baby was so cold i thought he was dead. Then he moved a little and drew in a weak breath, so i rushed him inside holding him close. Now he's under a brooder lamp as I try to revive him.

As for the mama and the rest of the eggs? Well she moved the whole nest over, and continued sitting on the remaining eggs and left the baby to die. I beginning to think she doesn't really know what to do with the strange little creatures.

I checked the eggs and none seem to be pipping yet. If anymore are still alive I REALLY don't want to keep losing them.

SO my question...should I take a chance and leave them under her and just check really often until they hatch? Then i will take them to the brooder.

OR should I set up my incubator and let the eggs hatch in there? How would i go about moving them, is it wise, and has anyone ever done this?

Thanks for any input!!

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

How old is she? Sounds like she's just too inexperienced. If you have an incubator, I would move them there or at least a few, otherwise check on her a lot and save any rejected goslings!

 

[Ozarkhomesteader]

She's just about a year, so this is her first year! I've heard they are terrible their first time, so I had low expectations for hatching anything...BUT since she's stuck with it this long i really want to keep the babies alive!

She ended up not wanting to return to the nest after she got up to eat, so I frantically fired up the incubator and carefully transferred the eggs. Temps are holding steady, and one seems to be piping! So hopefully we get a couple babies!!

Thank you so much for the response! Seems I did the right thing, now i just have to wait!

 

[Waylons mommy]

My spoiled pair started to hatch theirs on their own 2nd birthday (day before mine) last Sunday. This was my first view allowed to see how many eggs she had, 8 at 5am. First one didn't make it. By midnight we had 4 live, 2 of which I had to snatch up and dry off for her, they were too cold. We are newbies and we're unprepared, and they being spoiled, made the nest up on the far end of our deck. heavy rain storm rolled in off the shore, so we quickly hung a patio inferred heater above the proud parents and went to bed.
Next morning, my heart wilted when I awoken to a cold baby. I snatched it up and tried for 2 hours to revive it . My daughter (age 10) says mom, no...
I gave in, went to check on Waylon and Willie-nilly and the kids.... only to find another one sat on . I was crushed so I took May and Flower inside and set them up with the heat lamp, leaving Willy-nilly with the last 3 eggs, one was starting to hatch. when I checked again, she was done sitting and was out enjoying her much needed playing in the yard, eating and bathing. The hatchling didn't make it. I took the last 2 eggs and brought them in with the babies. Now a week later...poor Willy was so depressed...I took the babies to the window so they could tell mom n dad goodnight , and out to the yard for play time . They were both being very attentive parents, I was impressed. I caved and let them move back out with mom and dad in a enclosed pen...all are doing great! But the eggs...one started leaking yesterday morning, I jumped on here and read stories of exploding eggs. I quickly candled them... The big one was now a sloppy mess inside, but the other, still not ready...but moving and I melted when I saw it's bill and then both fippers moved into view .
I honestly have no clue how many days this one really is, but definitely not filling it's shell yet, and 8 days passed the first 2
I keep checking it's heat, and rotation praying that little"Fippers" hatches safely