Expert: Julia Booth - 4/8/2009

Question
I found a goose egg yesterday while I was fishing by this little river. There was a goose dead that I am assuming to have been the mom. There was a nest near her but no eggs in it however when I looked down the tiny hill the there was an egg in the water. the water is about 6 inches deep. It must have rolled down into the water. I grabbed the egg and have been keeping in wrapped up in insulation from an UGG boot and keeping a light on it to keep warm. The egg was a little cold when I first got it but now has become a normal temp but not extremely warm. Im not sure how old the egg is or how long the egg had been there but i dont think very long because my boyfriend had fished there just the day before and hadnt seen it plus however the mama goose died it had been recently. I am not sure what to do and really need help. I would like to see this baby gosling live and help it get there. Please any advice that you can give would help greatly.

Answer
First I'm going to tell you that the chances of the egg being viable at this point, are very slim. NOT impossible. Just not likely. Especially if it was floating in the water, which couldn't be more than 80 degrees.

Goose eggs need to be kept at about 101 degrees farenheit, and rotated frequently to ensure even heating. The boot idea is a good one. But even though the boot is insulated and made from animal skin, it doesn't actually create heat. What makes an insulated boot effective is the person who is wearing it's body heat, being trapped inside the boot.

Here are some links on how to check for egg viability, caring for baby birds, and caring for domestic fowl.

http://www.liveducks.com/links.html

http://aviary.owls.com/baby_bird.html

http://shilala.homestead.com/candling.html

Good luck,

Julia