**Emus sores on head**

[66vette]

Hi I have 4 emus about 16 mouths old. and I just seen a big sore or sores on the back of there heads. there is no blood? I am going to post 2 pics in the frist pic the one on the right is the one thats got the big sore? but 2 of the other ones look alittle like they have some fearthers gone look at the 2st pic. that is the other one.I reakky wish i know what to do?any help would be greatfull. one more thing I live in N.C and we have a lot of pollon right now and I was thanking that it could be the pollen falling?with the light green color?


Thanks 66vette

 

[briefvisit]

Hey, 66!!

Behaviour? Not pecking? Rubbing their heads?

No recent contacts with a chemical or such like?

SE

 

[Moody Broody]

I haven't had something like this happen to my emu. Sometimes my emu gets tiny sores on her head from the odd march fly or mosquito, and I just rub a tiny bit of rub on bushman mosquito repellant on the very tips of her head feathers. But I don't think this is the case. I would just try to keep the area clean as possible and take it up with the vet.
Do you have mites or bird lice in the area? They are spread by the wild birds that come into the area and eat the leftover seed and stuff. Maybe they are trying to itch the lice bitten area by using something like a tree or fence to scratch it? And check for aggressive behaviour with the other emus, is there pecking and scratching involved?
Sorry I'm not much of a help, but good luck and I hope they get much better.

 

[briefvisit]

There are still old-timers here;; but sadly, it seems that advice is getting harder to come by.

se

 

[Nicophorus]

Emus will peck at each other, my first thought is they are doing that to each other. I had to separate a emu earlier this year because the others were drawing blood on his head and neck, making bear patches, etc.
.

 

[Haida]

One of my girls, Jake, had a very awful pecking phase... she'd rip at my hair, my skin, went after my eye once.. and she'd leave these horrible bruises and sores on me! It was insane! She also bullied her sister, Irwin, and poor Irwin had these same patches of missing feathers on her neck. Jake never went after her head though, just her neck. I rubbed some Neosporin on the bald spots and sprayed it down with Blu-Kote, and it was like it never happened. Jake hasn't pecked at her for the last few months. I can't help but wonder if head pecking for emus is the same for chickens--a display of dominance?

Oh, and make sure the Neosporin doesn't have any pain-relieving stuff added in, it's toxic to birds. Good luck!

 

[briefvisit]

Hey, Haida! On two occasions -- awful experiences -- I have witnessed an injured bird attacked (by tame-wild siblings). In both cases the stronger bird pecked viciously at the head/eyes.

(I stopped one bird, my beloved Greedy, with a rock to the chest while holding the other at bay with a broom. I hit Greedy so hard I heard her chest cavity reverberate.)

SE

 

[Haida]

Hey, Haida! On two occasions -- awful experiences -- I have witnessed an injured bird attacked (by tame-wild siblings). In both cases the stronger bird pecked viciously at the head/eyes.

(I stopped one bird, my beloved Greedy, with a rock to the chest while holding the other at bay with a broom. I hit Greedy so hard I heard her chest cavity reverberate.)

SE

That's kind of terrifying!!! You're so brave to step in the middle of them!!! Go you!!!

My husband would kill me if I tried to step in like that, hahaha!!! This past spring, I had a turkey hen who was very aggressive, and she got started a fight with another hen who was sitting on eggs and had gotten up to get water. The aggressive hen had her entire MOUTH over the other hen's head, it was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. I'm glad I was there to split them up... I hope the emus don't try anything like that... mostly because we ended up inviting the aggressive turkey hen over for dinner...

(I kid, I don't think I could do that. I just hope the emus don't get too crazy, lol)