From start to finish:
Collecting eggs: We collect all our eggs within an hour or two
after they are laid. We generally use a gallon size plastic bag to avoid touching
the egg itself. The egg is then stored for a day or so, so that we can put about 10
eggs at a time in the incubator so that they will hatch together.
Incubation: The incubator we use is a Hatchrite. It holds
about 80 emu eggs at a time, and uses rollers rather than trays for turning the
eggs every hour. The eggs are incubated for 47 or 48 days, then moved to the hatcher.
Our chicks generally, hatch at about 50 days, but it does vary from 48-52 days.
Hatching: When the chicks hatch their navels are treated
with betadine and then they are left in the hatcher until dry. Then they are moved
to the brooder box, where they generally stay for about a week. After about two days
in the brooder box given food, water is available as soon as they want it. We give
our chicks chopped greens such as spinach and kale for the first few weeks along
with the processed chick feed.
After That: The chicks are moved to a run with outside
access as soon as they are big enough and until late May they are allowed out during
the day and put inside at night. When summer arrives they are allowed to stay out
24-7 if they so desire. We feed all our birds free choice, meaning there is always
food available for them to eat, whenever they get hungry. After three months of age
the birds are moved to a larger pen, where they are outside all the time and they
stay there until slaughter time.
