How to Incubate an Emu

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The emu is the largest Australian native bird. It is among the biggest fowl in the world. Second only to its close cousin, the ostrich, the two breeds share a number of characteristics, including loose feathers, high running speeds and being flightless despite having wings. The emu has long been an important source of food for indigenous tribes of the outback, prized for their meat and oil the emu was hunted to near extinction before local conservationists stepped in. Nowadays, wild emu populations are protected by law and domestic operations produce the much-sought after meat, oil, and leather. One of the critical elements in a successful emu farm is the incubation of the eggs.

Things You'll Need

• Emu eggs
• Incubator
• Hatching thermometer
• Wet bulb thermometer
• Pencil

Instructions

1. Locate a nesting male and wait for him to leave the nest. Gather the best looking eggs from the clutch. Look for symmetrical, round eggs that are dark green in color and have no obvious cracks in the shell.

2. Turn on your incubator and add the amount of water indicated in the instructions (this will vary from one model to another). Then position the hatching thermometer near the egg holding area, ensuring it is easy for you to read.

3. Set the thermostat at 97 degrees F and wait 30 minutes to allow the temperature to stabilize. The temperature can be generally be altered by adjusting the screw and wing nut on the thermostat. If any adjustments are made, wait 10 to 20 minutes to verify the correct temperature has been reached.

4. Ensure the relative humidity is approximately 50 to 55 percent. If the humidity is too low, add a shallow pan of water to the incubator.

5. Mark each egg with a pencil, drawing an X on one side and an O on the other and then place the eggs inside the incubator with either all X's or all O's facing up.

6. Turn the eggs over every 8 hours for the first 24 hours of incubation. After that turn them once a day.

7. Stop turning the eggs once the babies begin pecking at the outer shell, a process known as pipping. For emus this generally occurs after 40 to 47 days. Once pipping has begun, hatching should follow within one week.

8. Leave the emu hatchlings inside the incubator until they have dried completely and then transfer them to a chick brooder.

Tips & Warnings

• When the eggs are close to hatching, they will feel warm to the touch as the growing embryo generates its own heat moving around in the shell.

References

• Emu Bird Farming Facts
• Starting an Emu Farm