Candling goose egg is the process that determines whether a given goose egg is fertile or infertile. To candy goose eggs, you must shine a bright light through the egg shell in order to observe the contents of the egg. Because goose shells are denser then chicken shells, you must use a higher lumen light to effectively see through the shells.
The first stage of candling occurs around day seven of incubation. At day seven, fertile eggs will display spiderweb vein and a spot that contains the embryo; infertile eggs will reveal a uniform glow to the light and the shadow of the yolk within the egg. Despite these indications, it isnt recommended to remove any eggs at this time.
How to Check and Care for Goose Eggs
It is instead recommended to observe the eggs again at day ten. At day ten, infertile eggs will have a yolk that is not attached to any vessels to the egg, as well as an air cell within the egg that does not move when you tilt the egg. Removing infertile eggs from the incubator will save space for the incubation of fertile eggs, but you should wait until day ten to remove them to avoid the removal of fertile eggs.
It is important to keep an eye on the eggs between days five and ten in particular, as dead embryo can form during this period. At days five to ten, dead embryos can appear as a black dot within the egg or as a blood ring surrounding the embryo. The blood ring indicates that the embryo has passed on and decomposed within the egg shell.
If the embryo decomposes within the shell, gas can exit the egg shell and lead to the egg exploding. Additionally, the bacteria that exits the incubating egg can enter other incubating eggs shells as well. These problems can be avoided by ensuring the egg shells are clean, as well as by calibrating the incubator’s thermometer to ensure the appropriate humidity and temperatures is provided to each egg.
Mid-incubation occurs between days ten and twenty-one. During this period, the embryo develops into a dark mass within the incubating egg. You can observe the dark mass by tilting the incubating egg.
Live embryos will shift within the egg when you tilt it, as will the air cell within the egg. Dead embryos will not exhibit these movements. Additionally, if the interior of the egg is murky, the embryo is likely dead; bacterial growth within the egg can cause the embryo to die from nutritional shortfalls or humidity crashes.
However, you should observe eggs for at least thirty seconds to allow for the embryo to become dead. If the embryo is dead within the egg, it can be smelled outside of the incubator; if the odor of the egg is sulfur-smelling, the embryo is dead. In this case, you should place the dead eggs into a plastic bag and bury them in the ground due to the presence of hydrogen sulfide gas within the dead eggs.
Late-term incubation occurs after day twenty-one. At this time, the embryo has become most of the incubating egg; thus, the egg will appear mostly shadowed when candled. The air sac within the egg can be used to view the embryo.
If there is no movement within the embryo after tilting the egg, the embryo is dead. Additionally, if the eggs are rotten, their shells may be dull or contain green-grey streaks. Additionally, you can test the live or death of the embryo by placing the eggs into warm water (the float test).
Live embryos will wiggle within the water while dead embryos will remain still. After day twenty-five, the eggs should no longer be turned; the humidity should be increased within the incubator. Lastly, between days twenty-eight and thirty, you should observe the number of “pirs” (little holes in the shell) to determine when the embryo has begun to hatch.
In order to improve the hatch rate of the incubating eggs, there are a few steps that can be taken. First, you should provide the geese with a balanced feed that contains vitamin E to improve the fertility of the eggs. Additionally, you should collect the eggs twice per day.
The collected eggs should be stored with the pointed end of the egg facing down in a cool location. The eggs should also be turned three to five times per day until day twenty-five (lockdown). Additionally, you can mist the eggs to provide moisture to the eggs.
Finally, you should log each of the eggs with a pencil mark to note any changes to the embryos.