Abstract
Chemical and physical characteristics of infertile takahe eggs, 1 laid by a wild bird and 3 laid in captivity, were analysed and compared. The lipid composition of these eggs resembled that of domestic hen eggs, there being high levels of triacylglycerol (64%) and phospholipids (27%). The content of individual fatty acids was determined: linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid) was in similar concentrations in eggs laid in captivity and in the wild. The results suggest that the amount of essential fatty acids in the diets of captive and wild females was sufficient for them to produce eggs which would hatch healthy progeny.