Ostrich eggs - a delicacy that is gaining increasing popularity. To taste they look like chicken, but the huge size makes them a real delicacy. And it is also a very useful product from which you can prepare interesting dishes. How to do this, what taste properties are endowed with eggs, what are valuable and why gourmets like it, we will tell below.
When do ostriches start rushing?
All female ostriches are able to start rushing to two years of life. African ostrich can begin to make laying already in one and a half years. Usually they are unfertilized at first, the rhea matures and can conceive by 2.5-3 years.
Learn the basics of breeding and feeding ostriches at home.And an emu is usually ready for laying no earlier than 40-42 months of life. Males mature later - their ability to fertilize begins at 4 or 5 years of age. For optimal fertilization, the following relationship should be followed: there should be two females per male.
What are ostrich eggs?
Different types of birds carry testicles of different color, size and weight. On the appearance and performance also affects the place where the laying takes place. But they also have common features, for example, hard shells, large size and weight, which distinguish them from the rest.
Find out how useful and how calorie ostrich egg.
Weight and size
African-type female brings eggs weighing 2-2.2 kilograms. She rushes every second day, usually closer to dinner. The size of this is about 18 centimeters. Other types of ostriches carry approximately the same testicles.
In general, the size can vary, as the weight of eggs varies from 600 grams to two kilograms. Moreover, any female can carry both large and relatively small testicles, it all depends on the conditions of detention, diet and age. 
For example, in young Nandu they are very small and have a size of about 10-12 centimeters and a weight of about 550 grams. Emus lay eggs weighing 1-1.5 kilograms on average and measuring up to 15 centimeters. The basis of weight is protein, it is his egg the most.
Shell
All eggs have a very hard and durable shell. So hard that it even looks like porcelain. Therefore, it is very often used in the artistic direction (it is intricately painted, creating original ornaments, or even engraved).
Did you know? In ostriches eggs can be multi-colored. African breed more often bears white, but Rhea - yellow or almost golden, sometimes there is also a pink-yellow shade of the shell. And in emu they can be green in general, of a completely dark color.In addition, the shell is very light, but it is very difficult to break, for this there is even a special technique. A distinctive feature of eggs, which distinguish the type of ostrich that brought them, is color. Sometimes it is associated with the feathers of the parents.
Yolk
The bulk is translucent protein. The yolk is relatively large, usually occupying less than a third of the volume. It is rich bright yellow. The caloric content of the whole product per 100 grams: 118-120 calories, the protein content is 15.2, the fat content is 12 and the carbohydrate content is about 0.5 gram. 
How many eggs are born per year?
All birds race twice a year, usually in autumn and winter. This happens for two months, during which time the female regularly replenishes the number of eggs in the nest. That is, if the ostrich starts laying in February, its end will come no earlier than March.
Some farmers have reported that the onset of the period of obtaining eggs may fall in the fall and spring. The testicles brought at the beginning or end of the season by any female may be unfertilized. In the first season, the female lays a small number of eggs, not more than 30 usually.
For one season, you can get from 50 to 80 eggs from a maximum of one individual. The productivity of one pair lasts a very long time - an average of 30-35 years, at this time the females are actively rushing. Fertilization rate is 80%, hatchability successful in 85% of cases.
Read more about how to collect and store ostrich eggs before incubation, as well as how to incubate ostrich eggs at home.
Usually, laying the first 20 eggs, the bird takes a short break, as the productive cycle ends. The pause between cycles lasts not for long, about 8-12 days. There are sometimes exceptions when the female does not rush - in this case, she simply does not have offspring all season. 
With all the conditions for breeding, from the female can be achieved even 5 cycles per year. Individuals of the African species lay in a common nest hole, usually 40 to 80 eggs per season. Nanda is laid in simple large nests, the clutch is made simultaneously by 6-7 females, give 15 to 40 eggs per season.
Ostriches of the emu rush least of all and quite rarely, they can lay 10-20 pieces, and rush every day, once every two or even three days. The incubation period is on average 1.5 months.
Important! When breeding, it is necessary to take into account the fact that if during the season one individual gave almost the maximum number of eggs, for the next season it will not be able to repeat this indicator.
How and how much does an ostrich hatch eggs?
Females of one ostrich lay in a common nest, and then they watch over it one by one. This is necessary because very often rodents attack the nest, harming the offspring. At night, the male looks after the clutch.
In one nest no more than 25-30 eggs can be hatched. An interesting fact is that if one female incubates the offspring of another, then she places her eggs in the center of the nest, thus protecting her own babies.
On average, all species of birds hatch chicks from 30 to 45 days. Kids appear small, weighing about 1 kilogram, but very active, trying to follow adults everywhere. Usually at this time a male looks after the offspring, which feeds them. 
All types of chicks hatch already quite developed, on their body a lot of dense down of a light color, ashen, gray or white. The little ones can already see, and within a few hours after they appear, after drying, they can eat on their own. The next day, they can already go out with their parents to search for food.
How much is?
The cost of one egg in Ukraine is about 250-300 hryvnia. Shells can be bought cheaper, for 130-150 hryvnia. In Russia, the cost can reach 1500 rubles, if you buy in stores. If you take on the farm, it will be cheaper about two times, depending on the desired quantity and the farmer himself.
Important! The eggs also lack a cuticle (film near the shell), because they are more susceptible to the action of microbes that penetrate the pores of the shell. This leads to a high embryo mortality. - about 20% of embryos die. A similar problem arose when breeding birds in our area. In the hot climate of the homeland, they were more secure.Of course, the price may vary, because it is necessary to specify directly on the farm (or look at the store shelves).
What can you cook?
From ostrich eggs you can cook ordinary dishes, such as scrambled eggs, boiled or fried eggs. With this method of preparation, it is worthwhile to take into account the fact that white and yolk are being cooked for more than an hour, usually it takes 90 minutes to cook them completely.
The popularity of the product is due to many useful properties:
- It has a lot of useful substances. And they are less fatty than other poultry, because they are considered a dietary product.
- You can cook the full volume of the product or in portions, the dish can be stored in the refrigerator for another 3-4 days. There is a popular recipe in which the contents are baked unchanged.
- They have a long shelf life - 3 months.
- Tastes are much brighter and better, because they are great for preparing sweet dishes and pastries.
Did you know? One egg of an ostrich can feed 10 people, regardless of whether it is boiled or it is an omelette. The volume of one such egg is equal to about 40 ordinary chicken.Some gourmets buy the product specifically for Easter, as there is a special recipe for preparing an unusual holiday dish: a hole is made in the upper part, a small part of the shell is separated, then everything is mixed very carefully (that is, the protein with the yolk is slowly stirred), seasonings are added to taste and baked in the oven 40-55 minutes.
Enjoys special fame in gourmet restaurants, there they prepare gourmet delicacies using various recipes. Ostrich eggs are not only a useful product, but also quite rare. Interesting dishes are prepared from it, and one such egg can be fed to a large family. And they are also used to make interesting jewelery and art products.Reviews from the network
