Good Pets???

[chickenfreak101]

Sorry, you can tell I'm new to this topic, but I want to get some emu chicks. I did do research on this, but I want you guys opinion. Emus: Good Pets? What about ostriches? Keep in mind, this is for the future, probably a couple years from now as I don't feel experienced enough yet. Thanks!

 

[chickenfreak101]

Oh yeah! I forgot... I've heard all the facts about ostriches not being good pets. That is completely fine. I was simply wondering if anyone has had a positive experience with them?

 

[moonjelly]

Emus are wonderful pets, they're intelligent, sweet and fun to raise. I also heard that ostriches didn't make good pets, but I wanted one anyway. I had a brief experience with an adult ostrich and she was sweet as can be. Somehow they seem less intelligent than emus, though. I'm raising two ostrich chicks now and my baby emus, who are only a couple days old seem a lot more inquisitive.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Morning, chickenfreak,

Research now prevents heartache later!

Emu make great pets. (‘Mine’ are not pets. They are tame-wild birds.) If raised from chicks, they become fabulously tame. The only physical risk there could ever be would perhaps be trying to catch (for transport) a mature adult; but my friend’s daughter was less than three years old when she first fed Greedy.

Mine manage to do something funny every day.

Supreme Emu
Western Australia

 

[chickenfreak101]

Thanks! By the way, can emus and ostriches live together? Or is their size too different. I always assumed they couldn't, never really looked into it. Oh yeah! Are rheas good pets, too? Thank you guys a whole bunch!

 

[moonjelly]

Rheas are less hardy than emu and ostrich and a little more flighty. As whether emu and ostrich can live together, I'm going to find out and I'll let you know. Right now I have my babies together and the emu love cuddling up against their big ostrich brothers.

 

[chickenfreak101]

I have been researching if they can live together and mr. Google isn't resonding.

 

[moonjelly]

I wasn't able to find anything, either. As chicks I'm letting them stay together when I'm around, but moving the emu babies for fear that the ostrich will stumble and step on them. Behaviorally they don't bother each other at this age. I'll post some videos of them together later on.

 

[BrendaJ]

I have only had 1 Emu of my own & it was a great pet. Very sweet ( thought it was a dog ) & liked to sit in our laps & hang its head over our shoulders - this became increasingly funnier as the Emu matured into a full sized animal - lol. Its good to handle them a lot when they are young so as they get older transport is easier / less flighty. They have very powerful legs/feet. They are also very curious & have been known to peck at eyes & nibble on ear lobes. Ive been around flocks of them that were not handled & they were very flighty but the hand raised Emu's are very different. Best of luck in your large bird adventures

 

[chickenfreak101]

So that's a no on emus and ostriches living together? What can live with emus, then? Turkey? Peafowl? Chickens? Ducks? Geese? They would be raised together as chicks, but would emus trample smaller birds? I also heard they toss smaller birds in the air.

Moonjelly, Vids pleeze! So exited... preparing for cuteness overload!