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The ostrich egg is the largest of all bird eggs on Earth. This is not surprising, because they are carried by the world's largest birds. Surprisingly, if you correlate the size of an egg with the size of the ostrich itself, it turns out that these are the smallest bird eggs in the world. And many more amazing properties and features are inherent in this miracle of nature - the ostrich egg.
Description of ostrich eggs
Flightless birds ostriches are real giants, the male reaches a height of 2.5 m and a weight of 130 kg, the growth of a female varies from 1.7 to 2 m.These birds came to us from hot Africa, they have long been successfully bred on farms and village farms ... Nevertheless, their eggs can still be attributed to the rarest products, since most of them go for breeding. Ostrich breeding is becoming more and more popular, the main products are meat (ostrich), fat, feathers and leather used to make luxury shoes, handbags and wallets. Adult birds and eggs for hatching chicks are also in demand. Unfertilized eggs obtained from young females are used for food, this product is considered a by-product, therefore so few of them go on sale, this also explains the high price.
Ostrich eggs come in different colors, shapes and sizes depending on the breed and plumage color. Emu ostriches have dark plumage, their eggs are dark green, almost black. The gray-white birds of the Nanda breed produce yellow-pink eggs. Their shell is similar to porcelain, it is thin, light, but at the same time very strong, it is difficult to break it. An adult can stand on the clutch without violating the integrity of the shell. Such properties make it possible to produce various crafts from the shells, decorated with engraving and painting.
How much does an ostrich egg weigh? The average weight is 1500 g, usually ranging from 450 to 2000.
Ostrich
In terms of calorie content, they are inferior to chicken, which may please people who are struggling with excess weight. They have more amino acids (threonine and lysine), vitamins of groups A and B. The taste and smell have their own specifics, which not everyone likes equally. Egg yolk is bright yellow in color, the white is translucent, for cooking dishes for 8 - 10 people 1 piece is enough, and sometimes it is divided into several preparations, the leftovers are stored in the refrigerator.
Like chickens, ostriches are prone to salmonellosis. When kept on farms, such a disease is rare, but still, as a precaution, you should not eat raw eggs. And if there is such a need, you need to take the freshest, preferably today's testicle from a known healthy female. A hard-boiled ostrich egg can cook in 1 hour 15 minutes. The strong shell allows it to be stored for up to 10 weeks.
How often do ostriches lay eggs?
The ostrich egg-laying season begins in March and ends in October. How often do ostriches fly? The ostrich rushes once every two days, in one cycle it can lay from 12 to 20 pieces, then about two weeks of rest follow. During the warmer months, there are 4 cycles, during which it produces 40 to 80 eggs.
Families are created from one male and 2 - 4 females. How do ostriches fly? In females - first-year eggs are defective, unsuitable for breeding chicks, their number is 20 - 25 pieces per year.Layers of six years of age are capable of producing up to 80 eggs per season, the fertility rate is from 75 to 90%. Healthy males can be productive between 25 and 35 years old.
How long do ostriches hatch eggs
Even in captivity, ostriches are able to independently breed chicks. Ostriches keep laying for up to two months. When 20 - 30 eggs are collected, they begin to incubate. Both females and males hatch chicks, while the female sits during the day, and the male - at night. Chicks begin to hatch after 40 - 45 days, breaking the shell around the circumference with the beak. After completing the circle, they squeeze the shell out with their feet and exit. A newborn ostrich weighs about one kilogram, it is covered with down, and is able to move and feed itself. The male leads and protects the chicks.
How long do ostriches hatch eggs
Chicks of domestic ostriches are usually hatched in incubators. The owner must monitor the nest and each time take away the laid egg, clean it and store it, and after picking up the right amount, put it in the incubator. The process of incubating ostrich eggs is complicated, before you start it, you need to study all the features and choose the right incubator. In addition, a separate room will be required - a hatchery for storing eggs intended for incubation, with a constant temperature of 13 - 18 degrees and a humidity of 40%.
The mass of each specimen intended for incubation should vary from 1150 to 1800 g, the eggs of the Emu ostrich are much smaller, so their mass should be equal to 350 - 750 g.
The shell of ostrich eggs is porous, microbes easily penetrate through the pores, therefore, the laid eggs must be immediately wiped with a dry cloth, put into a clean container with the sharp end down or horizontally in one layer. Next, they should be covered with cotton wool or foil to prevent the ingress of microorganisms from the air. If the eggs are heavily contaminated, they are washed with warm running water with the addition of iodine.
Eggs can be placed in the incubator both horizontally and vertically, but make sure that the air bag is at the top. An ovoscope will help to establish where it is located, then with a pencil you need to mark its location. In the process of incubation, the eggs are turned over 6 - 8 times a day, this can be done by a special mechanism, if there is none, you should manually turn over the eggs, trying to do this at the same time. The incubation period lasts 45 - 48 days, on the 39th day the coups are stopped.
Ostrich eggs
Optimum temperature and humidity conditions in the incubator are critical to success. The parameters should be maintained within the following limits:
| Incubation days | Temperature in degrees C | Moisture percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — 4 | 36 — 36,5 | 19 — 23 |
| 15 — 21 | 36 — 36,5 | 19 — 23 |
| 22 — 31 | 36 — 36,5 | 19 — 23 |
| 32 — 38 | 36 — 36,5 | 19 — 23 |
| 39 — 40 | 35,6 — 36,3 | 38 — 44 |
| 41 — 43 | 35,6 — 36,3 | 55 — 65 |
In order to maintain the required humidity, spraying with warm boiled water can be performed, but it is better to spray it not directly on the surface of the shell, but on trays.
Ventilation of the incubator is a prerequisite; the need for fresh air increases with the growth of embryos. For 1 kg of eggs, the air intake should be 0.2 - 0.3 liters per minute. On the day when the chicks begin to hatch, this parameter is increased to 0.55 l / min.
Terms and conditions of storage of ostrich eggs
A table ostrich egg is still a rare delicacy on our tables, so you need to know how to choose them when buying, how to store and what is their shelf life.
As mentioned earlier, an unfertilized egg from a young female is considered a mess. The most important criterion when choosing is freshness. Insufficient freshness of the product may be indicated by weight loss, an increase in the air pocket. You can test a specimen for freshness by immersing it in a saline solution; a fresh egg should drown. It is also recommended to shake the testicle near the ear, no gurgling should be heard.
There is no need to buy contaminated eggs, and if there are any, they should be washed with warm water with added chlorine or iodine. Wash each copy for at least three minutes, then dry. Packaged eggs are not recommended to be unpacked during storage.
During storage in the refrigerator, the following conditions must be met: temperature from +2 to −2 degrees C, humidity 80 - 85%, shelf life 3 months.
Terms and conditions of storage of ostrich eggs
Due to its decent size, an ostrich testicle is usually not eaten at a time. The product can be stored in a broken state in a sealed container for 2 - 3 days.
Many people want not only to taste a wonderful delicacy, but also to preserve the unique shell for making souvenirs. Then you need to make a small hole using a chisel or other sharp tool and carefully remove the contents into the prepared vessel.
Despite the high prices, the demand for ostrich eggs is growing, which means that the supply will also grow. Perhaps, over time, these giants will cease to be exotic and will firmly take their place on the festive tables of Russians.
