My lady goose is laying eggs but is not sitting on them!

[natyvidal]

Hi Everyone! As the subject say, my lady African goose, Daisy is laying eggs but not sitting on them. Last year she did the same thing and I tried to incubate them
but had no luck with them. I know Gladstone is mounting her in the pool, so the eggs must be fertile. I acquired Daisy from someone else at about one year old and she had already had goslings. So its not all her fault. Therefore I have been reading a bit how to incubate them but it sounds difficult. Therefore, I have several questions.

1. When storing the eggs, can I store them point down? Or they absolutely need to be on their side? The eggs by now are about 10 days old. Have they lost their fertility?

2. I bought a Farm Innovator Model 4250, Digital Circulated Air, with the egg turner. Its been good hatching duck eggs and most other type of fowl eggs, but not sure this is the brand to use for geese eggs. Is there a brand that I can use specifically for geese eggs? That it is affordable. By affordable I mean around or up to $100. Just do not have the budget for anything bigger. Or more expensive.

3. From what I've read the eggs need to be placed on their sides during incubation? Is there a tray that will allow that?

4. How long will it take the African goose egg to hatch?

5. Can a broody hen actually successfully hatch geese eggs? Do I need to do anything else to help her along? One of my broody, actually hatch a clutch of my ducklings, successfully!

6. Yes, I read the information from pete55, which was very thorough, and very good, although it sounded very difficult and time consuming to follow all of the steps in the article.

Waiting for your answer to know how to proceed with the incubating. Thank you as always for your help.

Natalia

 

[sourland]

1) A goose will not set on the eggs until she has completed a clutch. Viability will remain far longer than 10 days.
2) Given proper size, temperature and humidity regulation it should be fine.
3) I have always incubated goose eggs on their sides - not certain if that is necessary.
4) Approximately 28 days.
5) Yes, but monitor the last week or so, some hens give up after 21 days

 

[Percheron chick]

Start with checking fertility. Just because he's looking like he did the deed does not guarantee fertility. Look for the bulls eye just like a chicken egg. Now bake some cookies with the broken egg. I count goose eggs as 3 chicken eggs.
Read the first page of Pete55 again. It's a ton of information and very overwhelming. Will take time to process the information.
Just like chickens, not all goose go broody. I have 9 girls and every year a different 2-3 demand to sit while the rest could care less. Might not be her thing.
I would bake with the 10 eggs you have already gathered and start again. Gather eggs and date. I store eggs in muffin pans and roll them 1/4 turn a few times a day. Depending upon the incubator, you will need to remove the egg turner unless you have one specific for goose eggs. I went with Incuview because the egg turner works for all eggs. In a goose nest, eggs are 99% on their side. Can't argue with that. I would also have a new clean spray bottle with water and spritz the eggs every few days if your climate is dry. A goose will go for a quick dip them go sit. You are replicating that.
28 days if normal but don't fret if it hits 30-31. I'll candle at 5-7 days. Mark the ones that are developing. I don't pull blanks until closer to 14 jik I missed something. Sometimes you get lucky.

 

[natyvidal]

Thank you all for your info. I looked at the Incuview brand and its turning trays are the same as chickens. You said it is also good for geese eggs. I thought the best way for geese eggs to hatch was on their side. I do not have the time or my schedule allows me time to be turning the geese eggs during the day.
Can they be incubated same as chickens, ducks, and quail eggs? Pointy end down?

"Depending upon the incubator, you will need to remove the egg turner unless you have one specific for goose eggs." Which brand is good for geese eggs? I get a lot of money for the goslings. So I do not mind spending more money on a goose incubator if there is such a thing.

Thank you again for your help.

 

[Finnie]

Thank you all for your info. I looked at the Incuview brand and its turning trays are the same as chickens. You said it is also good for geese eggs. I thought the best way for geese eggs to hatch was on their side. I do not have the time or my schedule allows me time to be turning the geese eggs during the day.
Can they be incubated same as chickens, ducks, and quail eggs? Pointy end down?

"Depending upon the incubator, you will need to remove the egg turner unless you have one specific for goose eggs." Which brand is good for geese eggs? I get a lot of money for the goslings. So I do not mind spending more money on a goose incubator if there is such a thing.

Thank you again for your help.

The Incuview has a tray that slides back and forth, which any size egg can lay sideways in. I have hatched egg sizes from quail to goose in mine. But actually, the geese failed. It seemed to me that when the tray goes back and forth, the goose eggs just slide back and forth with it, instead of rolling.

I believe you can buy goose-sized rails for the standard kind of egg turner. Instead of holding the eggs pointy side down, the goose rails hold the eggs on their side. They hold way fewer eggs.

Here is a photo of the Incuview’s turning tray:

I will look for a photo of the other kind of goose egg turner.

Edit: Found one

 

[NevadaEmma]

What I was wondering, if the eggs are only viable for 10 days, what about the eggs that the female laid over the last month or so? Will they not hatch?

 

[Percheron chick]

You should have a decent hatch rate with 10 day old eggs if they were handled correctly. As the eggs get older, your hatch rate will be lower. I have had 30+ day old guinea eggs hatch. Around 30%. Had not intended to hatch them so they just sat on the kitchen counter.

 

[NevadaEmma]

What I was asking is about the eggs that the female goose has been laying over the last month. At the moment there are 17 eggs in her nest. I have already taken out 8 eggs. The first 4 I took out about 3 weeks ago. Many of her eggs in the nest are older than 10 days.