The process of hatching in geese and ducks

The process of hatching in goose and duck From the 4th to the 16th or 17th day of incubation the wall of duck and goose amnion actively, peristaltically and rythmically contracts 20 and 12 times per minute, respectively. A pause of five seconds follows each 5th contraction. The contractions also passively influence the yolk sac, the allantois and the air cell. The M. complexus grows more than four times its original size during the 24th to the 27th day of incubation. It contains two kinds of myosin: neonatal myosin (200,000 Dalton) and adult myosin (480,000 Dalton). The amounts of the adult myosin present at the time of hatching is about 15 times the amount in the skeletal muscles. The process of hatching is described in the duck and goose.