Help! 1st time Hatching Buff Geese

RoosterML · Apr 4, 2021

Day 25 which is lockdown day (I think) is this Tuesday. I plan on cranking humidity up to 70-75% that day until they hatch. After that just a waiting game I guess.
Am I correct? Anything else need to be done? All tips welcomed?

RoosterML · Apr 4, 2021

@CindyinSD alittle bird told me you would know what to do with a lost case such as myself???? :caf

CindyinSD · Apr 4, 2021

You're hatching geese?

Sooo much fun! You don't need to have rain dripping from the cover, but it's s'posed to be humid all right. Take them out as soon as they hatch. They won't dry until you do, and it's gonna give them splayed legs pronto because they're too tall. They heal up quickly with a suitably spaced hobble, but if you get them right out, they're less likely to have troubles.

Besides, they're soaking wet and will spike the humidity too much if they stay. Mine hatched well. I think I maybe had one or two that didn't make it (not counting the early quitters I tossed) but I still ended up with twelve. So that's sixteen altogether, No babies this year.

RoosterML · Apr 5, 2021

CindyinSD said:
You're hatching geese? Sooo much fun! You don't need to have rain dripping from the cover, but it's s'posed to be humid all right. Take them out as soon as they hatch. They won't dry until you do, and it's gonna give them splayed legs pronto because they're too tall. They heal up quickly with a suitably spaced hobble, but if you get them right out, they're less likely to have troubles.

Besides, they're soaking wet and will spike the humidity too much if they stay. Mine hatched well. I think I maybe had one or two that didn't make it (not counting the early quitters I tossed) but I still ended up with twelve. So that's sixteen altogether, No babies this year.

What do you have in your brooder for a floor?

CindyinSD · Apr 5, 2021

The needlepoint grid came with it, but I line the floor with good paper towels when I see internal pips. The goslings are just too tall to stand up. It's half as tall as they need and they uniformly end up with splay foot if I leave them in there. They fluff up beautifully (and much quicker) with an infrared plate set high enough for them to move around under.

The waterfowl don't do very well on puppy pads either, by the way. Chicken chicks seem okay, but the flipperfeet slip all over.

Just paper towels until they dry off. I learned these things the hard way.