Hatching Sebastopol Geese Eggs

Before setting

If the eggs have travelled, rest them pointed end down at room temperature for a day before they go in. Transit disturbs the air cell, and setting a shaken egg immediately is a common cause of an early quit. Run the incubator empty at temperature and humidity for a full day first so you are not chasing settings with eggs inside.

Understand the odds before you start. Shipped hatching eggs hatch worse than eggs collected at home, sometimes dramatically worse, and no honest seller guarantees a rate on them. That includes us, which is stated plainly on the hatching eggs page.

Temperature and humidity

Around 99.5F in a forced-air incubator is the standard figure. Goose eggs want considerably more humidity than chicken eggs, and many keepers also mist and briefly cool the eggs daily to mimic a goose leaving the nest. Follow your own incubator's guidance for exact humidity, since machines differ more than the textbooks admit.

Turning matters more with goose eggs than chicken eggs, and many automatic turners are built for chicken eggs and do not handle the size. Hand turning several times a day is common practice and worth the trouble.

Candling and hatch

Candle at around a week to check for development, and again later to watch the air cell. A goose egg has a thicker shell than a chicken egg and takes a stronger light. Clear eggs at the first candle were probably never fertile or quit very early.

Stop turning a few days before hatch and raise humidity for lockdown. Goose eggs take longer to pip and hatch than chicken eggs, and the temptation to help is strong. Resist it unless you know what you are looking at, because assisting too early does more harm than waiting.

Common Questions

How long do Sebastopol geese eggs take to hatch?

Around 30 days, longer than a chicken egg. Exact timing varies a little with incubator conditions.

What temperature do you incubate Sebastopol goose eggs at?

Roughly 99.5F in a forced-air incubator, with noticeably higher humidity than chicken eggs and turning several times a day.

Should shipped hatching eggs be rested before setting?

Yes. Rest them pointed end down at room temperature for about a day so the air cell can settle after transit.

Eggs are on the hatching eggs page. Once they hatch, the care guide covers brooding, and if you would rather skip incubation entirely, goslings and juveniles are the shortcuts. For collecting your own eggs, see breeding.