My Emu Incubating Thread (First time incubating Anything in my life)

[507382]

I think that moisture grabber packet is working tooo well. The three eggs on the bottom shelf are losing what they should, more or less, but the top shelf three eggs are now losing too rapidly. They've lost about 3g more than they should have by now, and if my math is correct, are around 17/18% weight loss instead of 12-15%. So, we have taken out the humidity sucking moisture grabber, and are going to see if a few days of higher humidity gets them on track.

We try and talk to the eggs, turn them slowly, make like a dad emu (haha)

Also, this Herp Nursery incubator may suck, but we set it at 34 or 35 and once we open it to turn the eggs, we turn the temp up ONE degree, come back in five minutes, and turn it back down to the temp it was at before. We find that keeps the top shelf around 97 and the bottom one at 95 - the closest to what we need it to be at.

 

[507382]

Sooo, Eggs D E and F are all losing weight too fast.In my opinion. It's been 12 days, and each egg is supposed to lose a different amount per day... Ranging from 1.36 to 1.84.

12 days x weight loss per day = are the eggs on track or not?

BOTTOM SHELF EGGS- A B and C:

A- Should have lost 19.32. It has lost 18.

B- Should have lost 19.32. It has lost 16.

C- Should have lost 16-18.84 (depending on weeks of incubation) It has lost 19. This egg is probably the most on track?

TOP SHELF EGGS ( LOSING WEIGHT TOO FAST!!)

D - Should have lost 18.48. It has lost a whopping 24g

E- Should have lost 20.64. It has lost a whopping 25g.

F - Should have lost 22.08. It has lost 24g.

Help! I can't give humidity back into only half the bator. I'm not sure what to do, or just stop panicking, wait, and hope they don't keep losing at this rapid rate?

 

[507382]

Sorry for the lack of updates, I went on vacation from June 1-11 and left my poor overwhelmed husband in charge of turning eggs, taking care of five parrots and two ducks. haha

Anyway, I am disappointed in him for not realizing that two of the eggs are wayyy off track. I think the math confuses him or something, and his weighing skills are a bit off. I don't know. I got home and weighed them and did the math just now. Results?

Egg A - Should have lost 40.25 grams by this 25 day mark. It has lost 29. So, it is around 11 grams BEHIND!!

Egg B - Should have lost 40.25 grams by this 25 day mark. It has lost 32. So it is around 8 grams BEHIND!

Egg C- Should have lost 34 grams minimum by this time. It has lost 33 grams. Yay, only 1 Gram off!

Egg D - Should have lost 38.5 grams by this time. It has lost 38 grams. Yay! On track!

Egg E - Should have lost 43 grams by 25 day mark. It has lost 45 grams. It is ahead by 2 grams.

Egg F - Should have lost 46 grams by 25 day mark. It has lost 42 grams. But, that might be closer to 12% weight loss. I'm not overly concerned.

Eggs A & B at this point need to get silica packs on them ASAP and I will be scolding husband when he gets up for not realizing this sooner! Precious cargo here, it needs a lot of attention to detail.

 

[drumstick diva]

Regardless, hope you will have a great hatch

 

[507382]

Thank you

Okay so another update.

Since noticing that eggs A and B are far behind in weight loss, I've had silica packets on them all the time. They aren't really budging though. I finally gave in and put the moisture sucker packet (it's big and really works well for dropping humidity) It's been a few days, and sadly Egg A is still 12 grams behind and B is 8 grams behind. The rest are on track for weight loss between 13-15% I believe.

So, I'm concerned still, but hoping they catch up. Maybe they are dud eggs? I don't know. I thought even dud eggs could lose normal amounts of weight.

It's day 36 today. We haven't tried any fertility tests on the eggs. I think we are too nervous. lol

 

[507382]

OMG YOU GUYS!!!!

I took out the eggs and put them on a flat surface and filmed it this morning. Just curious, it's day 39. I don't believe in the wiggle or tap tests working since I don't know what to look for, wiggling would probably be too subtle, etc.

Well, I started whistling to them, and Egg E started CLEARLY wobbling!!! I kept whistling and I couldn't believe my eyes - eggs C and A started wiggling too!!!! Egg B is slumped to the side, it doesn't want to sit right side up where its label is. No action from D or F.

I am like... whoaaaaa there's ACTUAL EMU BABIES IN THERE NOW!!!!

All this work and worrying might pay off ? I'm so incredibly excited now!


ETA worried about Egg A though, as it is the furthest off with weight loss- needs to lose another 29 grams minimum to make it to 12% weight loss in 10-20 days!

 

[507382]

I have a thought - since B wants to sit differently than I have it upright, should I move the "B" and have it sit where it wants to? Does that make sense? Or should i leave it, because it's sitting "unnaturally" to where it wants to be (rolled about 2" to the left)

 

[Roch]

Well I guess it's time to introduce myself... I'm in Quebec, and I bought 3 emu eggs at the same place you got yours, same well done packaging, I have eggs 354. 355 and 356. There at day 39, At the beginning they tend to loose to much weight for the first week, so I raised the humidity to 45% and since then I get a constant 10-12 grams lost per week. All 3 eggs seems to be alive. Despite one is a little lazy, doesn't move as much as the other 2, but I'm confident. Still a couple of weeks to go.

 

[507382]

Well I guess it's time to introduce myself... I'm in Quebec, and I bought 3 emu eggs at the same place you got yours, same well done packaging, I have eggs 354. 355 and 356. There at day 39, At the beginning they tend to loose to much weight for the first week, so I raised the humidity to 45% and since then I get a constant 10-12 grams lost per week. All 3 eggs seems to be alive. Despite one is a little lazy, doesn't move as much as the other 2, but I'm confident. Still a couple of weeks to go.

Oh my gosh how exciting! Ours are basically the same day along, too! I agree, their packaging was awesome!

Mine have the opposite problem, two are not losing weight fast enough. The others are all on track. I'm excited for you, I hope you have a successful hatch also!

I'm still full of questions, as I've never done this before. Leave them in the incubator right up until they hatch? How to improvise a brooder? When to stop turning? I guess I will have to tap test at some point! This is all new to me

 

[Roch]

That's cool, I'd say patience is the key to success. I leave my eggs in the incubator, turnng them 5 times a day... yes, every night at 2:00 am! I won't do any test before 50 days, let mother nature do it's work. I will definiteley leave them in the incubator until they hatch, after i'll move them to a home made brooder consisting of 30 X 30 dry box, the most important thing is a non slippery floor and heat, I use to put towel and a little pine shaving for the time they need to stay in the brooder. As suggested, I'll plan on stopping turning at day 49. Glad we can share our hatching experience.