Goose eggs are among the largest you can incubate and need extra care. Count 28 to 30 days at 37.5 °C, with the regular cooling typical of waterfowl.
Goose incubation length
Most geese hatch in 28 to 30 days depending on the breed. Set the incubator to 37.5 °C with humidity of 45 to 55 % during incubation, then raise it to 65 to 75 % at lockdown.
Day-by-day calendar
Set eggs on day 1 at 37.5 °C. First candling around day 7 to 10 to check fertility and remove clear eggs. Daily cooling and misting from the second week. Lockdown on days 25 to 27: stop turning and raise humidity. Hatch between day 28 and day 30.
Cooling and misting
Like all waterfowl, geese benefit from a daily cooling of about 10 to 15 minutes from mid-incubation. Spray a little warm water on the eggs before closing the incubator again. This supports gas exchange and the correct weight loss of the egg.
Positioning large eggs
Goose eggs are heavy and often sit better on their side than upright. Many breeders turn them by hand, marking each face with a reference mark. Turn at least 2 times a day, ideally 3, until lockdown.
A hatch that is hard work
The thick shell makes hatching difficult for the gosling, which may take 24 to 48 hours between pipping and full emergence. Resist the urge to help too soon: humidity of 65 to 75 % at lockdown keeps the membrane from drying out and trapping the chick.
Key points
- Goose: 28 to 30 days at 37.5 °C.
- Candling on day 7 to 10, lockdown on days 25 to 27.
- Humidity 45 to 55 % then 65 to 75 % at lockdown.
- Daily cooling and misting from mid-incubation.