Incubating Emu Eggs....

[ChanceRider]

This morning, when making the rounds of the emu pen I spotted the beginning of a nest of eggs, with 2 beautiful dark green emu eggs hidden away. I've always let Enoch, my male emu, sit on his nest and hatch eggs, but since buying my GQF cabinet incubators and hatchers I'm seriously considering firing them up to incubate a few eggs. And, darn it... I already have the GQF emu/ostrich egg setting and hatching trays, so I'm all set. Problem is, I'm trying to talk myself OUT of doing this as I've been focusing on building my turkey coops/pens and a new, larger chicken condo.

Someone, ANYONE, please talk me out of this! It's just sooo tempting, having those eggs in a basket in the kitchen... just calling to me. Besides, if I don't incubate them, what'll I do with the eggs? Omlette anyone?

 

[deerman]

Ship them to OHIO

 

[AHappychick]

it is holiday time if you dont want to incubate them I say sell them and get yourself and family something with the proceeds.

 

[ChanceRider]

Quote:
Last year I had a waiting list of people wanting to buy the chicks that Enoch hatched out... at $50 each no less. I'd ship eggs in a heartbeat if I thought I could sell them. If I don't sell them I can always blow them out and use them as decorations

. I've seen emu eggs that have been carved, much like a cameo. As the eggs are carved through the various layers they go from the beautiful forest green to white. Sadly, I have no artistic talent what-so-ever!

Hmmm, sell the eggs and put the $$$ toward the new chicken condo I want to build... hehehe, anyone want emu eggs? They make really big omlettes

 

[chickenzoo]

If you could wave a magic wand over them so I'd hatch 2 girls i would.... LOL, I ended up with two males.....

I use to carve the eggs and such. A lot of artsy people like to use them. I think I paid 7-10 dollars for blown out eggs.

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
Last year I had a waiting list of people wanting to buy the chicks that Enoch hatched out... at $50 each no less. I'd ship eggs in a heartbeat if I thought I could sell them. If I don't sell them I can always blow them out and use them as decorations

. I've seen emu eggs that have been carved, much like a cameo. As the eggs are carved through the various layers they go from the beautiful forest green to white. Sadly, I have no artistic talent what-so-ever!

Hmmm, sell the eggs and put the $$$ toward the new chicken condo I want to build... hehehe, anyone want emu eggs? They make really big omlettes

I think if you put them up on an auction site they will sell in a heart beat.

 

[AmeraucanaMD]

The babies have somewhat sex-determined head patterns it seems. I've had great success in giving people the sexes they want in chicks. If the pattern at the back of the head is circular, like a bull's eye, they are usually male. If they are very squiggly and irregular, female. The spotty/peppery looking ones have been either male or female...who knows? I've heard that others have found the same thing and just wanted to share.

 

[babylady4]

I would take a few, what would shipping be to WI?

 

[Sjisty]

I would love to try hatching a couple!

 

[ChanceRider]

I had received an email from a BYC'er who wants to buy all my available emu eggs, so I doubt that I'll have more this season to sell. As it is, we've had such terrible weather I haven't been able to collect viable eggs. The birds completely ignore their coop that can protect them from the elements, and choose to lay eggs out in the open at the far end of their pen. So far, I've had to wait out a week of snow, freezing temps, and now a week solid of rain. I have to have my DH go into the pen to collect eggs for me as I get charged by a 100 lb female when I try to go in! We've collected eggs, but I wouldn't feel right selling eggs that have been exposed to the elements. They're probably fine for blowing out and using as decorations though.