Incubating Emu Eggs
At The Emu Oil Depot

Incubating eggs of any species is more complicated than most people think, and when it is a business, success is critical. Everyone understands that proper temperature must be maintained, but humidity is just as important to maintain, and much more difficult.

Emu Egg Incubator Controls

The controls above from left to right are, temperature indicator, humidity indicator, power, heat, humidity high-low, work lights (inside unit), alarm, and automatic turner. This unit has just been powered up and when it is "cooking" the temp will settle at 97 degrees (to the tenth of a degree) and the humidity will settle at 34%.

Emu Egg Incubators At The Emu Oil Depot

These incubators will hold 84 eggs and are turned automatically. There are three shelves of 28 eggs each. Smaller, less expensive incubators will "turn" eggs too, but only by tilting the shelves 45 degrees or so and that isn't enough. These will tilt enough that daily turning by hand isn't necessary.

While eggs are incubating, they give off carbon dioxide which is what people exhale. After all, there is a living animal in the egg and it is porous enough to allow for that. The incubators must each be vented outside in order to avoid smothering the eggs which require as much oxygen as a living chick would. In the event of a power failure, incubators are not kept closed as is generally thought, but they are opened to allow for ventilation. Of course, generator backup for everything on an emu ranch is available and necessary.