A total of 470 emu eggs were utilized for incubation studies and 10 emu unsexed day old chicks were utilized for growth rate studies upto 3 months of age. The average emu egg weight at lay was 517 g and at setting was 516 g. The per cent hatchability on total eggs and fel1ile eggs set were 61.5 and 87.3 respectively. The day old emu chick weight was 347 g. Mean emu chick weight as percentage of egg weight was 66.8 per cent. The body weights of emu chicks at hatch, first, second and third month were 327, 1065, 2970 and 6120 g respectively. Average daily feed consumption per emu chick in the first, second and third month were 50, 149 and 232g respectively. The growth rate (g/d) and feed efficiency (kgs of feed/kg of live weight) of emu chicks in the first, second anel third month were 23 and 2.08, 61 and 2.34, 105 and 2.23 respectively.
Emus, incubation, hatching. growth rates
