Detailed Explanation of Key Points on Hatching Techniques for Wild Goose Breeding Eggs

Wild geese reach sexual maturity relatively late; generally, female geese need 3 years before they can lay eggs. In artificially domesticated geese, sexual maturity can be advanced to 9-10 months of age, and one male can mate with multiple females. After 2—3 generations of domesticated breeding, wild geese can be artificially incubated. When breeding geese enter the reproductive period, they should be provided with sufficient water surface for mating, and breeding eggs should be collected promptly for artificial incubation. During the incubation of breeding eggs, attention should be paid to the following points:

1. Breeding eggs should be fully disinfected before entering the egg storage. After being laid, breeding eggs are often contaminated by bedding straw and feces. When just laid, only a small amount of bacteria are present; after 30 minutes, bacteria can enter the interior of the breeding egg through the shell pores. Therefore, the earlier the breeding eggs are disinfected, the better. The specific method is: first place the breeding eggs in a disinfection cabinet. Prepare the chemicals at 28 milliliters of formalin solution per cubic meter and 14 grams of potassium permanganate. During disinfection, first pour the formalin into a glass or enamel container (because a large amount of bubbles will be produced during the reaction, the volume of the container used should be 5-7 times larger than the volume of formalin used), then pour in the potassium permanganate, close the doors and windows. After a few minutes, formaldehyde vapor will escape. After 12-24 hours, open the doors and windows to release the residual gas, and move the breeding eggs into the egg storage. Solid formaldehyde can also be used for disinfection, with a dosage of 35 grams per cubic meter of space. During disinfection, place the solid formaldehyde on a heat source; formaldehyde gas can be produced without temperature control, and other requirements are the same as above.

2. Preheating before incubation. Generally, the temperature of the breeding egg storage room is between 12-15 degrees Celsius. Preheating the breeding eggs before incubation allows the embryos to adapt to the external environment and prevents the breeding eggs from sweating. The method is: before incubation, move the breeding eggs from the egg storage into the incubation room, disinfect them by soaking, place them in the incubation room to preheat for 6-8 hours, and then incubate them. Commonly used drugs for soaking disinfection of goose breeding eggs include potassium permanganate, Baidusha, Jundusha, and Aidifu. During disinfection, use warm water to prepare the drug into the required concentration according to the instructions, soak the breeding eggs in the solution for 3-5 minutes, then remove and air-dry them, and wait for incubation.

3. Maintain suitable incubation conditions. The incubation time for geese is generally 28-31 days. The quality of the incubation conditions will directly affect the incubation period of the breeding eggs. Among these, temperature is an important factor determining the length of the incubation period. For breeding eggs set in a single batch, variable-temperature incubation is mostly used, with the temperature ranging from 39-37 degrees Celsius; for breeding eggs set in batches, constant-temperature incubation at 38-38.5 degrees Celsius is used. Another important factor affecting the hatch rate is humidity. Suitable humidity can make all parts of the breeding egg heated evenly, increase the brittleness of the eggshell, and help the goslings break the shell. Generally, during the incubation of breeding eggs, the principle for humidity control is high at both ends and low in the middle. The specific temperature and humidity can be referred to in the table below. In addition, ventilation during incubation is also very important, especially in the middle and late stages of incubation. As the metabolic capacity of the embryo strengthens, oxygen consumption also increases progressively. On the premise of ensuring normal incubation temperature and humidity, the smoother the ventilation, the better.