Emu Hatch-a-long 2012

[yinepu]

When it is dry can you sex them by the feather pattern on the head?

that's pretty much an unreliable way to sex them..

I have a link in my signature.. if you look at the head patterns and the DNA results you'll see it isn't reliable at all


I had vent sexing pics on the old hard drive.. was planning to post them but it crashed

so these guys will be vent sexed and if I can get decent pics I will post them as I take them. My husband took the last pics of vent sexing.. and it's a bit hard to do by yourself (he's in Afghanistan).. so we'll see how successful I am at taking pics with one hand .. holding an emu chick and vent sexing with the other!

Either way they will be DNA tested since it's the only reliable way to sex them as chicks

 

[Grassman 52]

Are you worried about dropping down below 95.5? I am holding at 96.2 because I know that I will have some fluctuations and I will still be in the safe zone. I have read that the lower temps have healthier chicks, but not sure how low before they die. For my first hatch afraid to go that low.

 

[yinepu]

Are you worried about dropping down below 95.5? I am holding at 96.2 because I know that I will have some fluctuations and I will still be in the safe zone. I have read that the lower temps have healthier chicks, but not sure how low before they die. For my first hatch afraid to go that low.

nope. even when the house temp dropped to the 40's a few weeks ago (the thermostat on our heater failed) the modified LG kept the eggs at 95.5
I do keep a beach towel folded in half on top of the incubator at all times. but I do that from day 1 just to help regulate the temps more..
My bigger concern is on hot days where the LG has issues with over heating.. but since doing the modifications it has become less of an issue. I still won't use it during the summer when we are in the 100's here..
I don't adjust the temps on it at all now that I have it set at 95.5.. so when I do put other eggs in it, like goose eggs.. I just raise them up closer to the heating element. I try not to use it for any other birds than emu though.. but right now I have an excess of eggs.. so I do have 4 goose eggs in the top .. they are progressing nicely snuggled up closer to the elements

 

[yinepu]

at 93 ºF they will still develop.. but will have issues hatching because incubation duration would be too long.. so pretty much any minor drops in temp to 93 won't hurt things in the long run..

if temps dropped below that for extended periods of time I would worry about embryo death.

 

[Grassman 52]

they seam like hardy animals - the eggs have a wide range of temps - I need to relax, dial in the temp around 96 and wait it out - just wish you could candle the eggs

 

[Grassman 52]

How many Emus do you have?

 

[Yoda]

Can I have it please please please - it's so dam cute!

Mine are still rocking so I am excited for all of us!

Hope it is a SHE!

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
well.. egg A hatched this morning... so that's two hopefully girls (haven't vent sexed yet




lol.. how many boys did you say you wanted?

 

[cyndiloowho]

All these baby pictures make me so hopeful and excited!
We have one more week and the weights have finally evened out after the increased humidity.
I am a bit concerned that we haven't seen any wobbling yet though. Is that a bad sign?
Egg #2 Is very "floppy" and prefers to rest where it wants.
Both eggs slant heavily to one side.
When we took them out to see if they would wiggle or wobble the air cell side felt cooler than the other, will that happen if it has quit also?

 

[Yoda]

We're getting closer! Wednesday will be day 49