A relationship between emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) egg quality and hatching rate

The study involved eggs obtained from 3-years-old emus bred on a private farm in Canada. Shells of: the four eggs which were damaged during transportation were analysed for the proximate chemical composition. The remaining eggs were weighed and their short and long axes were measured. Subsequently, the eggs were placed in the incubator. At the end of incubation, 15 shells of eggs which had produced healthy hatchlings and were suitable for porosity determination were selected out of the batch of 49 eggs; the selected eggs formed Group I. Group II consisted of shells of 5 eggs which contained dead embryos. As shown by the chemical analysis, the emu egg yolk was relatively rich in dry matter (56.85%), fat (38.16%), and ash (1.96%). The egg whites were poorer in protein (9.16%) than eggs of other bird species. Egg weight, surface area, and shape index were similar in eggs of both groups; no statistically significant differences were revealed. The weight loss before hatching (day 48) was significantly lower in Group II (10.75%) compared to Group I (13.37%). Those data corresponded with a higher number of pores in Group I eggs (44 pores/cm(2)), compared to Group II (34 pores/cm(2)). Weight of the 1-day-old hatchlings of Group I averaged 390 g, i.e., about 64% of the initial egg weight.