Hello all. I am new to geese. I am incubating my toulouse eggs. I have read different ideas on where to keep eggs when hatching. Could anyone please shed some light on the best place to keep my eggs when they start to hatch. Thank you.
Toulouse eggs
- Thread starter Jeffro
- Start date
chrismahon
Well-known member
Not sure what the problem is here Jeffro, but when hatching the temperature is lowered and the humidity raised. So where were they before and for how long?
They have to hatch in the incubator and also to remain there for up to 24 hours in order for the last to hatch to have a chance to dry off. During this time they don't need food or drink as they are still nourished by the remains of the yolk. Opening the incubator too soon will let in cold air and reduce the humidity which is needed for the latest chicks to hatch. When egg turning stops, a day or so before the hatch, you should increase the humidity and line the floor of the incubator with soft cotton cloth, or a J-cloth, to give their feet something to grip on, as their leg muscles are not developed at first and sliding around on a slippery surface can cause a condition called spraddle leg. Get their brooder ready before the transfer from the incubator, and initially have it at the same temperature as the incubator to avoid thermal shock, gradually reducing the heat day by day as they begin to grow.
chrismahon
Well-known member
I'd class Toulouse as a 'heavy' goose breed and so, according to Katie There's book on incubation, the exact time for incubation isn't precise. The incubation period is 31 -33 days and hatching is 34 -36 days. Incubation is 37.5C at50% humidity and hatching is 37C at 75%. You haven't said what machine you have Jeffro, so I don't know if you can match those figures reliably. I'd switch to the hatching figures after day 31 and see what happens. Then follow Marigold's recommendations when they have hatched.
