The hatchery has been in the process of relocating to Agrodome Farm for the past year.
New Zealand’s largest kiwi hatchery has bounced back from a Covid-19 blow to build a new home where it can raise twice as many chicks for wild release.
From hatching its first egg in 1995 to establishing a 2008 trust that would become the National Kiwi Hatchery, the Rotorua facility dedicated to the conservation of Aotearoa’s iconic native bird has hatched more than 2400 eggs while welcoming tourists to visit and help save kiwi from extinction.
The hatchery was based at Rainbow Springs Nature Park, which went into hibernation during the Covid-19 pandemic and struggled to recover.
In March 2022, park owner Ngāi Tahu Holdings Corporate Services announced Rainbow Springs would close permanently and the hatchery would move down the road to another established tourism attraction, the Agrodome Farm.
Approaching two years on, last month the National Kiwi Hatchery reopened for tours at the Agrodome and is already alive with the sound of kiwi calls.
The first kiwi chick born at the new hatchery arrived on December 10. Named Te Ngakau (the heart) by local iwi, his spot in the nursery is right next to the last kiwi born at Rainbow Springs, Te Aniani Whakautunga (the last rainbow).
A few metres away, long-term resident kiwi Waru has settled into a new, soundproof nocturnal house, ready to meet visitors.
National Kiwi Hatchery manager Emma Bean said planning for the move began more than a year ago and construction of the new facility began in March last year.
“Our planning ensured the facility would enable us to care for more kiwi chicks and eggs than at our original site. In fact, we’ve doubled our hatching capacity.”
Bean said “moving house” from Rainbow Springs to Agrodome took about a month.
“A few days [were like] an episode of The Block with dozens of people working together on the finishing touches.”
National Kiwi Hatchery manager Emma Bean, who arrived as a hatchery volunteer 16 years ago and never left, says she has the best job in the world. Photo / Alex Cairns
Bean said the project team including mana whenua, archaeologists and architects, to name a few.
“Right now, we’re planting a generous donation of native trees from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Zealandia Horticulture. These trees will provide shade and protection in our kiwi creche and other kiwi enclosures.”
A construction crew of around 20 plus subcontractors installed Mercury NZ-sponsored solar panels and batteries, an Xcluder predator-proof fence around the kiwi creche and bird-of-prey-proof netting over the creche, and moved the portacom kiwi hospital.
“We also consulted with Zoo Aquarium Association and [the Department of Conservation] to ensure we continue following best practice for caring for kiwi.”
Bean said four public tours were available at the hatchery each day but the team hoped to increase those this year “once we are all settled in”.
A kiwi keeper feeds the new hatchery's first arrival, Te Ngākau. Photo / Alex Cairns
The new facility has doubled the hatchery’s capacity to raise kiwi to the “stoat-proof” weight of about 1 kilogram, increasing their chances of survival by over 60 per cent.
“At this point in time, no other facility has the capacity to take the number of eggs we do,” Bean said.
“If the [approximately] 130 eggs we hatch per annum were left in the wild, only six would survive to adulthood without our help.”
Through Operation Nest Egg, the hatchery works with 15 community-led, iwi-led and Department of Conservation (DoC) groups to increase brown kiwi numbers nationwide.
Bean said the hatchery’s kiwi keepers were busy caring for incubating eggs and new chicks and were eagerly awaiting an influx of new eggs in the next few weeks.
The hatchery is made up of two buildings, named Huruhuru – a name gifted by local iwi – and Te Paonga.
Kiwi keeper Carole Dean carrying out the candling process on an egg in the process of hatching. Photo / Alex Cairns
Bean said the new facilities would also help the hatchery to continue its other work, including a regional support structure for kiwi projects nationwide and 24-hour “kiwi hotline” providing expert advice for captive facilities and fieldworkers.
“We train DoC staff, community volunteers and staff from other kiwi facilities, across both North and South Islands, in all aspects of kiwi husbandry onsite.”
Bean said the hatchery was also recognised as a centre of excellence and hosts the Kiwi Egg Candling Workshop annually, with the last one welcoming 30 participants including international attendees from San Diego Zoo.
Candling allows kiwi keepers to follow the development of the embryo by briefly shining a bright light into the egg to illuminate the contents.
Bean said the hatchery had a bright future.
“Our future is to continue to grow and hatch more kiwi enabling the various iwi and community-led kiwi projects around the North Island to succeed with their goals of increasing kiwi populations in their regions.
