How Many Days Is Ostrich Incubation? Low Temperature, Low Humidity and Weight-Loss Guide
The ostrich (Struthio camelus) is a giant ratite whose incubation is radically different from every other domestic bird. Its egg weighs about 1.5 kg, its shell is stone-hard, and the embryo needs a lower temperature and a much lower humidity. Apply standard chicken incubation logic to an ostrich and the hatch rate drops to zero. This guide covers ostrich incubation duration, its unique temperature and humidity settings, weight-loss tracking and chick care.
How Many Days Is Ostrich Incubation?
Ostrich eggs hatch in about 42 days (normal range days 42-46) — the longest incubation of any domestic bird. The eggs are usually incubated upright (air cell up), in special ostrich trays; horizontal chicken trays don't suit this huge egg.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Incubation period | 42 days (42-46) |
| Temperature (forced-air) | 36.0-36.5 °C |
| Humidity (phase 1) | 20-30% |
| Lockdown day | Day 39 |
| Hatch humidity | 40-50% |
| Turning | 5× a day (odd number) |
| Candling | Days 14, 28 and 39 |
For a species summary see our ostrich species page.
Why Low Temperature and Low Humidity?
The ostrich is adapted to arid, hot habitats; its embryo develops at a lower incubation temperature than the chicken (36.0-36.5 °C vs 37.5). Humidity is much lower: 20-30% in the first phase. The reason is that the giant egg must lose about 13-15% of its weight as water over 42 days — more than the chicken (11-13%) — and that's only possible in a dry environment. Keep humidity at chicken levels and the chick becomes oedematous and dies without piercing the shell.
Weight-Loss Tracking: It Replaces Candling
Because the ostrich shell is thick and opaque, light won't pass through it; classic candling usually doesn't work. The standard method instead is weighing the egg:
- At the start, weigh each egg on a precise scale and record it.
- Weigh again once a week.
- The target is a total 13-15% weight loss by hatch.
- If the loss is running too fast, raise the humidity; if too slow, lower it. Humidity management in ostrich incubation rests entirely on this measurement.
Special ostrich candling lamps (very powerful) can roughly show the air cell, but weight tracking is far more reliable.
Turning and Lockdown
Turn the upright eggs 5 times a day (an odd number) through a 45-degree tilt; in large ostrich machines this is automatic. On day 39 stop turning (lockdown), raise the humidity to 40-50% and move the egg to the (horizontal) hatch tray. Hatch is expected on days 42-46. The chick uses its legs to break the thick shell, and this takes a long time (sometimes 24-48 hours); hasty intervention usually does harm. When to assist is in our hatch day guide — this patience is even more critical with the ostrich.
Chick Care
- Yolk sac and the first days: A newly hatched ostrich chick is born with a large abdominal yolk; for the first 3-4 days it feeds on this sac and must not be overfed. Early overfeeding leaves the yolk sac unabsorbed and causes death.
- Heat: A spacious pen at ~32 °C the first week; ostrich chicks grow fast and need a lot of room.
- Flooring: Slippery floors cause leg deformity (splay leg); a non-slip, firm floor is essential.
- Feed: A high-fiber, balanced ostrich/ratite starter; wrong feeding causes leg and joint problems.
- Movement: Chick exercise matters for leg development; don't keep them in a tight cage.
The general rearing principles (clean water, hygiene) are like our brooder guide; but the ostrich is an entirely special species in scale, yolk-sac management and leg health.
The Most Common Mistakes
- Applying chicken temperature/humidity values (36 °C and 20-30% are needed; high humidity is lethal).
- Not tracking weight loss (with an opaque shell it's the only reliable way to manage humidity).
- Incubating the egg horizontally (upright position and a special tray are needed).
- Overfeeding the chick in the first days (the yolk sac isn't absorbed and it dies).
- Rearing on a slippery floor (leg deformity).
Track the 42-day ostrich calendar and the weighing, turning and hatch days with the KuluçkaTakip app: pick the species, enter the start date, and let the app calculate the critical days for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days is ostrich incubation?
Ostrich eggs hatch in about 42 days (normal range days 42-46). It is the longest incubation of any domestic bird.
What temperature is ostrich incubation done at?
36.0-36.5 °C in a forced-air machine — lower than the chicken (37.5). Humidity is also very low: 20-30% in the first phase, 40-50% at hatch. High humidity is lethal for the ostrich.
Why are ostrich eggs incubated at low humidity?
The giant egg must lose 13-15% of its weight as water over 42 days; that is only possible in a dry environment. Kept at chicken humidity, the chick becomes oedematous and dies without piercing the shell.
How do you candle an ostrich egg?
The thick, opaque shell blocks light, so classic candling usually doesn't work. Instead the egg is weighed once a week; the target is a 13-15% weight loss by hatch. Humidity management rests on this measurement.
How is an ostrich chick fed in the first days?
The chick is born with a large abdominal yolk and feeds on this sac for the first 3-4 days; it must not be overfed. Early overfeeding leaves the yolk sac unabsorbed and causes death. A slippery floor also causes leg deformity.