Incubating and Hatching Eggs
Hatching eggs to increase the size of your flock is easier if you have a broody hen who can hatch up to 10 eggs for you.
A broody hen is one that consistantly stays sitting on the eggs and ruffles her feathers when you try to put your hand under her to check for eggs.
A good hen will take care of the eggs, turning them on a regular basis, and even converse with the youngsters just before and during hatching. With a hen, there is no need for a heating lamp and she will even protect them from other hens and if possible some predators.
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Desperately broody hens however can become a little confused leading to them stealing other birds eggs as happened to this hen.
It can be a little confusing for onlookers to see a hen walking around with her brood of goslings, however these foster mothers will continue to take care of their young charges even when they grow far larger than them.
The main problem however might be if the real parents recognise their stolen off-spring. They are likely to attack the hen and try to bond with the youngers themselves.
Artificial incubators are a much more reliable method providing that you choose your eggs wisely and your temperatures and humidity are at 
the correct settings. Eggs that are to be used for incubation should not really be more than 7 to 10 days old as beyond that point the success rate declines. If you cannot place them straight into the incubator - and it is wise to wait until you have enough eggs to fill it for cost effectiveness - they need to be turned daily and stored in a room where the temperature is around 50F (10C).
The location of the incubator is also very important. The room should be warm, free from drafts and the incubator should not be exposed to the sun - which would cause dramatic fluctuations in the temperature inside and could destroy the embryos.
There are lots of good incubators on the market but try to get one that has an automatic egg turning device included as turning every egg every day can become very time consuming. Our Brinsea| incubator has this facility; it also has an inbuilt thermometer and even has two reservoirs of water so that the humidity can be controlled which increases the changes of a successful hatch.
It is natural for the eggs to dry out to some extent during incubation however this should not be more than around 10-11 percent - the water prevents this from happening. The temperature inside the incubator should remain steady between 99 and 103F (37-39C) depending on the type of eggs that you are hatching.
After around 7 to 14 days of incubation the eggs can be candled - which means that a light is placed at the base of the egg and shone though to check whether the egg is fertile or to ensure that they are developing at the correct rate. An Egg-Lume candling lamp| will cost you around £25-£30 but it is a fun and financially worthwhile investment as there is nothing nicer than seeing an embryo moving around within its shell and enables you to remove infertile eggs from the incubator at an early stage.
To see some short movie clips of goose eggs being candled visit these links:
Fertile Goose Egg 1| - shows movement in a fertile goose egg
Infertile Goose Egg 1|- shows white space and dark patches
Fertile Goose Egg 2| - shows movement in a fertile goose egg
Infertile Goose Egg 2| - shows white space and dark patches
Fertile Goose Egg 3| - shows movement in a fertile goose egg
Infertile Goose Egg 3| - shows white space and dark patches
An underdeveloped fertile Goose Egg| - shows movement and lots of clear space in a fertile goose egg
When viewing the fertile eggs you may find it useful to increase the brilliance on your computer monitor settings but please remember to watch carefully as the movement is very slight.