Abandoned emu???

[bock]

Okay, so I was driving past an empty field about an hour ago when I saw an emu out of the corner of my eye.

I turned around to get a better look, and s/he was drinking out of a puddle by the fence. I got out of the car, and it acted pretty tame. It looked at me for a few minutes, and then s/he started eating grass out of my hand that I offered to it. I had never even seen an emu up close before, and I was pretty fascinated by it. The whole time, I am wondering how a lonely emu got into this field. It is about 25 fenced off acres where the broncos stay a few weeks before the rodeo every year, there are no houses for about two miles around. It was trying to push its way out of the fence, and the fence is flimsy, it seemed like s/he could get out if it found the right spot. I can't imagine anyone purposefully keeping an emu out there, considering there are mountain lions and coyotes that hang around there all the time. Plus, there was no fresh food or water out there. It definitely isn't wild, I live in Northern California. So, either it escaped, which is pretty likely, or someone dropped it off. We just had 50mph winds and hail on Monday, so maybe its fence blew over? I drove around, looking for anyone with emus, nada. So, I went home and got it a little bit of Flock Raiser, but by the time I came back it was way towards the back of the field. I dumped some of the food by the fence, hoping it would come find it and left. Now, I have no idea what to do. I don't know who owns that field, and if it came down to it, I do not know how to catch and emu! Though, it looked young after I watched some you tube videos on them. So now what? I guess I could put out some found emu sighns and point any potential owners in the right direction? Ugh, and I was just saying how everyone on byc is always finding abandoned animals and I don't, well... then I find and emu.

Any suggestions?

 

[NoseyChickens]

Last year there was an escape emu out on the HWY here. Animal control wouldn't even come get it.

So a local family went out with their trailer and some how got it in and took it home. Poor emu, I hope it will be alright.

 

[bock]

Maybe I should call animal control tomorrow. I didn't think about that.

 

[Supreme Emu]

Well, Bock, I’ll give you some encouragement until Emu Hugger weighs in – Emu Hugger knows how to steer an emu with its little wing-handles.

As Nosychickens points out, Animal Control mayn’t be able to help.

If you will care for the emu, you should rescue it, and leave a sign in the paddock (‘Lost your emu? Call 123455!). What could the owner say except, ‘Gee, thanks for feeding and watering my emu.’ If it was breasting the fence, trying to get out, it’s distressed, so you’d be on firm ethical grounding. (I’m a revolutionist. I function on logic, not law.)



Age? if the emu is a metre tall, it’s half grown. If it’s as tall as you, it’s adult.

If it accepted grass from a stranger – as opposed to, say, fruit from its owner – it’s pretty tame.

Someone more knowledgeable is gonna tell you that you need a horse float, which would mean that you’d have to enter the paddock. It’s a big project! Options? Net it somehow, which would leave you the very serious task of loading fifty kilos of hysterical legs and beak into the float. Or hope that it is SO tame that you may handle it. That might be your reconnaissance: go and spend a half hour with it. Feed it fruit by hand, and see if you can stroke its back as you feed it. If you can, it’s pretty tame – but there’s tame and there’s tame. Emu Hugger’s birds, for instance, are a miracle because they’ve received a great deal of care and attention from the time they hatched. Your average ‘tame’ emu might eat from your hand, but capturing and transporting it is entirely another thing! I don’t mean to be pessimistic. I mean to be helpful.

You might – the costs begin to mount – consult a vet about tranquillising it. I don’t mean with a dart, but perhaps with a pharmaceutical in a bit of food. The dosage is what the vet would have to advise you on – I already don’t like this suggestion. Then you could swaddle it, perhaps put a hood on its head, and transport it in a pickup.



I’ll shut up now. The bottom line is how much force you want to bring to bear and/or how much money you can afford to spend. I look forward to hearing the next instalment. If the bird is in real danger from predators and thirst and hunger, you should act if you so choose.

Supreme Emu, Rocky Gully, Western Australia

 

[chickenzoo]

The best way to catch an Emu is 1) have a stock horse trailer 2) Have a black sock with a slit in the toe to put over it's head to calm it 3) have a lot of solid made corral panels on hand to contain it until you can back up trailer 4) have something very shiny on hand to get it's attention, a.k.a keys etc.. 5) have food 6) have six guys to watch one women grab and push emu in trailer ......

Holding technique : walk up behind emu and grab a wing arm in each hand - be prepared to run. Steer Emu with wings and body weight, or help it to lay down.

 

[bock]

Thanks form the advice everyone! I looked to see if s/he was out there today, but I didn't see it. S/he might have been in the back where the oak trees are, looking for cover from the rain, or s/he got out. After asking around, I found the number for the guy that owns the property. I called and he said it wasn't his. I told him about the emu and he said he was sure it wouldn't stay long.

I really don't know what to do. I can't go in there, that would be trespassing. Unless, I called him back and asked permission to go in there. Plus, tackling a 80 pound or so bird just doesn't seem like my cup of tea.

I don't have a horse trailer either. I think I will ask the neighbors if we could try to work something out. I really don't want anything to happen to the poor thing. I am hoping for the best!

 

[ruthless]

How about checking your local Craigslist for a lost Emu? And/or advertising on CL for anyone that lost an emu. If you get what you feel is a valid reply, you can then direct them to where you last saw it.

 

[Supreme Emu]

Gee, Emu Hugger, could one of those male onlookers get a video of the grab-emu-steer-with-wings part of the procedure? This I gotta see!!
Seriously, though, I envy those who incubate -- I've never seen a newly-hatched chick; but I am glad that roads and trailers and paddocks and phone calls and stress don't figure in my situation.
Supreme Emu

 

[bock]

I just spotted him again! He was standing in the creak bed a few feet from where I saw him last. I am glad he is still alive! I am really thinking I should try animal control. I am running out of options!

 

[chickenzoo]

I would call someone....... soon. It could get hurt or hurt someone if hit by a car at night etc....