2022/2023 Emu Hatch-a-Long

[Pyxis]

First pair laid their first egg mid-December. They laid in a flood prone location so i moved the nest not more than 2 meters away and they abandoned the nest completely and laid in a better location. My second pair started laying end December, laid in an awful location too and I moved the nest 10 cm away and they abandoned the nest too and found a better location. My emus will notice the smallest difference. Both females lay every 3 days exactly, while sometimes every 2 days.

My first pair had 7 eggs in their nest and decided to take over the second pairs nest abandoning their eggs. Why they abandoned their own nest is beyond me. Vladimir the male emu seems like hes going to sit tomorrow or the day after (he sits on the eggs and gets off), so he's preparing I assume. I grabbed the eggs Vladimir abandoned and put them in the nest he stole and put the second pairs eggs in the abandoned nest of the first pair (Vladimir's eggs are older so it's best they get incubated first). Vladimir has nine eggs in his nest and I was wondering if that is too much? I know Vladimir's mate will probably lay 1 or 2 more eggs.

Another problem, since the first pair took over my second pairs nest, will my second pair use the nest the first pair abandoned? I did put the 4 eggs that they laid in that nest but seeing how picky my emus are, I feel like the second pair is going to lay somewhere else now.

I'm planning on moving both females in my first field once both males sit on their eggs as last year the females slept and hung around the sitting males. The females made the area muddy and used the nest areas as bathrooms which was a nightmare for keeping the eggs clean.

Hope to have a few chicks this year!

How do you find the males raising the chicks goes? This year if Ciara stays laying into spring I was thinking I would let Sebastian hatch and raise a few.

 

[servpolice]

How do you find the males raising the chicks goes? This year if Ciara stays laying into spring I was thinking I would let Sebastian hatch and raise a few.

As in how do I feel with my males raising the chicks? I like to see the males have a few chicks with them. The eggs should hatch in mid-March when the weather in Ireland is still bad, so I plan on moving the males inside the horse shed until the babies are big enough.

However, I plan on snatching 2 or 3 eggs and chuck them in the incubator a few days before their they're due so that I can raise a few myself. Due to university I'll have no time incubating emu eggs to the full 50 days.

 

[servpolice]

This was a month ago when they laid their first egg. Of course they laid when it was -9 which Ireland never has!

 

[servpolice]

Taken last week. The pairs are never this close to one another except winter when I feel them. They always keep their distance. Once all the food is eaten, one pair chases the other away

 

[servpolice]

And finally taken today, the nest

This is the last we'll see this nest as Vladimir more than likely is brooding. Looking forward to this adventure. Let's hope it's a success!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

And finally taken today, the nest

This is the last we'll see this nest as Vladimir more than likely is brooding. Looking forward to this adventure. Let's hope it's a success!

View attachment 3371017View attachment 3371018

Good golly, I love the color

 

[Sally PB]

Emu ignoramus here. How tall are they? What do they weigh? How do you tell the sexes apart?

are they has HUGE as they look?

Wow, though... they are flat out GORGEOUS!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Emu ignoramus here. How tall are they? What do they weigh? How do you tell the sexes apart?

are they has HUGE as they look?

Wow, though... they are flat out GORGEOUS!

I think they're about 5ft tall, maybe 6

 

[Pyxis]

Emu ignoramus here. How tall are they? What do they weigh? How do you tell the sexes apart?

are they has HUGE as they look?

Wow, though... they are flat out GORGEOUS!

When they're standing normally, about five or so feet I would say. Ciara can look me in the eye easily, and I'm 5' 7". But they stretch up when they feel threatened or are being aggressive, which makes them taller.

They're lighter than you would think, though! They have hollow bones like other birds. An average adult female weighs about 80 pounds, and a male about 70.

It's hard to tell genders apart when they're young, but as they get older you can tell a couple ways. For one, they make different sounds! Females make a drumming sound, and males make a grunting sound.

 

[briefvisit]

Photos of this quality are a joy to me because the tame-wild birds just never stand still. I get close enough to stroke their chests, but they move ceaselessly.

'The pairs are never this close to one another except winter when I feel them. They always keep their distance. Once all the food is eaten, one pair chases the other away'

I'm surprised they even stop squabbling during meals -- the ones here don't. They seem to spend inordinate amounts of energy fighting.

[Four emus for breakfast here this morning. The three young tame-wild females are here, and a chick in its second year has been sucessfully sneaking in for plums from the plum tree.]

Supreme Emu