Emu Hatch-a-long 2012

[Avie]

I usually feel like such a prat for suggesting All This ‘academic’ stuff – but bingo! got ‘triangulation’: formal academic source, on-the-ground captive, on-the-ground wild. Very satisfying.

I know what you mean! Back when my husband was getting his PhD (many years ago) I was really into Estrildid finches. Waxbills, Zebra finches, etc. I had a copy of Derek Goodwin's monograph Estrildid finches of the World and read it cover to cover. He summarized all the descriptive literature to that point, then added his own observations of the birds in his home aviary / greenhouse. He had so much affection for the birds and his observations were scientific and personal at the same time. At that time I was able to keep 6 different species of Estrildid finch and got to hear their calls and see their displays firsthand. The black rumped waxbills were my favorite -- they wove their little nest complete with tube entrance and a decoy nest on top. Just like the book said! Anyway, I agree with you, it's so cool to compare the wild and captive observations. I think the amateurs who get to know birds as individuals are seeing a side of the story that the scientists don't always see.

 

[yinepu]

You can hear the chick inside the egg chirping around day 48. You whistle it will chirp or you tap it and it will chirp. I stop turning the egg when I hear chirping (usually last 3 days). If it doesn't hatch by day 51 then I use the drill bit not the drill. My eggs were 96 degrees. I had one hatch but the other 2 didn't. On day 52 one egg stopped chirping. I hand drilled a hole and there was no movement. I opened the egg and the chick did not finish absorbing the yok sac. It had dark red around the eyes, poor little thing. I went to the next egg and hardly any chirping. I drilled that one too. When I removed the bit I broke the shell, so I put wet guaze over the hole. The next day I see the chick breathing very hard when I was rewetting the guaze. I decided to remove the shell until I found the head but leave the bottom half on just in case this one didn't absorb the yok sac. The membrane was shrinking around the chick and drying out, it was covering the chick's face so I removed the membrane and breathing went back to normal. Within an hour the chick was completely out of the shell and bleeding from where the yok sac was. I stopped the bleeding and put neosporin over the yok area and taped it. Within 2 days she was healed and I gave her a bath to get the dried stuff off her LOL. Here are pics of both the one that hatched by itself and the one I helped. The smaller one is the one I helped. Today was first day outside so I setup a dog run for them. The last 2 pics are head shots for those keeping males and females. Last pic is female headshot.

the red around the eyes is a telltale sign of carbon dioxide poisoning..

 

[yinepu]

Ok, so today is day 46 and this afternoon will start day 47.......when I went to turn the eggs they were shaking and rocking almost constantly so I didn't bother turning them. I've heard to stop between 3 and 5 days prior to hatch and they're due Monday. Soooooo, I'm done for now. All I have left to do is talk them out. Crazy excited.......

you should keep turning until the egg sounds.. the turning helps the chick absorb the last of the albumen

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
Lol.. i had one chick this past time that barely wiggled.. and never made a single peep or whistle no matter what I did.. once he was out of that egg though he was running all over the place like a little maniac.

 

[yinepu]

Yoda -- adorable pics! I hope they enjoy their outside time!

Kiril--
Quote:

I'll be thinking about you! It's like you're having triplets. One chick for each acre

I hope everything goes smoothly!!!

Grassman --
Quote:
Two that are moving no issues, but have not sounded...
4th one no movement and went cold quickly - so I opened it up. I had an embryo about the size of 1.5 inches -

Good luck with those two...
That's so sad about the embryo...In those situations I try to persuade myself that there was something wrong with the chick genetically, and it's better to lose it before it hatches. Well that's what I tell myself! ...of course with finches the incubation time is only 12 days so there's not that feeling of long drawn-out anticipation.

Meanwhile -- I decided to drill a little hole in "Jim" the egg--
Nothing! Membrane was intact, but no embryo. Not even a pink tinge. That's so weird, I could have sworn that for a while there was an extra-warm area.
Well, "Jim" was the nicest egg of the 5, in terms of color / shape, so I've started scraping a design on the shell. I think I'll give this decorated egg to my husband, to say thank you for letting me try this crazy project!

Down to one last California egg...due early June.

<sigh>...discouraging... but my Society finches have decided to settle down and incubate, so there might be some little ones as soon as May 8th. Gotta get my chick fix

...it's just not spring without some kind of baby!

You should try using a dremel.. this is a quickie carving I did for my sister in law's wedding.. took all of about 15 minutes

 

[Kiril749]

Not me I stop turning when I hear the chirping. Place your ear to the egg and tap it with a pen and you should hear something. It isn't going to be loud cause the bird is still in the egg, but loud enough for you to hear.

The breeder that I bought the eggs from said he stops turning on day 45 then twice a day after that he rolls the eggs one complete cycle so they turn but end up in the se position. He said doing that keeps everything's ing but the chick doesn't have to flip over and waste hatching energy. I'm gonna try that and see how it goes.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

'In those situations I try to persuade myself that there was something wrong with the chick genetically, and it's better to lose it before it hatches'

Guys, I think Yinepu is on the right track here, both scientifically and emotionally. Two of Boy Emu’s seven eggs were infertile. That’s almost 30%.

The mid-afternoon hours of observing B.E. on the day he terminated the incubation were most worthwhile. I swear that his mood was evident: he didn’t want to leave the two infertiles; but he had one chick that was five days without food or water. He knew he needed to cut his losses.

S.E.

 

[Grassman 52]

Day 50 two eggs still moving , but have not sounded - Still pulling them out and tapping three times a day.

 

[Kiril749]

So, I'm going into day 48.......3 of my 4 eggs are rolling around the incubator. Just waiting for the first pip. I'm hoping its tonight or tomorrow. I've been told to put a towel under the eggs so its more comfy for them. Also I've heard there's no lockdown, open it up and talk to them.......please share your advice if you'd like. I'll keep you posted.......

 

[Yoda]

I put a towel under the eggs so the chicks has something to prevent it from slipping. I do check the eggs for pips but that's it. I do it twice a day morning and night. Basically I am putting fresh air in the bator, but not keeping it open that long - gotta keep the heat in.

Grassman no need to tap 3 times a day. I tap once a day. Once I hear chirps I stop turning and then in the morning I look for pips and again before I go to bed. I do not take the eggs out of the incubator during hatching time. What is your temp set at? That has a lot to do with hatching time.