How to Hatch Emus in an Incubator

In the wild, female emus lay their eggs and male emus incubate them. Removing the eggs allows the emus to continue to breed and thus produces more eggs. Once you have removed your eggs from your emu pens, you are ready to start your own incubation process. It is basically a waiting game, but you must monitor your temperature and humidity and continually check your eggs for signs of development.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Incubator
• Hatcher
• Brooder box

1. Gather eggs laid by your emus and place them in the incubator.
2. Set your incubator between 95 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Maintain humidity levels between 24 and 32 on the incubator humidity setting. Too much humidity can actually cause a chick to drown in the egg.
4. Allow plenty of airflow in your incubator. Chicks are breathing air through the shell, and, if airflow is limited, they begin to breathe their own carbon dioxide, which can be toxic to the chicks.
5. Keep emu eggs in the incubator for 48 to 52 weeks. Chicks should hatch anywhere between this range. Eggs that last longer usually end up not hatching.
6. Move eggs from the incubator to a hatcher around 48 weeks when they are ready to hatch. If the egg sits level on a table and the top and bottom of the egg are warm, these are good indications that the egg is ready to hatch.
7. Build a brooder box about 4 feet long and 2 feet high and wide with 1/4-inch plywood. Transfer the chicks to the brooder box after they hatch. You can use a light bulb on the closed end of the box to give the chicks heat when needed. A good temperature for new emu chicks is anywhere from 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave an open area on the other side of the box for airflow.

Tips & Warnings

• To keep your chicks from slipping while learning to walk, place indoor/outdoor carpeting or straw in the bottom of your brooder box.
• Keep chicks in the hatcher for approximately 24 hours after hatching.
• Check your incubated eggs on a regular basis and remove any eggs that become rotten.
• Disinfect your incubator after all eggs have hatched and before you store it. Clean it again before you being incubation the following year.