Incubation temperature for ostrich (Struthio camelus) eggs

Abstract

The impact of incubation temperature on egg weight loss, embryonic mortality, incubation period, hatchability, and chick weight in 394 ostrich (Struthio camelus) eggs was studied. Eggs were obtained from 3 farms in Texas. Three incubation temperatures (36.5, 37.0, or 37.5°C) with relative humidity ranging from 20 to 30% were used. Results showed that incubation of fertile eggs at 36.5°C increased hatchability and incubation period in comparison with other treatments. The incidence of dead in shell and total dead embryos was increased at 37.5°C when compared with 36.5°C. No differences in hatchability, incubation period, dead-in-shell embryos, and total dead embryos were observed between eggs incubated at 37.0 or 37.5°C. Neither chick weight nor egg weight loss at 7, 14, 28, or 38 d of incubation was affected by incubation temperature, but egg weight loss at 21 d was lower for eggs incubated at 37.5°C than for the other treatments. Results show that the most effective incubation temperature for the ostrich is lower than the most effective incubation temperature for most bird species.