Artificial incubation of Great bustard (Otis tarda) eggs

Abstract

A trial of artificial incubation to great bustard (Otis tarda) egg was conducted from 1995 to 1997. Among the 45 collected eggs, 28 eggs were fertilized and 26 hatched, with fertilizing rate 62.2% and incubation rate 92.85%. The mean incubation-days for great bustard egg was confirmed as 24.4 (21–28 days) with the formula for caculating fresh egg weight (W=KwLB ²) and that for counting the incubated days by parents birds in field (Id=24(w−y)/0.144y). The proper incubation temperature and relative humidity were 36–37.8°C and 50–65%, respectively. The egg weights and egg size average 130.45 g and 77.4±1.42×55.5±0.65 mm respectively. The total weight loss of egg was 18.38±0.646 g, daily weight loss 0.748±0.071 g in the incubation time, with a weight loss rate of 13.6±1.02%. A linear regression equation to discribe the relationship between the egg weight and incubation days, was built,y=130.73−0.619x (x-incubation day,y-egg weight) r=−0.978. Twenty-eight hours were nassassary for great bustard embryo to complete the fledging when the were put in gas room. The mean weight of fledglings was 86.3±3.29 g(n=26).

Keywords

Otis tarda / Great bustard / Egg / Artificial incubation

References

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