Emu incubation

[cnicoley505]

Hey all!! I have decided to take the jump into emu incubation and I must admit I may just be a worried new mama. I have been wanting an emu for a while now, for my birthday my husband bought me 7 eggs to incubate. I am not new to incubation we have Qual chickens turkeys and peafowl along with 8 horses a pig that thinks she a dog 4 dogs that think they are pigs and several cats, I've bottle fed and hatched just about every creature a farm could have, except the illusive Dino bird. I set my eggs in two rounds as they arrived in the mail. They were given 24 hours after shipping to warm up and settle. The first round one had wiggles and the other two didn't. They are now at 55 days and no movement, and no signs life. The second batch went on lockdown yesterday and 3 of the 4 eggs are very responsive to whistles. I am hoping they continue to show signs of life. My concern is I know how notoriously hard they are to incubate, so how long do you leave them past the predicted hatch date? With my other birds I give them extra days but it's easier to judge based on the mass hatch and when it tapers to nothing before I call the rest of the hatch set duds. Also for the 3 I know are wiggle buts when do I worry something has gone wrong? I have had a very hard time controlling humidity with these eggs and I fear any move I make could end up with no hatchling babies. I may be paranoid and I knew it was an uphill battle but I figure 3 out of 7 is probably not a bad hatch rate for my first go around. I've become attached to the little wiggles and want tomake sure the ones I know are alive make it out of the shell. Thank you so much!!!

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC. @ShannonsChimkens & @Pyxis can help you.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

Hopefully the wigglers/whistlers you have now make it to hatch!

First, what temp are you holding for incubation? Second what humidity do you keep it at during incubation? Lock down shouldn’t have added water or upping the humidity, just taking the eggs off of a turner.

The ones that aren’t moving and don’t have a leveled out egg, may be safe to make a small chip or tiny “observation” window. You’ll be able to take a look in there and will know right away if it’s just liquid or if there’s a chick. Don’t knock the egg on anything to open it just incase there’s a live chick. A small drill bit (not in the drill, just the drill bit alone) can be used to slowly make a tiny opening. Then you can remove little bits of eggshell as needed after there’s a small hole. If you see blood, stop. But from the explanation you gave above, there probably isn’t anything live inside.

Edited to add: you can also give them a few more days. But generally, if you’ve hatched things before, you kind of just know when one isn’t alive or doing well.

 

[cnicoley505]

Hopefully the wigglers/whistlers you have now make it to hatch!

First, what temp are you holding for incubation? Second what humidity do you keep it at during incubation? Lock down shouldn’t have added water or upping the humidity, just taking the eggs off of a turner.

The ones that aren’t moving and don’t have a leveled out egg, may be safe to make a small chip or tiny “observation” window. You’ll be able to take a look in there and will know right away if it’s just liquid or if there’s a chick. Don’t knock the egg on anything to open it just incase there’s a live chick. A small drill bit (not in the drill, just the drill bit alone) can be used to slowly make a tiny opening. Then you can remove little bits of eggshell as needed after there’s a small hole. If you see blood, stop. But from the explanation you gave above, there probably isn’t anything live inside.

Edited to add: you can also give them a few more days. But generally, if you’ve hatched things before, you kind of just know when one isn’t alive or doing well.

They have been Incubated at 97.5 and a fluctuating humidity of around 49 percent. It's hard to keep as the wood stove we use to heat the house pretty much kills humidity in the air so the average of room level humidity isn't a viable level. The four in the second d incubator are very active and moving they went I to lockdown yesterday. The other three which started about 10 days before had one wiggles but has since sized movement, I don't have a good feeling but I've said that before and left eggs setting and ended up with babies. I have had to add water through incubation and lock down to keep humidity levels up I live in a desert and it's winter there is no ambient humidity. I've done my best to adjust but this is unfamiliar territory for me.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

They have been Incubated at 97.5 and a fluctuating humidity of around 49 percent. It's hard to keep as the wood stove we use to heat the house pretty much kills humidity in the air so the average of room level humidity isn't a viable level. The four in the second d incubator are very active and moving they went I to lockdown yesterday. The other three which started about 10 days before had one wiggles but has since sized movement, I don't have a good feeling but I've said that before and left eggs setting and ended up with babies. I have had to add water through incubation and lock down to keep humidity levels up I live in a desert and it's winter there is no ambient humidity. I've done my best to adjust but this is unfamiliar territory for me.

Temp is good. Humidity isn’t too far off either. I normally keep mine around 39% to 41%. If you have to add water to keep humidity stable, that’s different than adding water to get humidity up to 60% plus for hatching like chickens. So you’re good. Emus don’t require a lock down in that way.

Emus are definitely tougher to hatch than other birds. And if they’re shipped eggs, that brings down your possible hatch rate a bit as well. If you don’t feel comfortable yet checking the other eggs, it won’t hurt to give them more time. As long a they don’t stink and aren’t at risk of bursting from a small crack, etc.

 

[cnicoley505]

Temp is good. Humidity isn’t too far off either. I normally keep mine around 39% to 41%. If you have to add water to keep humidity stable, that’s different than adding water to get humidity up to 60% plus for hatching like chickens. So you’re good. Emus don’t require a lock down in that way.

Emus are definitely tougher to hatch than other birds. And if they’re shipped eggs, that brings down your possible hatch rate a bit as well. If you don’t feel comfortable yet checking the other eggs, it won’t hurt to give them more time. As long a they don’t stink and aren’t at risk of bursting from a small crack, etc.

Do you drop the humidity temperature in lockdown? Or keep it relatively the same? When I was gifted these eggs I scrambled to figure out heads from tails about incubation. When I told him I wanted emus 2 years ago I never expect he would put me on the spot with eggs to hatch, I figured we would buy a couple of babies or he would dismiss it as a fantasy, not just surprise pregnancy announcement lol. I've done my best on little preparation but now I'm attached and I want the wiggles to have the best chance for hatching. I'm going to give the first incubator a few more days but have little hope, however I want to make sure the incubator that is showing 100 percent viability has the most successful result as possible.

 

[cnicoley505]

Also all 7 of the eggs naturally lie level ob their own so there is no Topsy turvey balance in their gravity when left in an unsupported position on their sides.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

Do you drop the humidity temperature in lockdown? Or keep it relatively the same? When I was gifted these eggs I scrambled to figure out heads from tails about incubation. When I told him I wanted emus 2 years ago I never expect he would put me on the spot with eggs to hatch, I figured we would buy a couple of babies or he would dismiss it as a fantasy, not just surprise pregnancy announcement lol. I've done my best on little preparation but now I'm attached and I want the wiggles to have the best chance for hatching. I'm going to give the first incubator a few more days but have little hope, however I want to make sure the incubator that is showing 100 percent viability has the most successful result as possible.

I would just leave things how they are or drop the humidity just a smidge. @Pyxis may have other suggestions to help make sure the wiggling ones make it out alive.

At 97.5 degrees the eggs should hatch around day 48 to 50.

My first hatching attempt was a major flop. Once I got my hands on a good incubator, everything changed. One thing learned from the process though, emu eggs require a lot of fresh air circulating. Opening the lid or door once or twice a day helps remove the carbon dioxide the eggs release.

 

[Sneakyturtle]

I would keep the humidity lower. I just started hatching emus this year for the first time, but I have my humidity at 30% and I have had 6 out of 9 hatch. This is what the emu farmer handbook says about humidity and temp.

 

[ShannonsChimkens]

I would be hesitant to suggest a good humidity until it’s tried and true. I hatch around 40% and have excellent hatch rates. No dead in shell.

But what works in one area, may not work in another.