Saved a goose egg, is it too late tho? Please help:(

[achapra]

Since about mid April my husband I noticed a nest 30 ft from out porch. The parents came to see us regularly and we've been feeding them on her 'breaks' from incubating. Last night, I heard what sounded like geese crying, and as i look out I see about ten gees, including 'ours' all in the water near the nest. It took a second to realize, a cat had raided the nest.
My husband went out and inspected, one egg was away from the nest, opened and the baby was pretty well developed- however dead. Out of 5 eggs one was left, the others unaccounted for.

Well, we waited close to an hour and the geese did not return to the nest. I took it in, and am attempting to incubate it.

I noticed a smell coming from the egg, not too intense, but a not so nice smell. Does this mean the egg is probably dead? I've tried candling it, however its to no avail as I dont think the light is bright enough or the egg is too thick.

Based on my assumptions, Im guessing the eggs had another week or so to go. Should I be hearing noises? Will the egg move around a bit at this point? What are signs to look for to see if it's alive.. or too late?? :-(

I noticed the geese returning to the nest and poking around. They are staying by our porch now.

I could really use some advice, I would like to hatch it and then perhaps turn it into a center to get it back to wildlife.

Thanks!

 

[Wifezilla]

If you think they are a week out, I would wait a week and see how it goes. The smell is not a good sign though. Keep an eye out for seepage, etc... If the smell gets worse, well, you tried.

 

[achapra]

I have the egg in the bathroom, the second you walk in the odor is evident. The egg is pretty solid, no leakage.

 

[goosedragon]

This is just my opinion. based on domestic geese (I get the idea that yours are wild type) Usually a mother will return to the nest if there are any living eggs left. Is there any chance that the eggs Hatched that night and the flock is hiding the goslings in the pond? Just a guess of what might have happened I can't picture a cat fighting off a goose and a gander plus maybe the rest of the flock. Any any event I strongly suspect that the egg you picked up is dead and could turn into a stink bomb at any time. Seepage is bad but pressure from a egg rotting inside an intact shell is worse. While cleaning up behind my geese after they leave the nest I have had unhatched eggs explode! Your egg and your bathroom but if it was mine I would carefully dispose of the egg.

 

[FrenchHen]

If you can smell it before you enter a room, it's bad.
Really bad.
Throw at the stinky boy you lived across the street from when you were twelve bad.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

if you can smell it, its bad

 

[achapra]

Hi guys, actually the odor is going away!!! I think it may have just been from being in that stinky nest I'm definite that there are no goslings hatched, the mother and father (this happened last night) have came back & are still lingering this whole day by our porch, no babies anywhere. I might be wrong about it being a cat... but the nest was definitely attacked and not intact(I saw a cat-sized animal try to go back to the nest after we stopped the first 'attack'...), Perhaps it was a bunch of kids before that.

Anyway, do unhatched goslings make any noises or visible movements at the end of the incubation period?

Sorry for all the questions, I have no experience with this at all!

 

[Wifezilla]

Ducks start peeping a day or so before they pip.

 

[achapra]

hi guys just an update, egg is no longer stinky! I found out it was the moisture in the room and the cardboard creating the stink bomb...! Fixed that I'm giving it another week or two. Also, there is no incubator so I 'm using a heating pad, some soft towels, a box and a humidifier and keeping the room closed off from drafts... so I've been waking up every hour or so to check the tempature, which is staying regulated somehow!! I'm so excited The parents left for the night and have just now returned to their spot by our porch, I'm beginning to wish that I had left the egg(I didnt know she would return to nest:-()

I wonder if I sneak the gosling out a day after it hatches, would it fit in with the other geese or be abandoned? It sounds ridiculous, but these 2 wild geese have really taking a liking to us (Could be that we feed them twice a day regularly )

Thanks all for your advice, I'll keep you posted.

 

[goosedragon]

I wouldn't be surprized if the gosling (if ever hatched) would be accepted by your pair. Adoption is fairly common with wild geese since natural mothers are often lost. Good luck trying to sneak it back if he makes a peep the geese will hear it. He might not accept that he is a goose if you hatch him. place it on the ground and back away he will be distressed and the adult geese will either respond or not. Be prepared to take him back if the geese don't adopt him they might kill him.
You can sometimes feel geese moving around in the shell just befor hatch.
I hope it happens for you.