Standing still in the incubator, the ostrich egg reveals nothing of what is going on inside or of the impressive performance that is about to begin. However, here at an ostrich farm, we have the opportunity to learn a lot about the fascinating process of developing an ostrich, starting with the laying of the egg.
Egg care
The ostrich mother lays in a simple nest dug in the sand a few white eggs like ivory, each weighing up to 1 kg and 450 g. Then, the workers transfer the freshly laid eggs to the incubators in the farm, where they will stay for about six weeks.
During this time, special attention is paid to the incubated eggs. They are kept at about 37 ° C, an ideal temperature for the development of chicks in the nest. To prevent the yolk or embryo from settling on the underside of the egg and attaching it to the shell membrane, farmers keep the eggs in special formwork in which the eggs are turned daily, automatically or manually. Through this, they imitate ostrich-parents, who regularly return their eggs to their nurseries dug in the sand of the steppe.
A look inside
How can we know what is going on in the egg? Carefully holding an egg in his hand, the farmer places it in a hole made in the top of a box that has a strong light bulb inside. This method gives farmers the opportunity to get a vague, albeit, picture of the amazing development process inside the egg. They periodically check the eggs by this method to see the stage of development of the embryo. If after a few checks it is found that the center of an egg remains fluid, it is, of course, infertile and is not put back in the incubator.
During the 39 days that the ostrich egg stays in the incubator, the embryo miraculously develops in the porcelain hole. During this time, an air sac is formed in the egg, which eventually takes up about a third of the available space. The hatched chicks end up very crowded in the egg and prepare for the imminent release. However, an extremely important process must first take place – the yolk-covering membrane begins to retract through the umbilical cord into their small abdomen. This is vital, because the membrane that envelops the yolk contains the nutrients and energy that they will soon need when they come to light.
Breaking the hole
The long-awaited day has arrived, and we are present at the big event. In order to reach the shell, the little chicks must first break the membrane and enter the air sac. Unlike the chicks of other birds that have an egg tooth to break the shell, the ostrich chicks have a protective layer on the tip of their soft beak. Holding its beak perpendicular to the shell, the chick pushes with the back of its neck into the membrane that separates it from the adjacent air sac. Finally, after several attempts, the membrane yields. Thus, the chick manages to occupy all the space in the nest. – See diagram A.
Finally, the little lungs of the chicken fill up with air for the first time and start working! However, despite all efforts, the chick does not have enough air because it is crammed into the eggshell. And because the chick can’t give up right now, he has to keep fighting, breaking the shell. With all his strength, the chick jumps with its head and strikes repeatedly with its beak in its shell. Suddenly, a small crack appears in the shell, and the exhausted chick sees a ray of light and really feels the freshness of the air. – See diagram B.
After a necessary rest, the chick gains enough strength to continue to break the eggshell, making the most of its right foot and its protected beak. Then, putting aside the pieces of shell like a little Goliath, the chick tries to stand on its own two feet, looking disoriented at the outside world with the dignity and boldness that a freshly hatched ostrich chick can have. he stands. – See diagram C.
Why doesn’t the farmer help the little chick out of the hole? Because the whole hatching process must be respected. It takes time for the yolk to be absorbed through the chicken’s umbilical cord, which then contracts and closes. Any wrong outside intervention that would try to speed up this process could harm the fragile little creature or expose it to serious infections.
However, in the end, the chicks from the farm all came out of the hole. For us observers, it’s a real spectacle to see ostrich chicks – exhausted but victorious – emerge from a pile of eggshells.
Meeting with surrogate parents
After a while, due to the warm air in the incubator, the fluff of the chicks, soft as velvet, dries. Now they are extremely cute and fluffy. Then they are taken out and placed in a small pen in the sun. How much they like it! Finally, they can unwind their fragile feet,
doing the movement exercises after which they longed so much.
The next day is very important for the little fluffy birds. They are taken to the surrogate parents – adult ostriches who will take care of them for the next three months. So far, the chicks have not been hungry because they fed on the nutrients in the yolk. However, a few days after the egg hatches, they begin to feel a little hungry. But what can they eat? To our surprise, the chicks start eating the fresh manure of the surrogate parents! Farmers tell us that this helps them strengthen their still immature immune system.
Take a look at these moguls who are trying their best to keep up with their parents. He must, of course, put in a lot of effort. But ostrich chicks grow incredibly fast – 30 centimeters per month. So, it is amazing that in just one month they can keep up with their much older comrades.
When they reach the age of six months, the young birds no longer grow, having already a height of 2.5 meters. It’s hard to believe that, just seven months before, these torn creatures — only their necks and legs — were just motionless eggs in an ostrich farm’s incubator.
The ostrich egg “is full of pores through which air enters. At the rounded end of the egg, a space filled with air is formed between the two membranes due to the evaporation process that takes place after the egg is laid.