Methods for checking Emu eggs Pre-Hatch (please post methods)

There's all kind of methods for checking emu eggs for development before they hatch but from what I've seen, they're posted far & between. I'd like to make this thread a source for those methods since we all know how hard it is to wait 50 days without being able to candle lol! I'll start by adding the methods I know of & please correct me or add to a method if you need to:

Leaning Method: Eggs that are 2 weeks & older can be layed down on a flat serfuce & if they lean towards the pointy end then there's probably a chick inside. If it stays level or leans towards the aircell end then it's probably a dud. This seems like it could be true but not accurate enough for me to toss an egg out over it.

Cooling Method: Eggs that are 30+ days (I think, please someone correct me if that's inaccurate) can be left out for around 5 minutes to cool. Once the aircell end is cool to the touch, feel the other end & if it's real warm then it's probably a chick keeping the shell warm. I've heard that you can do this & if one side of the egg is warm & the other isn't then it's probably a chick as well.

Rolling Method: I've heard of this bit I don't know the specifics so please someone add to it. You lightly roll the egg & if it settles to a steady stop then there's probably a chick? I'm not sure about this one...

Water Method: I don't know the specifics on this method either so please add to it.

I would have to check my records so far.. but I believe day 33 is the earliest I have seen an egg start to wiggle ... so lets say from day 31 on to check for wiggling?.. with having said that it's also important to check for wiggling every day.. sometimes the chick may be asleep and not respond to tapping, turning or talking to it.. so it may not wiggle each and every time

the water method or float test (in my opinion) should be reserved for any egg that is past the due date.. you would also need to check and make sure that the egg doesn't have a crack in it from a chick starting to hatch since floating it in water could end up drowning the chick if it has started to crack and you didn't notice it.

for the cooling test I have read different things as to when to check the egg (as to what day).. some things I have read say to wait til day 40.. another said day 49.. and another said day 33.. I'm sure there are more opinions out there.. so I'll have to wait on that one.. I may check each of the eggs i have and make note of what day they are on..and then see if I can tell a difference.. lol.. if I remember to do it I'll post back with the results

I don't think I would trust the rolling method.. since in the past I have tried that with chicken eggs.. I had a rotten egg stop as well as eggs with dead chicks in them.. so to me it isn't really reliable

for the leaning method.. I think a lot of that might depend on the egg shape and how far along it is in development.. never really tried it.. so i can't say for sure

you can also tap test the eggs.. I don't think I have the ear for it.. cause so far I have gotten so many different sounds from my emu eggs.. and I have read a few conflicting things on it.. so unless I can find a youtube video with sound so I know exactly what it should sound like.. well.. i'm kind of at a loss..

so far the wiggle has been the best one for me.. but I do have to admit that after you stare at an egg for a few seconds.. some of them appear to wiggle... when you Do have one that wiggles it's unmistakeable.. the ones of mine that have done it wiggle on their axis.. so sort of a bit of a spin rather than a side to side "rolling" sort of wiggle.. if that makes any sense

I use the tap test only, and it's been the best, most proven method yet. Yes it take a hatch or two to figure out what you are listening for...but a few days before hatch date, when you tap on the egg..it no longer sounds like a "dull thud", but rather a crisp, "tink tink" kind of sound like you are tapping on good china, or porcelain. I know immediately if an egg is "alive" or not by this method.

Dan

flyweed said:

I use the tap test only, and it's been the best, most proven method yet. Yes it take a hatch or two to figure out what you are listening for...but a few days before hatch date, when you tap on the egg..it no longer sounds like a "dull thud", but rather a crisp, "tink tink" kind of sound like you are tapping on good china, or porcelain. I know immediately if an egg is "alive" or not by this method.

Dan

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I tapped all of mine today sound good to me, but I am worried that they do now wiggle. My oldest batch started incubation on 1/17/12

Thanks to all that posted so far!

Has anyone tried the stethoscope method yet? I've heard it works but then heard it doesn't...I'm pretty sure the last few days you could hear the chick moving around in the egg & have talked to a couple people that says you can but I'm more interested in hearing a heartbeat in earlier stages of incubation. I tried on or around day 12 so I'm going to try again tonight with them on day 18 1/2, I'll report of I hear anything!

the last few days......don't waste your money on a stethoscope...if you put one point of the egg or the other up tight against your year, you'll either hear the chicks chirping, or you'll here them moving or scratching around..you most certainly don't need a stethoscope!!

I use a stethoscope, but it takes a good month or so before you can hear anything. I also use the tap method with my fingernail. If the egg sounds hollow after about a month, or sounds like you're scraping your nails against pottery then its bad. The only 100% way is to just wait and see if they wiggle. I dont like the float method personally.

I have more for ya!

if you are at day 31 (give or take a few days depending on incubation temperatures) and you place the egg on a smooth flat surface... and the egg will lay on any side you place it on.. chances are it's rotten.. also if you tap test it at the same time and it has a high pitch sound (much like the sound an egg makes when it's ready to hatch).. its rotten.. the reason being that a rotten egg will cause the membrane to separate from the inside of the egg.. making it slosh and also letting the contents settle on any side it's placed on.. since the membrane has pulled away from the inside of the shell it "sounds" like an egg that is ready to hatch

infertiles will act like a good egg in that they won't sound on day 31 plus they also won't lay on any side like a rotten egg will (unless of course the infertile is a rotten egg)


so I suppose it's more of a test to confirm rotten eggs rather than a test to see if the egg contains a live chick

however... both rotten eggs and infertiles will have cool ends if the eggs are removed from the bator for 3 to 5 minutes.. where at day 31 (depending on incubation temperature) if there is a live chick in there one end will remain warm

http://www.ehow.com/how_7710491_hatch-emu-eggs-hovabator.html

Weighing them until lock down is one way to gauge development.

punk-a-doodle said:

http://www.ehow.com/how_7710491_hatch-emu-eggs-hovabator.html

Weighing them until lock down is one way to gauge development.

Click to expand...

NOPE!... sorry

I've had rotten eggs as well as infertiles and scrambled emu eggs lose the correct amount of weight through out incubation... so all weighing them tells you is if the humidity is correct for the right amount of weight loss .. (or if they need to be moved away from the fan).. it does not tell you that there is a developing chick in there