Mar 11
17
Emu Eggs – The First Stage of Production
One key performance indicator to keep an eye on is the number of eggs laid in a season. Here are a few tips on the production of emu eggs.
Emu hens are ready to lay eggs from their second winter, but often the males are only mature at three years of age. Therefore the females need to be with older males in their first breeding year, to ensure fertile eggs.
emu birds only lay eggs in the winter. The female emu bird will lay between 12 and 24 eggs in a season, if the eggs are left for the male to brood. The eggs are a dark emerald color, and they are laid in nests designated by the male, who quickly covers the new egg with pieces of grass and leaves. The hen will lay an egg every third or fourth day, and takes no further part in the brooding process. Once the male is satisfied, he goes into a trance-like brooding state. He will rarely leave the nest when brooding. At more or less 55 days, the chicks will emerge. The chicks break open a hole in the shell, using their necks. They then peck away at this hole with their beak, and use their legs to push the shell further apart.
Some hens will choose a second mate when the first begins to brood, and she will lay a second clutch for him after a short rest period.
Most emu farmers however do not allow the male to brood the emu eggs. The eggs are removed shortly after lay, and incubated. This removing of the eggs prolongs the laying season, as an emu bird can lay up to 40 eggs during the season. Most often the eggs are placed in the incubator within hours of lay, although some farmers find it easier to place a clutch of eggs into the incubator all in one go so that the chicks hatch out at the same time. The emu eggs can be safely stored for 2 weeks, in the correct conditions, but shouldn’t really be stored after 10 days for optimum hatchability.
For the storage of emu eggs
• The area needs to be clean
• A good air circulation is required
• The temperature needs to be constant
• The eggs need to be turned 2 times a day
Only after incubation of a few weeks can an emu farming venture see whether the eggs are fertile, and whether the chicks are growing. With most other bird species, it is possible to candle the eggs. This is a method by which the egg is studied with a strong light shining from behind. The light allows the shadow of the chick to be seen in the egg. Because the shells of the emu eggs are so thick and dark, it is impossible to candle the eggs. In order to test for fertility, the eggs are tapped with a short metal rod. With practice, the farmer will hear the difference in the sound of this tapping – called sounding. An infertile egg sounds like a porcelain teacup, where a fertilized egg has a duller, hollow sound. By sounding the egg, it is also possible to determine how near hatch is.
By keeping good management habits, it is possible to ensure a maximum clutch of emu eggs from each breeding pair, raising a healthy brood of emu chicks for the next production cycle.
