What to do, what to do.....

[Yazzo]

Hello good emu keepers.

I don't have any emus, but I'd like a bit of advice about one....
Well, here's the deal: every time I go to town, I drive by a taxidermy shop, and right by that shop is a small pen with a single emu and a small shed. The pen is small: maybe 10x30 feet....I'm not sure, but don't emu pens have to (legally) be bigger than that? The thing is, all that emu does all day, almost every time I drive by, is walk the fence, back and forth, back and forth, all day. Who knows, maybe they're just keeping it to stuff when it dies, since it lives at a taxidermy place.

It seems so cruel, and I've been wanting to go over there and ask them about buying it, but I don't really have a lot of feed for an emu, even though I have the space, and I suspect it may be a bit mean, after all those years of living in a tiny pen. Course, I would buy it anyways if they would let me, then find an even better home for it, since I'm not sure I want to keep paying for that much feed.
So I'd like your advise: is this person breaking any laws? I know what they're doing is cruel, but it just occurred to me that what they're doing may also be an offense......if so, what do you think I should do about that? I don't want to get these people into too much trouble, since I don't know them at all....never even seen them....and I don't really want animal control to come in and get rid of the emu, because it's 'too mean' or something. I don't drive close enough to know if it's being neglected or anything...all I know is that it's bored out of it's mind, and probably extremely lonely too.
So what do ya think?

 

[chickenzoo]

Emu in general can be "fence walkers" no matter how much acreage, but you always want to keep them in as big an area as possible. Mine are not continues fence walkers as they have things to do and we interact with them daily. It is sad that it is by itself, emu can be loners but typically have at least another near by for company, even another animal. Emu do not typically use a shelter, they normally pick a corner they like and hunker down in the dirt, but like any animal they need shade and they also enjoy water to lay in. Mine will go in the stalls every once in awhile, but it is normally just to hang out with the other critters or to see what I'm doing and get attention. Emu , for their size surprisingly don't eat a lot.... my turkey could eat way more than them. Typically one can eat about a horse scoop daily, but we leave feed out free choice. If you are concerned, take a look at it, talk to the owners. I don't know the legal size for keeping emu in containment, every state is different.

 

[Yazzo]

Thanks Chickenzoo.

I've heard about the fence walking, but it's not just walking the fence. I should've mentioned that all it's doing is trying to get OUT. Every time I see it, it's head is going up and down, and along the fence, trying to find an escape. Anyone know what's the legal size for an emu pen in Colorado? Even if they are keeping it legally, I would still like to see if I can buy it, especially if they don't eat that much!

 

[Supreme Emu]

Yazzo, I think we may argue that an emu is 'genetically imprinted' to roam over very large distances – a hundred miles or more – at least if in search of food. The territory of a pair (and I'm repeating what you will find on the Net if you look hard enough) is measured in square miles.

Further, think of the 'equation' of, not only having an entirely featureless pen to live in, but having no company.

More than once, my adolescent chicks got themselves 'trapped' (d'uh . . . ) in the backyard. They exhibited the behaviour that you describe: walking back and forth while raising and lowering their head as they searched for a way out.

Just think – wa ha ha – you could own the world's first 'rescued emu'!!

In closing, supposing that the owner of this bird has breached a regulation, you would feel bad about them being prosecuted because why??


Supreme Emu

 

[Yazzo]

Thanks for the great words of wisdom Supreme Emu.
I agree that all animals should have lots of space to roam and company if they are sociable. The only 'company' this emu has is a couple of plastic ravens stuck up on the fence posts.

Seriously though? The FIRST rescued emu???

Surely there have been others.....

As for feeling bad about it....I wouldn't, if these people actually know that they're doing wrong, and they have it within their power to provide the emu with better, but if they just don't know (which I seriously doubt), then I would feel a bit bad, and try to take it off their hands without getting them fined or anything, unless it really is being neglected too. In either case, if they would be less-than-pleased about me intruding, I think the emu's well being is more important than the good relations between me and someone who I don't even know. If they don't like it, tough. I don't want to start a ruckus, or argue with them, but if an animal is being maltreated, then something has to be done by someone.

I guess I'll have to research the laws, and even if they aren't breaking any, go and talk to them. I have a feeling that they wouldn't be too sad to see it go.

Supposing I do ever get it.....I don't really have any separate pen for an emu, but does anyone know how they do with sheep? I don't think I could keep if forever, but for a temporary pen, that's about all I have right now (it's created with 5-foot-tall panels).
The sheep are very big, if that matters.

Thanks for the advice all you emu-whisperers!

 

[chickenzoo]

Just make sure it doesn't try to eat the wool......... wearing it is a different story........

They can be a partner in crime...............

have debates with the guard dogs.............

and sometimes they are just couch potatoes and hang out with the flock...........

 

[Yazzo]

Glad living with sheep for a while won't be a problem. Always love your pictures ChickenZoo! They're a huge reason why I stalk the emu threads....

Unfortunately, I think the emu is going to have to wait a while longer.....we are really running low on feed, and it's not exactly cheap right now....

If I take on the emu at all, it may not be for several months, but I'll certainly talk to those people as soon as I can, and assess the situation more closely, and certainly do something about it.

 

[Supreme Emu]

Emu Hugger, your photos are a revelation to me. To see an emu standing calmly before a barking dog is an education in the balance of nature and nurture. I am thrilled to even see my emus sitting on their bellies simply because it happens so rarely: a tame emu needs to be pretty comfortable in its environment to be so relaxed.

I had a friend and her two kids stay overnight last week. One child is a six-year-old city boy. The emus were sulking because I'd been away several days, and didn't turn up for their evening feed. Then they didn't turn up at dawn, and I began to think that I'd end up looking foolish, having promised a non-existent emu.

Then Greedy turned up. His mum and I sat and watched as the boy ran wild-eyed backwards and forwards between the feed room and Greedy, and at one point he grew tired of holding the plate up to Greedy, and the plate sank down ONTO his head . . . while Greedy's beak hammered remorselessly away at the unexpected bounty. It's a lot of entertainment for twenty-seven cents worth of wheat.

Supreme Emu

 

[awesomefowl]

I Want An Emu Now!!!!

 

[chickenzoo]

LOL, yes the white dog is Elmo, you can't tell in the pic, but they are good friends. Elmo will bark and try to get Jazzy to run after him. My other Emu get along with the dogs too... but not strangers dogs. My emu have been socialized since about a month old to the comings and goings of the farm, they are always around me wanting to be petted and loved on. They get along well with all the other critters surprisingly, even lay amongst all of them in the sun. I have spent hours laughing at the emu hogging up a kiddie pool as the ducks and geese patiently wait their turn for a swim,,, hehe.

I have to take more pics....... just been to lazy,