Emu Hatch-a-long 2012

[Raptor65]

Start Weight * 0.85 = A (Target weight loss of 15% or 1 - 0.15 = 0.85, you can change this to whatever your target is)
Start Weight - A = B (Weight lost in total)
B / Number of Weeks (7 if you're doing a 97.5 degree incubation) = C (Weekly weight loss)
C / 7 = D (Daily weight loss)

 

[christophertyj]

I have been reading this thread. I have learned and I'm continuing to learn I can't wait for your egg 5 to hatch Yoda. I'm so excited. My grandfather and me have started raising chickens. We live in North Carolina. I got me a little giant incubator couple of years ago when I was young. It was complete with the air fan kit, and the automatic turner. I tried to hatch some chicken and Guinea eggs and also some eggs my father found when he was hunting in South Carolina. I was so young and didnt read what to do and my parents didn't take the time to teach me. I started out with chicken eggs and already as "kind of" a first timer messed up. I stored the eggs at room temperature while collecting them for 7 days. Later finding out you suppose to turn them each day while collecting them and also I put them in there without washing the stuff and dirt off. Will any of this hurt my hatch rate? I candled on day 9 and it looks like they are growing because it got darker in the shell and they suppose to hatch around the same time your emu egg 5 is suppose to hatch. I have a question also one of the eggs looks like it has a air pocket that moves inside it. Is this a bad sign? I'm looking to get into emus because my grandfather has a good bit of land and enjoys poultry. Do you think it's a good idea? How much do they cost and things? And last but not least, do you think I need to get alot more experience before trying to hatch emu eggs?

edited by staff

 

[yinepu]

Start Weight * 0.85 = A (Target weight loss of 15% or 1 - 0.15 = 0.85, you can change this to whatever your target is)
Start Weight - A = B (Weight lost in total)
B / Number of Weeks (7 if you're doing a 97.5 degree incubation) = C (Weekly weight loss)
C / 7 = D (Daily weight loss)

lol.. or just do it the way I do

for egg 5 as an example
462 - 15% = 69.3 which would be the amount the egg needs to lose over duration of incubation
462 - 69.3 = 392.7 or the ending weight (target weight)
69.3 / number of weeks= weekly weight loss
weekly weight loss / 7 = daily weight loss

they both work out the same way.. I just go by the % since I can adjust it a lot easier without having to think (as in figuring danger zones for too much or too little weight loss)

 

[yinepu]

Hi Christopher.. in answer to your questions

storing the eggs at room temp for 7 days will hurt fertility a little (i have done the same thing and had great hatches though)
not turning will also affect the eggs a little..

neither one should cause a horrible hatch rate though.. it may just drop your results down a little.

As for washing them.. I don't unless the egg is horribly dirty... if you look at some of the pics of my emu eggs they have plenty of dirt on them and I didn't wash any. I prefer to leave the "bloom" on the eggs which is the natural protection that they recieve as they are being laid
On the rare occasion that I do have to wash one I will spray it with Oxine. Since I doubt you have that on hand just brush off what dirt you can and don't worry about it too much

the loose air cell won't cause much issues at all so long as you are careful when turning eggs. I have hatched out shipped eggs with bad air cells and even bubbles in the air cells with no problem.

 

[Yoda]

I have been reading this thread. I have learned and I'm continuing to learn I can't wait for your egg 5 to hatch Yoda. I'm so excited. My grandfather and me have started raising chickens. We live in North Carolina. I got me a little giant incubator couple of years ago when I was young. It was complete with the air fan kit, and the automatic turner. I tried to hatch some chicken and Guinea eggs and also some eggs my father found when he was hunting in South Carolina. I was so young and didnt read what to do and my parents didn't take the time to teach me. I started out with chicken eggs and already as "kind of" a first timer messed up. I stored the eggs at room temperature while collecting them for 7 days. Later finding out you suppose to turn them each day while collecting them and also I put them in there without washing the stuff and dirt off. Will any of this hurt my hatch rate? I candled on day 9 and it looks like they are growing because it got darker in the shell and they suppose to hatch around the same time your emu egg 5 is suppose to hatch. I have a question also one of the eggs looks like it has a air pocket that moves inside it. Is this a bad sign? I'm looking to get into emus because my grandfather has a good bit of land and enjoys poultry. Do you think it's a good idea? How much do they cost and things? And last but not least, do you think I need to get alot more experience before trying to hatch emu eggs?

edited by staff

I am glad you and your grandfather are enjoying the thread. Guess we are both looking forward to the beginning of next week

I see you got your answer to your questions above. Good luck with your hatch

and please keep us posted and I will keep this thread posted too!

 

[cyndiloowho]

Just got 2 beautiful, fresh, DARK Emu eggs locally. My son decided to have his own hatch project right as I was setting a Bunch of chicken eggs.
We set them and are letting the incubator come back up to temp (eggs were a little cool)
Egg #1 697 grams
Egg #2 704 grams
Are we correct in our planning to
*weigh them once a week
*add water only if weights indicate
*temp between 95-97 degrees
*rotate 3x daily but back & forth not around
*Juggle them once a week......giggle, giggle just kidding!

How much do we watch for them to lose?



Our comparison to Ostrich & chicken eggs.



So excited! Thanks for any input, we are all ears.

 

[yinepu]

Just got 2 beautiful, fresh, DARK Emu eggs locally. My son decided to have his own hatch project right as I was setting a Bunch of chicken eggs.
We set them and are letting the incubator come back up to temp (eggs were a little cool)
Egg #1 697 grams
Egg #2 704 grams
Are we correct in our planning to
*weigh them once a week
*add water only if weights indicate
*temp between 95-97 degrees
*rotate 3x daily but back & forth not around
*Juggle them once a week......giggle, giggle just kidding!

How much do we watch for them to lose?



Our comparison to Ostrich & chicken eggs.



So excited! Thanks for any input, we are all ears.

They need to lose 15% (+/- 1.2%) of their weight during the duration of incubation.. and the duration will depend on your incubation temperature.. at 95.5 it will take closer to 58 days (which was recommended to me by a long time emu breeder from back in the emu production days)
and at 97.5 it will take closer to 50 days.

The amount of times to turn them varies by person.. I turn mine 5 times a day.. a male emu turns them a lot more than that. and some people here only turn theirs 3 times a day.

Everything else you have listed is spot on!

Oh one other thing to add.. when handling the eggs make sure your hands are CLEAN or wear surgical gloves.. bacteria and oils from your hands can cause problems down the road such as contamination and oils blocking the pores of the shell.

 

[Yoda]

Try to weigh them at the same time each week. If you put then in at 10 am every week try to weigh them at 10am. I mark the pointy side of the eggs so I know that that mark is always facing me when I turn the egg each time. Sometimes the eggs roll and you will forget which end faces you when turning.

 

[Sue2013]

Hello everyone ! well egg 3 has hatched happy & healthy, however emu #1 &2 dont like him at all..lol he is in a seperate box for now..Will be setting 2 more today!
Cheers

 

[Calla]

Well done Sue , so pleased this little tinker made it lol
any more on way ?
Calla