Page 234 - Hand rearing birds second

222 Hand-Rearing Birds

Table­13.1­ Example of an egg sheet.

Name: Date and time starred:
Egg number:
Sibling egg/chick no: Moved to:
Date: Time:
Where egg came from: Date and time pipped
Why was egg removed:
How egg was handled/transported prior to
arrival:
Date hatched:
Length: Width: Chick number:
Temperature set at: Hatching weight:
Incubator used
Estimated hatching date
Estimated hatching weight

DATE TURN EGGS WEIGHT HUMIDITY EGG BUDDY CANDLING/
OTHER
COMMENTS

stages of development, making determining the hatching day not as accurate. It is normal for eggs
to lose weight as the embryo develops. The rate of weight loss should remain the same no matter
the stage of development (as long as the egg has no cracks), this is usually 13–15% of its laying
weight over the entire course of incubation. See Chapter 3 for more information.
African Penguin eggs are laid flat (width ways) inside the egg incubator along set rollers which
are spaced apart to allow the egg to sit carefully between the two rollers. It is recommended to
choose an incubator with automatic temperature and humidity. To ensure healthy embryonic
development, the eggs are set to mechanically turn every two hours; in addition, each egg is manu-
ally rotated 180° once daily to aid in the vascularization of the embryo.
Candling is an important tool used during egg management to determine the fertility and devel-
opmental age of the embryo, any abnormalities to the shell (such as hairline cracks or thickened