Emu in a colony pen setting?

[Nicophorus]

I've read some conflicting opinions on keeping ratites in groups. I've read on here that some keep their ostriches together on a few acres and they tend to pair up and stake out claims for themselves in various areas of a big communal pen.

I've read the same about Emus, but then also read of some emus killing their pen mates. Is this a result of too many emu in too small an area?

Do you folk feel there is a certain density threshold above which its no longer safe for the more submissive Emus? I would LIKE to keep several Emus together on about one acre, yes there will be plenty of trees to hide behind etc. Am I setting myself up to find Emus kicked to death by their pen mates?

Everytime I've passed places on the road that have Emus, I see several of them roaming about a pasture together. Is Emu fighting overblown? Do they quickly decide who is boss and then get along from then on out?

Thanks

 

[ES Emus]

I'm not sure that there is an "always" answer to your question, but I can speak from our experience. For most of the year, we can keep our adult and teenage emus in a large communal pen and as long as they are familiar with each other, there is not usually a problem. Introducing a new bird to the flock can be a completely different story (as documented in our "Rescued Emu" post).

However, come late late summer, when the hormones start to rise and the females start picking out their males,if they are not physically separated into pairs, they can become quite violent to the other birds. While we have not experienced a bird being killed (yet), we have had to rescue a bloody bird or two. By late August/early September, we have our pairs separated in "private" enclosures and isolated from the other birds.

Of course there are a lot of factors to consider, especially pen size. The smaller the pen, the more likely that the odd birds can be cornered and beat up, while in a large pasture comprising several acres, the birds may have room to flee and may eventually learn to keep their distances. Notice I used the word "may" and not "will", as it is all a constant learning process and you have to rely a lot on observation. By the end of March, we can usually move all of the adult birds back into the communal pen.

 

[Grassman 52]

Quick question: what is the size of your breeding pens? I have been adding some fenced in areas on one side of my pasture and I would like to be able to use these as "dual" purpose pens - Emus in breeding season and then move a family of geese in when the Emu's move out or chick runs etc....

 

[ES Emus]

Quick question: what is the size of your breeding pens? I have been adding some fenced in areas on one side of my pasture and I would like to be able to use these as "dual" purpose pens - Emus in breeding season and then move a family of geese in when the Emu's move out or chick runs etc....

my pens are approximately 120' X 50'

 

[ES Emus]