A female ostrich can lay between 40 and 60 eggs per year.
Ostriches and emus lay their eggs between March and September. Females will begin laying eggs when they reach 2 1/2 to three years of age, and will generally produce somewhere between 40 and 60 eggs per year. Proper incubation equipment is essential for successful hatching of eggs. Some popular incubation units are the Octagon 100 (holds six eggs), the Modular Hatcher (holds eight eggs) and the Octagon 250 (holds 12 eggs). Visit the Brinsea website to view various hatching equipment.
Instructions
1. Prepare the area in which the incubator will be kept by ensuring the air temperature is between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep humidity levels below 45 percent.
2. Prepare the incubator, making sure the setter and the hatcher are properly cleaned and meet the same requirements as the incubation area (see Step 1).
3. Place clean, disposable gloves on your hands to prevent transmitting bacteria and contaminating the eggs. Gather the eggs as soon after being laid as possible.
4. Gently clean the eggs with a dry cloth. Use commercial egg cleaner or sanitizer if you believe the eggs may be contaminated, especially if they are laid in wet weather conditions. Follow manufacturer recommendations for cleaning.
5. Consider using commercial preventative sterilization measures to reduce the risk of contamination if you find large batches of the eggs are becoming contaminated.
6. Use a permanent marker to write the date the egg was laid on the bottom of the eggs.
7. Store the eggs in the egg storage unit of the incubator, either upright or lying on their side. Rotate the eggs several times throughout the day. Do not store for longer than seven days.
8. Collect the eggs and place them in the egg tray section of the setter in the storage unit of the incubator, ensuring that the air-cell (the portion of the egg that is hollow) end of the egg is facing upward. Locate the hollow air-cell end by holding a candling lamp up to the egg.
9. Return the eggs to the storage unit of the incubator. Continue to place the eggs in the egg tray section of the setter once every seven days.
10. Limit the amount of people going in and out of the incubation area to minimize contamination. Wash the floors and clean the walls in the incubation area daily.
11. Ensure that fresh air circulates throughout the incubation area, while maintaining the necessary temperature. Install portable fans throughout the area to prevent stagnant air and allow for good ventilation.
12. Follow the steps above and allow eggs to incubate for 38 to 40 days before transferring them to the hatcher.
13. Carefully transfer the eggs to the hatcher, where they will remain for the next three to four days before they will hatch. Avoid interfering with the hatching process, unless absolutely necessary. Avoid helping the chicks out of the eggs; always let them exit on their own, which may take several days.
14. Keep the chicks in the hatcher after they have exited the shell, until they have dried completely, a minimum of 24 hours.
15. Apply a liberal amount of iodine, 7 percent solution, to the umbilical area after the chick has completely exited the shell.
16. Remove chicks from hatcher and place them in a secure area. Ensure the temperature remains between 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit for the first few days, before slowly adjusting the temperature to acclimate the chicks to the normal environmental temperature. Slowly adjust the temperature over a two-month period.
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