INCUBATION 



shelter if these are conveniently available. When 

 she shows that she is broody and has stopped laying 

 she should be given a sitting of eggs which will con- 

 sist of 10 or 11. Geese are often difficult to manage 

 when they have young. 



Wild and Egyptian geese should always be al- 

 lowed to make their own nests which they like to do 

 on dry ground near the water, using straw leaves 

 or similar material to make the nest. They should 

 not be disturbed as they are ugly during this time. 

 They will hatch practically every egg. 



Breaking Up Broody Geese. A goose which shows 

 a desire to sit, can be broken up quite easily by con- 

 fining her to a slat-bottomed coop without any feed, 

 but with plenty of water to drink, for from 2 to 4 

 days. After being broken up she will generally 

 commence laying again after an interval of a few 

 days. 



Hatching with an Incubator. While it is more dif- 

 ficult to hatch goose eggs in incubators than it is hen 

 or duck eggs, this can be done by an experienced op- 

 erator with a fair degree of success. The incubator 

 should be operated at a temperature of 101.5 to 

 102.5 degrees F., with the thermometer so placed 

 that the bulb is on a level with the top of the eggs. 

 Beginning with the third day, the eggs should be 

 turned twice a day as with hens' eggs. Beginning 

 about the tenth day, the eggs should be cooled once 

 a day, and they need more cooling than hens' eggs 

 require. They should be cooled down to a temper- 



176 



