Behaviour of your mature hand raised emu pairs

[Vampstorso]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of waiting for some chick's to hatch in three weeks.
I am currently deciding if I want one or two.
I know emus need some kind of company, and I had figured between two young kids, a dog, and myself they would probably be okay.


My main reason for considering a single bird is reading about females going a bit feral at breeding time.

The reason this is such an issue is, whilst our yard is just shy of an acre, it is just that.... Our yard.
We are not looking to pen them off separately (and if we did they wouldn't have enough room.
So if a pair (genders would be unknown at time of purchase and I get too attached to be able to swap them later) got protective and hence dangerous at maturity during breeding months, then a pair isn't viable.


I plan on raising them in the house with lots of handling and room to move inside as well as lots of time outside, but my point is they will be well and truly imprinted on us humans.

So I was just wondering,
How do your specifically hand raised and otherwise very tame and social emus go at breeding time when kept in pairs of any genders?



I am in Australia, and have an advanced wildlife license.
I have experience with birds and dangerous animals (I am a licensed elapid keeper). I just want a better idea of the potential of safety vs increased happiness.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[biophiliac]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of waiting for some chick's to hatch in three weeks.
I am currently deciding if I want one or two.
I know emus need some kind of company, and I had figured between two young kids, a dog, and myself they would probably be okay.


My main reason for considering a single bird is reading about females going a bit feral at breeding time.

The reason this is such an issue is, whilst our yard is just shy of an acre, it is just that.... Our yard.
We are not looking to pen them off separately (and if we did they wouldn't have enough room.
So if a pair (genders would be unknown at time of purchase and I get too attached to be able to swap them later) got protective and hence dangerous at maturity during breeding months, then a pair isn't viable.


I plan on raising them in the house with lots of handling and room to move inside as well as lots of time outside, but my point is they will be well and truly imprinted on us humans.

So I was just wondering,
How do your specifically hand raised and otherwise very tame and social emus go at breeding time when kept in pairs of any genders?



I am in Australia, and have an advanced wildlife license.
I have experience with birds and dangerous animals (I am a licensed elapid keeper). I just want a better idea of the potential of safety vs increased happiness.

I wonder if @briefvisit might have some ideas for you.

 

[briefvisit]

Oh look! Here's Brief Visit (who is really 'Supreme Emu')

We have a member named 'ES' who would be better to talk to, who has loads of experience with captive emus (rescued birds, from memory). I',m sure I recall E.S. saying that separation has been necessary at times.

I can only comment as wild-emu guy. So here goes:

in the wild, Vampstorso, the defining characteristics of emu life are a desire to squabble, and space to squabble in; and it's the space we should focus on. In the wild, the ability to physically withdraw is the pivotal factor. One bird only stands up against another by choice.

(I remember Felicity outsmarting herself one afternoon, and letting Eric get between her and the nearest exit of the back yard here (which they all cruise through) Eric gave her a couple of ferocious licks before she broke through to the gate, and fled.)

And the dominant bird? It's almost always about territory. Usually, it's interloper birds trying to get a feed on other birds' turf. You are welcome to come and spend an autumn here, watching The Month of Madness that plays out every year around the fig trees.

I suspect 'line of sight' is relevant. For example, on plenty of occasions, while I was trying to observe a wild bird that had snuck onto the clearing, the bird in question would just mosey a few metres . . . behind something: a building, a tree, the sheep yards.

One more note: the wild birds have an uncanny ability to gauge each other's strength by sight and sound, which results in withdrawals or Mexican stand-offs or immediate ferocious attacks.

Okay, so: captive birds: I suspect the equation is horribly simple: one bird wants to 'command' a territory. Around the house-clearing here (and at times during observations further afield), one emu undertakes to drive another bird(s) off. After long or short 'sizing up,' the attack does or doesn't go ahead. Occasionally, a series of bouts result. (I have in mind an historic stoush between Eric (with a clutch of chicks) and a wild bird who flogged him off his feet.) More often, the whole thing is milli-secondius: Whack!! (pile of feathers on the ground). And the loser skedaddles.

But in a pen, the loser can't get away. There is somewhere on Youtube an infuriating video posted by some fool who doesn't speak emu. The title is something like 'Happy Emu Birdies'; but the footage is in fact of a female vocalising (threatening) several terrified chicks cowering in a corner of the pan.

And if the loser can't get away, the commanding bird will, I assume -- never happens here 'cause there are no fences -- simply keep attacking the weaker bird.

Note: I have long advocated trees and bushes and shrubs for pens. These allow birds to get out of line of sight. I suspect it generally helps to defuse tension.

Supreme Emu, Lake Muir, W.A.

Uno Chick -- adult female -- and two of Eric's orphaned chicks are here this afternoon, scoffing lily pilly berries out behind the house.

Here is Number One and some chicks under the fig tree last autumn:

 

[biophiliac]

Oh look! Here's Brief Visit (who is really 'Supreme Emu')

We have a member named 'ES' who would be better to talk to, who has loads of experience with captive emus (rescued birds, from memory). I',m sure I recall E.S. saying that separation has been necessary at times.

I can only comment as wild-emu guy. So here goes:

in the wild, Vampstorso, the defining characteristics of emu life are a desire to squabble, and space to squabble in; and it's the space we should focus on. In the wild, the ability to physically withdraw is the pivotal factor. One bird only stands up against another by choice.

(I remember Felicity outsmarting herself one afternoon, and letting Eric get between her and the nearest exit of the back yard here (which they all cruise through) Eric gave her a couple of ferocious licks before she broke through to the gate, and fled.)

And the dominant bird? It's almost always about territory. Usually, it's interloper birds trying to get a feed on other birds' turf. You are welcome to come and spend an autumn here, watching The Month of Madness that plays out every year around the fig trees.


I suspect 'line of sight' is relevant. For example, on plenty of occasions, while I was trying to observe a wild bird that had snuck onto the clearing, the bird in question would just mosey a few metres . . . behind something: a building, a tree, the sheep yards.

One more note: the wild birds have an uncanny ability to gauge each other's strength by sight and sound, which results in withdrawals or Mexican stand-offs or immediate ferocious attacks.

Okay, so: captive birds: I suspect the equation is horribly simple: one bird wants to 'command' a territory. Around the house-clearing here (and at times during observations further afield), one emu undertakes to drive another bird(s) off. After long or short 'sizing up,' the attack does or doesn't go ahead. Occasionally, a series of bouts result. (I have in mind an historic stoush between Eric (with a clutch of chicks) and a wild bird who flogged him off his feet.) More often, the whole thing is milli-secondius: Whack!! (pile of feathers on the ground). And the loser skedaddles.

But in a pen, the loser can't get away. There is somewhere on Youtube an infuriating video posted by some fool who doesn't speak emu. The title is something like 'Happy Emu Birdies'; but the footage is in fact of a female vocalising (threatening) several terrified chicks cowering in a corner of the pan.

And if the loser can't get away, the commanding bird will, I assume -- never happens here 'cause there are no fences -- simply keep attacking the weaker bird.

Note: I have long advocated trees and bushes and shrubs for pens. These allow birds to get out of line of sight. I suspect it generally helps to defuse tension.

Supreme Emu, Lake Muir, W.A.

Uno Chick -- adult female -- and two of Eric's orphaned chicks are here this afternoon, scoffing lily pilly berries out behind the house.

Here is Number One and some chicks under the fig tree last autumn:

View attachment 1070782

Awesome post. Thanks @briefvisit

 

[Vampstorso]

Thanks for the replies,

I guess really my question is if imprinted birds have such a desire and tendency to want to drive the other bird out, made particularly confusing by a lot of members having emus resembling dogs in past threads.
As obviously nature does often overpower nurture, however these emu will not really grasp that they are emus to the fullest extent: having been hatched in an incubator and raised by humans.

There's certainly plenty of hiding spots, in fact the area is full of fruit trees (plum, Apple, nectarine, many grape vines etc), that would act both as shelter and delicious food for half the year. I'd be thrilled to see them eat it rather than the feral and invasive English black birds.

It seems interesting that when emus bond with their people or other live stock after imprinting, there isn't so many stories (if any that I've been able to find) of them arguing even at maturity, so I wonder why that is potentially different for a pair of handraised /imprinted birds, if it is at all?

 

[Kalifornsky]

Hello Vampstorso,

My family is raising emus and we currently have 5 adult emus on the property, along with 2 adolescents and 3 chicks. The chicks are all from a first-time breeding pair named Sterling(F) and Denali(M), who have been surprisingly faithful to each other in the year they've been together.

The property itself is 2 acres, with another 2 acres sectioned off. Along the lines of what briefvisit was saying, the ability for the emus to avoid line of sight helps make it possible for all the adults to be on one side. Two will be in the front of the property while the others in the back, and vice versa. Even though the adults were all raised together as chicks, they have formed a pecking order and will chase each other around. Sterling and Denali are the dominant pair, but it is possible for the pecking order to have subtleties. For example, Sterling doesn't mind Nuka being around, but Denali will chase her off. I have seen emu farms where they are all kept together, so I can't speak to that.

As for temperament, four of the adults can be handled and are very friendly while one remains shy. Even during breeding season, Sterling remained friendly and I could look under Denali for eggs without fear of getting kicked. It might depend from bird to bird, but the flock are gentle to humans and not so gentle to each other.

As for raising a pair of emu chicks: right now I'm inclined to say they will remain buddies, as right now the two adolescents form a pair along with a pair of 2 month old chicks. They stick together and even call for each other when separated. It helps that the pairs are the same age and were raised together, but you never know what hormones will do to them. I'll have to keep an eye on that!

I can try to answer any specific questions you may have if you need more help! This is the first time my family have hatched emu eggs from a pair that we've raised. It's really neat to see the growth cycle come full circle.

Sterling & Denali

 

[briefvisit]

Got the white feathers! And handsome-looking birds.

se

 

[Vampstorso]

Hey Kalifornsky,

Thanks for your reply,
Your emus are beautiful. I've never seen the white phase emu before, isn't that beautiful!

Were your chick's parent hatched or artificially incubated?

I appreciate your stories about your emus, they were helpful.


6 years ago I brought home my cockatoo (black bird in my avatar) who was my angel. I loved him so much, he was truly human imprinted which is much more complicated for parrots and causes neurological problems being they naturally pair for life all year round.
I later felt bad and added a female that he of course hated, but she loved him.
He was a typical mature male cockatoo, hated everyone but his deemed partner (me) and attacked anyone who came near me, including me if I let someone near me. He was exhausting but he was my baby. However I wouldn't ever get an imprinted parrot again as it is certainly selfish and cruel, and not safe for our kids.
Unfortunately last year a neighbours dog broke into their huge aviary and killed him. Hands down one of the worst times of my life. (we have since moved).

The emus are somewhat the birds to heal my heart from his loss.
I just wanted to know I wasn't going to have the same problem of a rather aggressive hormonal filled ball of feathers attacking everyone near me lol.
I was hesitant about the pair for the same reason, attacking anyone near the other.

However after reading as many stories as I can and watching videos of truly mature imprinted emus, I am feeling confident with the two, thank God, as I know id have ended up feeling guilty about the one.

So thank you for helping me feel confident to have a happy pair rather than a pining loner.

 

[briefvisit]

Although I haven't researched the issue, I am concerned with any breeding that reduces the gene pool. For example, we are desperately in need of academic data on the relationship between the isolated emu gene pool of the U.S. and the issue of splay legs -- some one gotta go into the Australian bush to determine what the incidence of splay leg in the wild is.

But these birds are beautiful: https://www.google.com.au/search?q=...i=UmFoWf6nEMWi8QWLnLiABQ#imgrc=PyMcTzn9K40wHM: