Emu behavior

[McGehee06]

Thanks for your replies. He is in a 170x25 pen. Would space still be an issue? His aggressive behavior is ongoing. But sporadic. Some days no aggression at all. Sometimes only in the morning. And then the opposite. Probably a territory thing. I read in a book to put my arm straight up and open and close my hand. Emus think it’s a more alpha emu I guess. This works most of the time to settle him down. Thoughts?

 

[briefvisit]

Tee hee: so many variables. So hard to guess!

In captivity, we know of emus that are completely docile, and that squabble endlessly. In the wild, sometimes they acheive equilibrium, sometimes they squabble endlessly.

Why you and not your mum and dad? Why at sometimes and not others?

I got a neurotic tame-wild female that passes through on occasion. She thinks I'm an emu, and is always plotting to peck me on the head.

Welcome to the business of data collection! You observe and experience. Stuff does or does not begin to make sense.

[Limpychick and Tooshtoosh here this morning.]

P.s.: more space always = better

 

[Manfie]

Hi I know this is a chicken forum but I have gotten information here on emus too. I need some advice. I have an 18 month old male emu. He is my pet and has always been very loving towards me. It seems he suddenly turned very aggressive towards me. I don’t know why? I can’t think of anything unusual happening. He chases me out of his pen now snapping and kicking very aggressively.

Hi I know this is a chicken forum but I have gotten information here on emus too. I need some advice. I have an 18 month old male emu. He is my pet and has always been very loving towards me. It seems he suddenly turned very aggressive towards me. I don’t know why? I can’t think of anything unusual happening. He chases me out of his pen now snapping and kicking very aggressively. He doesn’t seem to mind my mom or dad being in his pen. Do emus go thru puberty Idk what to do. Any advice??

He doesn’t seem to mind my mom or dad being in his pen. Do emus go thru puberty Idk what to do. Any advice??

Hi

I have just finished observing two tame-wild chicks grow through this age. I understand from the literature that they become young adults at about two years. Check this photo:
View attachment 1508480These are the two I speak of plus two of their already-gone-bush clutchmates. (These four hatched with five others, a clutch of nine that I observe for a year.) My point is that these 21-month-old chicks juuuuuust show a little chick-ness in their plumage, a little over-sized-ness in their tooshes. (The other last thing to go might be a tiny bit of black 'black-head-stage' feathers at the top of their necks.)

Now, both the two chicks first vocalised as adults just about a month ago: grunts, so they're males. That is another obvious sign. They stopped cheeping months and months ago. Then one dusk I heard the quietest little sorta 'half grunt' from one. So, adult vocalisations at about 22 months.

And . . . there has been a cheeky wild emu in the house-clearing. ('Extra Emu' I call it) It has been around for about six weeks; and this week, for the very first time, Limpychick and Tooshtoosh forbade it access to the wheat on the ground, raised their feathers, and had just a little charge at it -- another sign of adulthood: 23 months.

Actually, I'm sorta glad to get the chance to answer your question. If you search here for 'Planet Rothschildi,' you'll figure out who I am. (Drumstick Diva knows me. She's a long timer.) We have at times had the privelege of observing Eric's chicks closely for considerable periods. But it was Eric's death, which left his clutch orphaned, that gave us the first opportunity in ten years to observe chicks at this age. Normally, they'd have become independent by this age.

So, your emu? First: I always ask for more space for emus. I'm sure that aggression and minimal space are linked. Otherwise, I'd guess it's not puberty, but adulthood.

Supreme Emu, Lake Muir, W.A.