Things You'll Need:
- Forced-draft incubator
- Separate hatchery
-
Step 1
Do your research before you begin. Make sure you have the right equipment such as a digital thermometer, a humidity pan, a heating element, plastic egg racks and of course, an incubator which will range in price from $500 to $9,000. You'll also want to talk to a vet or a poultry farmer and have read about rhea farming.
-
Step 2
Many growers routinely wash eggs with water and sanitizers. However, according to experts at Oregon State University, it's best not to wash eggs. Instead, set only nest-clean eggs. If washing the eggs is necessary, use only warm water (110 to 120 degrees F) and approved hatching egg sanitizers.
-
Step 3
Place eggs into a forced-air incubator as soon as you can to keep them safe.
-
Step 4
Use a force-draft incubator to control the temperature of the incubator between 96 and 99.5 degrees F.
-
Step 5
Control the humidity inside the incubator. For rheas, the humidity should be around 45 percent.
-
Step 6
Set rhea eggs vertically in trays, not on the side as you do with ostrich eggs. Turn them at least 3 to 5 times a day.
-
Step 7
Transfer the eggs to a hatchery about three to five days before hatching. Do not turn the eggs anymore, and lower the temperature by 1 degree in the hatchery. You also may find increasing the humidity by 5 percent helpful.
