Warning to perspective first-time emu owners!

[Emu Island]

I see this thread has been going for a few years now. I just have to jump in as it is obvious that emus and emu behavior can vary greatly - as can the owner's understanding of this magnificent breed of ratite.

My first pair of emu came to live on our farm when they were 6 months old. It took a while to integrate them with our chickens and ducks but with patience, a lot of care, and a couple months time they became one big happy family.Three+ years and three more emus later...

Occasionally the emus decide they don't want any chickens or ducks in the pen with them and they start chasing them. To make sure the littler birds can easily get away we built an interior pen within the emu pen and left a generous gap at the bottom for the chickens and ducks to slip right through. Needless to say a 6 foot tall "big bird" isnt going to be able to follow under a fence so the chickens and ducks can easily get out of the way. We have 72 ducks and a couple dozen chickens and have never had an emu hurt one.

We never ever ever put young chicks or ducklings with the emus. It would be a death sentence as young birds wouldn't instinctively know to run away and the emus would most likely stomp on them for sport. This type behavior is NOT being nasty. Emus are a wild bird and their natural instincts need to be respected.

My advice, if you can't use common sense, don't bring home an emu. They grow to be huge 150 pound birds with giant prehistoric feet! But if you have common sense and are willing to respect and work with the emu's natural behavior, then get a pair of these amazing creatures and enjoy raising and watching them.

That's it... except to say I LOVE MY EMUS!

 

[Sakiza]

We are very excited as we are looking into getting a pair of Emu’s. We currently have 31 geese, about 20 ducks, 20 roosters, and 20 guineas that will be free ranging with the Emu’s if we decide to get them. Has anyone ever had an issue with an Emu trampling a smaller bird by accident or on purpose?

We are dedicated to spending a lot of time with the new Emu’s. They will be about 2 weeks old when we can pick them up.

They would have access to a good sized pond, about 100 acres that they could play around (although we wouldn’t want them that far). Will they travel too far if we don’t keep them inside our 6’ fence? The 6’ fence surrounds 1 to 1 1/2 acres with a barn and small pond they would have access to. That’s where we keep our birds in the winter so predates can’t catch them on the ice.

When the nicer weather is here, everyone free ranges around the pond and takes their little field trips all over the land.

We would appreciate any advice

 

[Emu Island]

We are very excited as we are looking into getting a pair of Emu’s. We currently have 31 geese, about 20 ducks, 20 roosters, and 20 guineas that will be free ranging with the Emu’s if we decide to get them. Has anyone ever had an issue with an Emu trampling a smaller bird by accident or on purpose?

We are dedicated to spending a lot of time with the new Emu’s. They will be about 2 weeks old when we can pick them up.

They would have access to a good sized pond, about 100 acres that they could play around (although we wouldn’t want them that far). Will they travel too far if we don’t keep them inside our 6’ fence? The 6’ fence surrounds 1 to 1 1/2 acres with a barn and small pond they would have access to. That’s where we keep our birds in the winter so predates can’t catch them on the ice.

When the nicer weather is here, everyone free ranges around the pond and takes their little field trips all over the land.

We would appreciate any advice

Hi. I responded and shared my experience with having emus with smaller birds in the post just above yours. Hope it helps. Enjoy your new mu's!

 

[briefvisit]

'Occasionally the emus decide they don't want any chickens or ducks in the pen with them and they start chasing them. To make sure the littler birds can easily get away we built an interior pen within the emu pen and left a generous gap at the bottom for the chickens and ducks to slip right through.' The tame-wild chicks -- including Felicity when she was still small -- run into the tangle of low boughs under the fig tree, where the adults chasing them can't get in.

Felicity and her consort, 'Groestl,' are here this morning, just start the eleventh fig-season of the observation project here.

 

[briefvisit]

And it's nostalgic to read posts here. Members like ES and Yinepu and Calla and Ashburnham and Ellamumu and Birdeo are well known to me.

The project here at Lake Muir -- notwithstanding my ill health/blindness -- hits its eleventh year only weeks from now. Eric is dead. Greedy is presumed dead. Number One has been away for a couple of seasons. But Felicity and her consort may breed. And two of Eric's orphans, now 18 months' old, are still here. The first wild birds should turn up at the fig tree any time now.

Supreme Emu, Lake Muir, Western Australia

 

[Emu Island]

They will be about 2 weeks old when we can pick them up. They would have access to a good sized pond, about 100 acres that they could play around (although we wouldn’t want them that far). Will they travel too far if we don’t keep them inside our 6’ fence? The 6’ fence surrounds 1 to 1 1/2 acres with a barn and small pond they would have access to. That’s where we keep our birds in the winter so predates can’t catch them on the ice. When the nicer weather is here, everyone free ranges around the pond and takes their little field trips all over the land. We would appreciate any advice

The area that you describe with 1 to 1 1/2 acres with a barn and pond, surrounded by a 6' fence, sounds like the ideal environment for two mu's when they are old enough to be outside on their own. They don't have a natural homing instinct so I'm not sure what would be the outcome if they were left to wander around in 100 acres.

Best of luck with your new babies. Nothing like an emu to brighten the day!

 

[crity]

It seems like emus are becoming fashionable to own again, as I have been contacted by record numbers of perspective egg and chick buyers. Many of these people have never raised or even been around an adult emu. One of the first questions that I ask any potential customer is, "how much space do you have for your pen?".

I have been amazed at the number of people who have not considered how much room an adult emu requires and planned to raise then in an "old dog or chicken pen". When I get that for an answer, I refuse to consider selling them an emu, even if they get mad or offer me more that what I would normally charge.

Emus are very large birds (duh?) and need to be able to run in order to strengthen their legs and get their exercise. They are not birds that can typically be kept in a back yard "cage" or even the typical residential back yard!. They can run at speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour and take up to 9' in a single stride! Their pens need to be very long (120' or more), although they can be narrow in design.

If you are thinking about becoming an emu owner, remember that an emu, as a rule, requires about the same space that a horse would and you would not (hopefully) think about keeping a horse cooped up in an old dog pen!

Thank you for the post, we have 32 acres - so space isnt a problem. But, the idea of maybe having to one day move a whole lot of chickens, ducks, and peacocks is tough enough...an emu sounds a bit much. They are also the same life span as a peacock, I'm 58 and maybe at 70 I’ll be a bit old to care for them. But heck my husbands 11 years younger...? How do they fair with predators, like coyotes? Night vision? Thanks again.

 

[williamsingr12]

I cant imagine emus when peacocks are a handfull as it is, those things are huge

 

[McGehee06]

Emu all have different personalities. Mine get along fine.with all my great pyrenees dogs.....fainting goats...mini horses...mini cows...llama...alpaca. ....mini pig....horses etc. Never had them.be aggressive towards any new animals.of that size. Smaller poultry are normally a concern. I have some Emu that won't bother the.chickens...the younger 2 like to chase them sometimes...but not the ducks. They don't bother the geese to much either...but during breeding season my one male.will chase the geese. They don't mess with the swan or.cranes.....the turkey.and peafowl chase the Emu..... So I think for the most part, if it won't run and it stands its ground the Emu leave it alone. The fun for th is the chase. I have roosters that will beat up a Emu....lol
But smaller birds that run are a target and anything that gets an Emu excited.
Never had any of mine be aggressive to people but have heard of some.
Luckily most of the people who contact me ask a lot of questions about them before deciding on one and I wouldn't sell one to someone who wasn't fully.committed and prepared.
They surely aren't for everyone.

Have you heard of emus being loving and affectionate then suddenly turn aggressive towards their human?

 

[jiloski]

It seems like emus are becoming fashionable to own again, as I have been contacted by record numbers of perspective egg and chick buyers. Many of these people have never raised or even been around an adult emu. One of the first questions that I ask any potential customer is, "how much space do you have for your pen?".

I have been amazed at the number of people who have not considered how much room an adult emu requires and planned to raise then in an "old dog or chicken pen". When I get that for an answer, I refuse to consider selling them an emu, even if they get mad or offer me more that what I would normally charge.

Emus are very large birds (duh?) and need to be able to run in order to strengthen their legs and get their exercise. They are not birds that can typically be kept in a back yard "cage" or even the typical residential back yard!. They can run at speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour and take up to 9' in a single stride! Their pens need to be very long (120' or more), although they can be narrow in design.

If you are thinking about becoming an emu owner, remember that an emu, as a rule, requires about the same space that a horse would and you would not (hopefully) think about keeping a horse cooped up in an old dog pen!