How to Raise Ostrich Eggs
Ostriches lay on average between 40 and 100 eggs per year, and each egg takes 42 days to hatch. In the wild, or on farms where the ostriches are allowed to hatch their own eggs, the females will sit on the nests during the days and at night the males take over. If you are looking to raise ostrich eggs yourself, however, you will need to follow a few steps to ensure that your eggs successfully hatch.
Instructions
1. Check ostrich nests for laid eggs at least once a day, if not more often. Remove any laid eggs as soon as possible. Keep them separated from one another. Always wear rubber or latex gloves when handling eggs. You do not want to press the oils from your skin into the egg.
2. Label each egg with an identification number by writing directly on the egg with a black permanent marker. Record the numbers on a list for future reference.
3. Use a fine grain sand paper to gently remove any dirt or feces from the shell of the eggs.
4. Use a scale to weigh your eggs and record their weight before you incubate. If you will not be incubating them immediately, store them at a temperature of 53.6 to 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit. When storing eggs, turn them a half a turn forward on the horizontal axis every morning and a half a turn backward in the evenings.
5. Candle each egg before incubating to determine the location of the air cell. To do this, hold the egg up to a light and look through it. You are looking for the air cell to be pointed upward, and the egg will be placed into the incubator vertically.
6. Place the eggs in a sterilized commercial incubator made specifically for ostrich eggs. Ensure the incubator you choose has good ventilation to prevent suffocation of the embryos. Set the temperature at 97.5 degrees F. The relative humidity should between 20 percent to 35 percent. The heat should be focused at the top of the eggs to keep them warmer than the bottoms.
7. Rotate the eggs between two to eight times daily. Remove any dead eggs immediately. Dead eggs will have a rancid smell and if candled, you will not see a developing chick.
8. Use a scale to measure and record the weight loss of each egg at 21 days. You are looking for a weight loss of 6 percent to 7 percent.
9. Look for pipping at around day 42. Pipping is when the chicks' beaks break the shells when they are ready to hatch. Assist any chick that is struggling to hatch by gently prying back the broken egg shell. This should only be done after the chicks have tried for a minimum of 12 hours to free themselves.
10. Allow the chicks to remain in the incubators for up to four hours while their feathers dry.
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