Info On Raising Chickens, Ducks, Geese, & Other Poultry.
Helping the world raise chickens successfully since 1995!

Apparently, Sebastopol geese take FOREVER to hatch! Or at least mine do....

I think we won't have a gosling till tomorrow... it is still scratching and peeping, but not much action going on. The peeping seems to be getting louder.

I'm not touching it, don't worry!

It is out! I just came out and is resting and flopping around in the incubator. I thought I saw a "large navel" and I don't know if that is normal.

We're going to church so I'll update later on. Thanks for all the help everyone!

Watch the navel for infection. Yes, likely this gosling was barely "finished" at hatch. Now, we are hoping you have a thrifty baby and we'll have to wait. (New snow, and I am not going out, but will listen to my church service, radio broadcasts the service every Sunday.) CJR

Thanks! We saw it actually come out of the shell and I thought I saw a big navel but I just checked "Freddie" (the kids named "him") and I don't see anything.

The only thing is... he doesn't look like a Sebastopol gosling?? His beak is dark with pink patches and he's not the color of a Seb gosling. Will the hatch hair fall out and be replaced? Will the beak pink up as the day goes on?

Don't get me wrong.. we're all "in love" with him.. but I'm just curious if he isn't a Seb.. what is he??

Unfortunately, that's the risk that's taken with eggs bought from Ebay. I have called Ebay on false sales repeatedly. This guy is attempting to sell White Rocks as White Jersey Giants. DRIVES ME INSANE! Could you post a pic of your baby? There's a possibility that it could fall out, but probably not. I have a Toulouse gosling that hatched out with a black bill and wound up with a bright orange. She is beautiful. He may be a Seleb mix or something, but maybe you'll get lucky? Were you hoping for show quality Sebs or just pet quality?

If you could post pictures of your new little guy it would be great!

O.K. I just took one... I am trying to develop a flock of Sebs and so I wanted to add some new blood to the mix. But... this one can be just for entertainment and decoration and not for show. If he/she isnt' a seb, I don't want it breeding with them. I think I have really good Seb stock.

I just looked back at the deceased gosling blurry photo, and I think this new one looks like the other one. And I know for sure the deceased one was a Seb. It just doesn't look like the 2 day old photos of a Seb gosling I saw on the Metzer catalog cover. Hum.

Hopefully this thread has been put to rest with a happy ending! Thanks again soooo much to all who walked me through this process. Your experience and insight has been an invaluable teaching tool for me (and I'm sure others who find this thread in the archives).

The website says that the females are darker at hatching.

Here's the website if you'd like to look at some more pics of the babies. They are just too cute!
http://feathersite.com/Poultry/Geese/BRKSebastopol.html

Then again, the bill matches the color of the gray sebastopol. I guess you'll just have to wait and see but I hope it's a sebastopol for you! Either way, it's adorable!

Thanks! I love looking at the gosling photos! O.k. I would say then that Freddie does look like the one on the right except for the dark bill. And by that photo I'd say the one on the metzer catalog is a male then. Well, I suppose in a few months' time I'll figure it out!

Next Seb egg (from my two) due to hatch Feb. 26. For some reason the goose is only laying one egg every 2 weeks.

Thanks again!
Jennifer

For the record, Freddie is Brown chinese.