What is involved in incubation of the eggs?
A fertile EMU egg will normally hatch in 48 – 52 days if incubated at 97.5 degrees Fahrenheit with relative humidity held constant at approximately 35%. These temperature and humidity settings are nominal but different hens sometimes lay eggs with thicker or thinner shells that require higher or lower settings to achieve the desired degree of weight loss throu out the incubation cycle. Typically the eggs will hatch healthy chicks if the weight loss is maintained between 12% – 16%. Dramatic changes in incubation temperature and humidity should be avoided during the process. If humidity or temperature is to be changed, it should be done gradually over several days. Egg turning is also necessary for good hatching results. Most incubators in use today rotate the eggs about the long axis plus and minus 45 degrees every two to four hours. There is a growing number of the manufacturers providing turning mechanisms that will rotate the eggs through a full 180 degrees. The more complete turning
