CHAPTER Xn 

 Incubation 



Care of Eggs for Hatching. Since egg production 

 usually begins early in the spring while the weather 

 is still cold, it is necessary to gather the eggs at fre- 

 quent intervals to prevent their freezing or becom- 

 ing chilled. Later in the season daily collection will 

 be satisfactory. The eggs as collected should be kept 

 in a cool place and where the evaporation of the egg 

 contents will not be too great. If set at fairly fre- 

 quent intervals, there will be no difficulty on this 

 score. If they are to be kept for some time, they 

 may be stored in bran to prevent evaporation. It 

 is well to mark the eggs as gathered with the date 

 they are laid so as to overcome the possibility of sav- 

 ing too long any eggs for hatching. 



Some goose raisers think that it is best to wash 

 goose eggs before setting them. This belief is based 

 on the fact that when a goose makes her own nest 

 and has access to water in which to swim she comes 

 on the nest with her feathers wet. It is to simulate 

 this condition that the eggs are washed. Certainly 

 any dirty eggs should be washed. 



Methods of Incubation. The most usual methods 

 of hatching goose eggs are by means of the chicken 



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