Emu care?

[Raptor65]

If I go outside and whistle for him, Gerry comes running like he hasn't seen me in days and a pat on the back usually has him throw himself down looking to have his sides and belly rubbed. He wasn't raised to associate humans with food and he still seeks out human attention at every opportunity which says a lot about him and Emus in general.

His tastes have changed as he's gotten older though, a few weeks ago he could have cared less about the blackberries growing on either side of the back yard, but now every time I see him it looks like he's massacred something with all the red stain on his beak. I tried giving him some strawberries awhile ago but he threw a literal 'hissy fit' as he often does/did for food he doesn't like.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

It's interesting, Raptor65, that Gerry is not oriented only to food.

Hmmm . . . I am forced to admit that my birds are tethered by food and food alone. Wa ha ha.

S.E.

 

[chickenzoo]

Hubby has trained our LGD to come to the gate when he pulls in and whistles...to make sure everyone is still accounted for... our young emus have learned to come too. Very funny to see five large white GPs running with two emu trailing behind. Often this results in exciting them more and the full run about, jumping, falling over and the like ensues...... lol

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Gee, E.H., the little snippets of info that you post are so helpful. A snippet of seemingly random information can put other bits of info into place. Ahhh!! that's an interesting bit of training.

This simple-emotions stuff is a revelation to me. As much as I love observing these birds, I understand clearlly that it's 'privileged observation': I don't register as a threat, so I am allowed to be close enough to observe. I don't think there's any bond as such.

S.E.

 

[FowlKing]

Thanks! I will read that, I am thinking of feeding my Emu the appropriate feed that has the right amount of nutrition and grass as the main diet. For treats, I will feed my Emu some Locust, Lettuce, Black Crickets, and maybe some other types of vegetables. I will also spend a lot of time with it so it gets used to me. Around this area, an emu farm sells 2 week old emu chicks for $70, I will also get a sprinkler for him in the summer.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Fowl King, I look forward to a report on whether emus like black crickets and locusts and other insects. I am trying to figure out how often birds here in Australia eat these things. The books say all the time. But I haven't seen it much, and I haven't found traces in their poop.

Supreme Emu

 

[chickenzoo]

I have yet to see any of my emu eat a bug.....I'm sure it happens, but I haven't seen it. I had a snake eat a chicken...I threw it into the yard hoping the emu would harass it to death....no such luck. They came over...looked at it, went yuck...then ran off. Now if i had been holding it they probably would have ripped it from my hands and gobbled it down...grrrr. My friend said hers ate a squirrel... ewwwww. Mine like grass and grain...and dirt and paper....and anything I am holding..... mine are quite the refined emu.

 

[Raptor65]

Gerry would eat crickets as a baby, but I haven't seen him eat any since we brought him to the pet store for a visit and some feed where the owner tried giving him just about every treat in the place. Mealworms were offered as well, I'd say it's worth a try just to see them flail their head around in disgust. Maybe it's just Gerry, but when he was still a baby anything he found disgusting was always met with the most over dramatic head flailing and gagging you've ever seen.
I have seen him eat earthworms though, he'll see them poking out of the lawn on occasion with those sharp eyes of his and snap em up.
He had a go at a mouse the cat caught before too, but all he managed to do was toss it around till it was able to escape.
But he's definitely more of a fruit and veggy kind of guy.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

'dramatic head flailing and gagging' -- that's it. For all the world like children.

S.E.

 

[chickenzoo]

Yep, if mine get a taste of anything they dislike....the expression on their face is Blaaaa!!!!!!!!! Open mouth gagging and head tossing and spittle goes flying in all directions. Sometimes they will even do this a few times to something new until they decide the taste is tolerable... lol