A video diary of my emu chicks

[moonjelly]

It was hot today... and the emu and ostrich chicks love being sprayed down with the hose.

Megzy, I used the hovabator genesis to hatch the emu chicks. The ostrich chicks I bought, as the eggs are too big to fit in that incubator.

 

[bravevline]

So how old are they now?

 

[moonjelly]

About 3 months old.

 

[moonjelly]

It's been awhile since I did a video update. But here are the emu and ostrich chicks today. They were moved out of the small starter pen and into a big pasture. It's a nice setup for the emu permanently, but I may have to relocate the ostriches into a more secure pen once they've matured.

For those that don't know, the emu chicks I hatched myself from eggs I purchased on ebay and the ostrich chicks I got at two weeks old from a rancher a few hours from me.

 

[moonjelly]

Forgot to upload this one before, so they're young here again and didn't magically shrink. I spent a lot of quiet time with them like this when they were small enough to still be picked up. In this video you can see the one chick already has the deformity/crook in his neck.

 

[moonjelly]

Not emu or ostrich, but if you've followed my other videos you may be interested to see a Quail hatch I filmed this morning in 1080p HD. Quite a bit smaller than the emu chicks!

 

[moonjelly]

The ostrich chicks are at 5 months now.

 

[The Sheriff]

Nice moon jelly!

 

[moonjelly]

We had an unusually high amount of rain this weekend for the time of year. The ostrich and emu chicks really seemed to be enjoying themselves in the wet and foggy weather. The video below shows some very soaked birds, along with the other farm animals. The chicks are now 6 months old.

 

[moonjelly]

I've been away from this forum for far too long. I didn't realize how much I missed all of you and discussing this wonderful dinosaurs, I mean... birds.

I haven't kept up with my video diary since November now, but I do have much to show. I'll start with this one for now, as it is a very important update.

I purchased two ostrich chicks. They have a high mortality rate. Most die. Period. The sad part about this, is both birds would have made it. But I purchased a chick with a genetic defect. He was positioned in his egg incorrectly which caused his spine to twist and deform. At birth it was barely noticeable. I purchased the chick without noticing it, until about a week later. At that point I only hoped he could live disability and that it would not become too twisted. Honestly, the rancher should have known better and I question whether he was trying to just stick with me what would he knew would be a death sentence.

As Mormor grew he became more and more twisted. I tried to stay optimistic, but it was becoming to the point where I knew she could not sustain the weight of her own neck and when the pressure became to great her neck simply snapped and she died instantly. It makes me sad, as she was a sweetheart and if it weren't for a slight incorrect position inside her egg she would have been born normal and would still be with be today.

I am proud of the fact that I raised both past that crucial first three months. Death rate in ostrich chicks are extremely high, so when you only purchase two the odds are definitely not in your favor. I spent six months with these babies keeping them safe and watching there every moment. I got them through several impactions, but I couldn't save Mormor as she was never meant to live.

I am so grateful that she spent the seven months of his life with me in relative peace leading a normal life instead of being immediately culled and slaughtered at the ranch before ever being able to experience life. I miss you, Mormor and I'm glad we spent our time together, as brief as it was. You will always be in my heart. My other chick is left alone now and developing correctly as far as I can outwardly tell. He is approaching 12 months and is just over 7 feel tall. And to think, when I brought him home he was just a little tiny ten inch chick that now currently dwarfs a six foot chainlink fence. They are the most amazing, largest and fascinating of animals. Living dinosaurs.

And now my tribute to Mormor and the time we shared together. Happy memories, indeed. I hope my video if you watch it will show you what a beautiful soul she was. You will never be forgotten and were loved by so many around the world.