Emu Egg Help

[TheFoagz]

I got a pair of Emu in December the people I got them from had chicks from them last year. They told us that due to the stress of moving them during breeding season we probably wouldn't get eggs this year. January 15th I noticed the daddy emu sitting on a nest. Today he was off of the nest for at least 4 hours. Its about 70 degrees here. I moved the eggs to the incubator as soon as I realized he was off the nest. I cant find any information on if the eggs might still be good or if the temp would have killed them. Does anyone know? also since I found the nest I think there were 2 more eggs in there today if she is still laying how soon do I have to find the eggs to still incubate it? Any help or suggestions would be so appreciated.

 

[nchls school]

I do not have emu, but much of bird behavior is similar. How long was the male incubating? Many species have eggs that need to be brooded for 24 hours before any development begins. A bird on a nest for several hours and then leaves probably isn't brooding; especially if the bird does not return to the nest soon. You don't say where you are at. If there is no chance of freezing you can collect them when you need to. Do you want the emu to brood? If you collect the egg daily, will the emu continue to lay? Eggs remain viable for 2-4 weeks with emu maybe longer.

 

[TheFoagz]

I do not have emu, but much of bird behavior is similar. How long was the male incubating? Many species have eggs that need to be brooded for 24 hours before any development begins. A bird on a nest for several hours and then leaves probably isn't brooding; especially if the bird does not return to the nest soon. You don't say where you are at. If there is no chance of freezing you can collect them when you need to. Do you want the emu to brood? If you collect the egg daily, will the emu continue to lay? Eggs remain viable for 2-4 weeks with emu maybe longer.

He sat on the nest about 9 days. If I get any more eggs I will incubate as soon as I find them. I'm near tampa so it was around 70 today I'm just worried the 4 hours he was off probably ruined these ones

 

[The Phantom]

@Pyxis

 

[Pyxis]

If these were other types of eggs, I would say they were okay, since the eggs of other birds can take a certain amount of cooling and be fine, because other birds regularly get off the nest when incubating.

Emu males, however, never get up. They sit 24/7 from the moment they get on the eggs, never eating or drinking or getting off them for any reason. So I cannot say if emu eggs can take cooling like the eggs of other birds can. They may be fine, and all you can do is try. Emu eggs are big and take a long time to both warm up and cool down, so the internal temperature of the eggs may never have dropped low enough to cause problems.

 

[Erka97]

I hope it isn't too late to help... I had my incubator unplugged [without me knowing, I was not home and no one else noticed] for about the same amount of time the first time I tried hatching emus. They were only on their second week of incubation, and I thought for sure they had died. I cried, but kept incubating anyway since I had no way to know for sure.
Several weeks later, I was rewarded with one living chick and another that almost made it out of the shell. The eggs, like those of most birds, are more hardy than you'd expect. That, and they're huge so they take quite a while to cool down to the point where the embryo would die.

 

[TheFoagz]

I hope it isn't too late to help... I had my incubator unplugged [without me knowing, I was not home and no one else noticed] for about the same amount of time the first time I tried hatching emus. They were only on their second week of incubation, and I thought for sure they had died. I cried, but kept incubating anyway since I had no way to know for sure.
Several weeks later, I was rewarded with one living chick and another that almost made it out of the shell. The eggs, like those of most birds, are more hardy than you'd expect. That, and they're huge so they take quite a while to cool down to the point where the embryo would die.

thank you so much for responding I have them in the incubator I'm desperately waiting to find out. I've been trying not to get my hopes up just to prepare myself for nothing hatching. But this gives me hope thank you @Erka97

 

[Erka97]

It should be nearing day 30 for you if my math is correct. That means you'll hopefully have some wiggling eggs soon. That said, don't be discouraged if they don't wiggle on day 30 or even 40 or 50. Some eggs have been known to hatch without having wiggled at all, and they may well just do it when you're not around to see.
If only any of us could afford a light bright enough to candle them... Or better yet, an MRI machine. That'd probably be able to see them, at least later on, without exposing them to radiation like an X-ray would.

 

[TheFoagz]

It should be nearing day 30 for you if my math is correct. That means you'll hopefully have some wiggling eggs soon. That said, don't be discouraged if they don't wiggle on day 30 or even 40 or 50. Some eggs have been known to hatch without having wiggled at all, and they may well just do it when you're not around to see.
If only any of us could afford a light bright enough to candle them... Or better yet, an MRI machine. That'd probably be able to see them, at least later on, without exposing them to radiation like an X-ray would.

30 days tomorrow this is the longest month of my life (longer than the last month of pregnancy even lol) I told my husband we need an ultrasound machine he officially thinks I crazy! I did check the temperature of the eggs today after about 5 minutes the air bubble side said low on my infrared thermometer and the other side was 97.3 so it hardly cooled at all but who knows I will be ready for the funny farm before these eggs hatch

 

[Erka97]

Ultrasound wouldn't work because of the shell thickness; it's like trying to use ultrasound on bone. We humans are -in a way- lucky that we only surround our babies with soft tissue as they develop.
MRI, though, could theoretically see through bone, shell, or stone, so it'd be the best bet to see them without using radiation.
Sounds like a promising sign, although admittedly I went near-crazy waiting for mine both times I hatched as well. It's so exciting to see them wiggle, though... Even if everyone else just thinks you're even crazier.
I just got an egg. It's near double the size of emu eggs normally and may well hold twins. It's super exciting, but also it means that the egg only has a very small chance of hatching. I might get another of the same, too.
Let round three of me going insane because of emu eggs commence! Even more so now with these specific eggs... I'm thinking of getting more, normal eggs so that I won't be depressed if the giants don't hatch, but then again I think that might be crossing the line into addiction territory.