Emu chicks an Dad Emu

[dnkfarm]

It is going slow. Now they are always in the middle and not at the fence. But I am tossing food to chicks trying to get them to trust me. I hope they are not grown before I accomplish this. I always think look at them I could put the net over all 4 at once. Then look at daddy and think hmmm look at those feet!

 

[ES Emus]

When I went to see them yesterday as I approached the chicks ran thru the fence onto neighbors property, not far just outside the fence. If I can enlist my neighbor for help I think I can use this. The dad is receptive to me and will eat out of food dish with me holding it. I HAVE NOT tried to touch the chicks. So I might be able to get my neighbor to grab the chicks when they run thru the fence or trap them some way. I am trying to get them used to me feeding them so maybe, just maybe I can get them without anyone ending up With emu footprints on their forehead.

I'll let you know.

Based on our experience, they have already imprinted on the father emu. Be prepared to hear them constantly chirping a distress call for a while and if the father hears it, he will become very upset. They may tame a little but they will not tame as much as they would have if they had been hatched in an incubator and had imprinted on you.

 

[dnkfarm]

A update on dad and chicks. I got 3 of the chicks yesterday. He finally came down to the feeder at the goat yard. With a fence between us I put out food on my side for the chicks and they came thru and I was able to apprehend 3 of them.

Now he still has 2 one of his and one he took from another dad. I will wait a couple of days before trying the other 2. The look on his face was like 'but I trusted you'. It was bittersweet. Now when he got off of the nest with his chicks @ 2 weeks ago he left 5 eggs. 1 was rotten but 4 didn't have a odor. So I brought the 4 back to the house and put in the incubator. Over the past 3 days 3 of those 4 eggs have hatched.

But sometime between 6 and 9 this morning the chick that hatched yesterday died. It seemed fine at 6am and gone at 9am.

I have no clue why.
Anyway I have learned that 3 2 wk old chicks in the house screaming for their daddy is very loud! Thank goodness they went to sleep when I was ready for bed and turned all the lights out!

 

[briefvisit]

'Apprehended' -- nice word:

And our top news story tonight. InterChickPol Operatives, armed only with shields and Yummies for Emus, today apprehended a known gang of Feathery Ne'er do Wells. No one got pecked, but some PETA people have chained themselves by their pink bits to the front door of the Department of Fisheries because . . . ?

And now in other news . . .



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