Any Emu owners?

[wanna be chicken lady]

Just came home a few days ago with month old Emu chicks. Any advice? I am feeding them Flock Raiser Mash. I let them out in a small, 4' x 4' covered cage during the day, while we build a bigger run. I bring them in at night to a small cage to be sure they stay warm. They seem healthy now. Any suggestions on how to work to tame them? Any tricks? Also wondering if I should (sounds crazy) but train them to be on some kind of harness / colar so that when they get older I can lead them for emergencies. Any advice?

 

[wadek2008]

I just read up on them out of curiosity and I saw someone that mentioned she had hers halter trained when they were young. This may be a stupid question but do the emus/ratites/ostrich lay their eggs standing up or sitting down? It seems likre itd be awkward for them sitting down but are they hard enough to take a drop?

 

[Boyd]

pm sent

 

[wanna be chicken lady]

I have no idea if they stand when they lay an egg. I think I would have guessed they sit.

 

[JewellFarm]

On you tube it shows one laying an egg while partially standing up. Kind of hunched down but not sitting.

 

[chickenzoo]

Here is Jazzy, my female Emu.
I trained them to a harness when they were little. It makes moving them easier now that they are big, although they forgot some of the lesson, he he. Keeping them warm and such as little ones is important, chick starter is fine, you can move them up to a turkey grower when they get a little older. I kept mine in the house until they were old enough to reach things off the counter, then they started to live outside full time. Hold them as much as possible, take them places and interact with other people and animals. They can become very protective of their space, so expose them to everything now to avoid problems. My female was young went I got her, she loves everyone. Sometimes too much! People kind of freak out when they have a full size emu in their face, he he. She craves attention. My male is less hands on, he was a little older when I got him. When older you will have to be careful of introducing new animals to the area, no matter how small. They will chase or kill anything they precieve as a threat, so you have to let them know it belongs their. I had mine follow me everywhere when they were little to get use to the animals. They are still afraid of the peafowl, he he.