Domination in Emu Life

[kbgh]

Supreme Emu and I have been researching and discussing dominance and selectivity among emu populations.

It appears that in some instances the females select their mate and show dominance, others the males select and are dominant, then cases where the female chooses and the male dominates and visa versa.

What we need here is help from those of you who maintain Emu. What are your thoughts and observations?

From birds at the "House clearing" the ratios appears about 50-50.

Have any of you "forced" pairs and were the "forced" pairings successful? Did the "forced" pairing result with chicks? Who was the dominant member of the "forced"?

For those of you with flocks of several birds, how do they choose mates and is there an Alpha bird amongst the flock? Or are the all "equals"?

Again, for those with flocks, what is your ratio of male to female?

Thanks for your help and responses.

Kerry

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Gotta distinguish, I ruckon, between the notion that the female chooses the male (which, yup, is an assertion), and the definite fact that when a pair is 'operating' about the place, it's generally one of the two birds that is the assertive one. Eric wears the trousers in his marriage, but Greedy wears the trousers in hers.

S.E.