Emu Or Ostrich For Beginner Ratite Keeper?

[lena_]

So my biggest question is emu or ostrich and why? My mom prefers ostriches as we went to this private sculpture park and the ostriches were so friendly, but I'm leaning towards emu. I mean, emu seem more manageable size wise, I'm pretty confident around larger animals (my parents own cows and bulls and horses) and have enough room for them (24 acres, fully fenced). I've been doing as much research as I can, but there's not very much out there to compare the two.
So I do have a few emu questions:

I've incubated chicken, duck, turkey, japanese quail and button quail eggs before, all with hatch rates in th 90% range, so would you suggest I incubate the eggs or buy live chicks. I'm a pretty impatient person, so the waiting would be torture, but I feel if you have the chick from hatch the connection/bond with them might be stronger? Is this true?

There is no available pre-made ratite feed in the country I live in unless I buy it in two pound bags and get it shipped to me. I could do a drive down every month to get larger quantities, but I'm not sure my parents will be willing to pay fuel costs. So is there any mixture that would be suitable, would all flock work?

What kind of fencing is needed, I watch a youtube channel (called White House On The Hill) and their emus are kept in by a standard electric netting fence. The fences on our property are pretty secure, but not that tall, so would they need a more enclosed area?

What do emu need in terms of shelter? I'm not a great builder, but I can get my parents to help me.

How long do they need heat for, and what kind of heating would you reccomend? I have heat lamp, a brinsea ecoglow and a hot water thing that I used to brood a lone chick once.

Can you keep one emu? I'm going back to homeschooling next year (after spending a year away from my chicken babies, in the city) so I will have all the time in the world to spend with my animals. So would one emu on its own be more tame and/or docile? Could I raise it alongside a chicken/duck or turkey?

So yeah thats all of my questions, if anyone could help me out that would be awesome!

 

[Pyxis]

Emus over ostriches. They are smaller, so they are more manageable, and they are friendlier and less aggressive.

I've incubated chicken, duck, turkey, japanese quail and button quail eggs before, all with hatch rates in th 90% range, so would you suggest I incubate the eggs or buy live chicks. I'm a pretty impatient person, so the waiting would be torture, but I feel if you have the chick from hatch the connection/bond with them might be stronger? Is this true?

If you want to make sure you actually get emus, buy chicks. Eggs are a gamble. You can't even make sure they are alive until they start wiggling, which is on day 35 at the earliest usually, and some never wiggle and still hatch, so sometimes you really don't know until you've left the egg in the incubator for 60 days and it didn't hatch.

But hatching is fun, so if you're willing to take the gamble that you don't end up with any emus, then it's a cool thing to do. I've hatched all of mine, but out of 14 eggs, I hatched four chicks. The eggs were also shipped, so that's a factor too.

There is no available pre-made ratite feed in the country I live in unless I buy it in two pound bags and get it shipped to me. I could do a drive down every month to get larger quantities, but I'm not sure my parents will be willing to pay fuel costs. So is there any mixture that would be suitable, would all flock work?

There are some mixtures you can use. I think it's usually a mixture of layer feed and rabbit pellets that people who can't get ratite feed use.

What kind of fencing is needed, I watch a youtube channel (called White House On The Hill) and their emus are kept in by a standard electric netting fence. The fences on our property are pretty secure, but not that tall, so would they need a more enclosed area?

Electric fences don't really phase emus. If they're staying in electric fencing, it's because it's either too tall for them to go over it, or they've never tried getting out. I have seen an emu shoot right through electric horse fencing without feeling a thing.

You want a fence that's strong, but has some give, because sometimes they will get running and bounce off the fence. I'd recommend making the fencing at least six feet tall, because they can absolutely get over anything shorter if they want to.

What do emu need in terms of shelter? I'm not a great builder, but I can get my parents to help me.

They don't need a lot. A small barn/run-in type thing will be sufficient. As long as they have room in it to get out of the weather and not be overcrowded.

How long do they need heat for, and what kind of heating would you reccomend? I have heat lamp, a brinsea ecoglow and a hot water thing that I used to brood a lone chick once.

They need heat for awhile as babies. I usually just judge based on how mine are doing. I use a heat lamp, because they are rapidly too big for a heat plate brooder. My current babies from this year are now approaching ten weeks old, and I still have a heat lamp available to them, if they want to use it. It still gets chilly at night here, so they still use it.

Can you keep one emu? I'm going back to homeschooling next year (after spending a year away from my chicken babies, in the city) so I will have all the time in the world to spend with my animals. So would one emu on its own be more tame and/or docile? Could I raise it alongside a chicken/duck or turkey?

It is always recommended to keep at least two emus. They don't always travel in mobs in the wild, but it is best for them to have a companion of their own kind. My older female is very sweet and tame, and she grew up with a hatchmate.

 

[lena_]

Emus over ostriches. They are smaller, so they are more manageable, and they are friendlier and less aggressive.



If you want to make sure you actually get emus, buy chicks. Eggs are a gamble. You can't even make sure they are alive until they start wiggling, which is on day 35 at the earliest usually, and some never wiggle and still hatch, so sometimes you really don't know until you've left the egg in the incubator for 60 days and it didn't hatch.

But hatching is fun, so if you're willing to take the gamble that you don't end up with any emus, then it's a cool thing to do. I've hatched all of mine, but out of 14 eggs, I hatched four chicks. The eggs were also shipped, so that's a factor too.



There are some mixtures you can use. I think it's usually a mixture of layer feed and rabbit pellets that people who can't get ratite feed use.



Electric fences don't really phase emus. If they're staying in electric fencing, it's because it's either too tall for them to go over it, or they've never tried getting out. I have seen an emu shoot right through electric horse fencing without feeling a thing.

You want a fence that's strong, but has some give, because sometimes they will get running and bounce off the fence. I'd recommend making the fencing at least six feet tall, because they can absolutely get over anything shorter if they want to.



They don't need a lot. A small barn/run-in type thing will be sufficient. As long as they have room in it to get out of the weather and not be overcrowded.



They need heat for awhile as babies. I usually just judge based on how mine are doing. I use a heat lamp, because they are rapidly too big for a heat plate brooder. My current babies from this year are now approaching ten weeks old, and I still have a heat lamp available to them, if they want to use it. It still gets chilly at night here, so they still use it.



It is always recommended to keep at least two emus. They don't always travel in mobs in the wild, but it is best for them to have a companion of their own kind. My older female is very sweet and tame, and she grew up with a hatchmate.

Awesome thank you for this advice, it's really helpful!

 

[Longacre petting zoo]

So my biggest question is emu or ostrich and why? My mom prefers ostriches as we went to this private sculpture park and the ostriches were so friendly, but I'm leaning towards emu. I mean, emu seem more manageable size wise, I'm pretty confident around larger animals (my parents own cows and bulls and horses) and have enough room for them (24 acres, fully fenced). I've been doing as much research as I can, but there's not very much out there to compare the two.
So I do have a few emu questions:

I've incubated chicken, duck, turkey, japanese quail and button quail eggs before, all with hatch rates in th 90% range, so would you suggest I incubate the eggs or buy live chicks. I'm a pretty impatient person, so the waiting would be torture, but I feel if you have the chick from hatch the connection/bond with them might be stronger? Is this true?

There is no available pre-made ratite feed in the country I live in unless I buy it in two pound bags and get it shipped to me. I could do a drive down every month to get larger quantities, but I'm not sure my parents will be willing to pay fuel costs. So is there any mixture that would be suitable, would all flock work?

What kind of fencing is needed, I watch a youtube channel (called White House On The Hill) and their emus are kept in by a standard electric netting fence. The fences on our property are pretty secure, but not that tall, so would they need a more enclosed area?

What do emu need in terms of shelter? I'm not a great builder, but I can get my parents to help me.

How long do they need heat for, and what kind of heating would you reccomend? I have heat lamp, a brinsea ecoglow and a hot water thing that I used to brood a lone chick once.

Can you keep one emu? I'm going back to homeschooling next year (after spending a year away from my chicken babies, in the city) so I will have all the time in the world to spend with my animals. So would one emu on its own be more tame and/or docile? Could I raise it alongside a chicken/duck or turkey?

So yeah thats all of my questions, if anyone could help me out that would be awesome!

 

[Longacre petting zoo]

So my biggest question is emu or ostrich and why? My mom prefers ostriches as we went to this private sculpture park and the ostriches were so friendly, but I'm leaning towards emu. I mean, emu seem more manageable size wise, I'm pretty confident around larger animals (my parents own cows and bulls and horses) and have enough room for them (24 acres, fully fenced). I've been doing as much research as I can, but there's not very much out there to compare the two.
So I do have a few emu questions:

I've incubated chicken, duck, turkey, japanese quail and button quail eggs before, all with hatch rates in th 90% range, so would you suggest I incubate the eggs or buy live chicks. I'm a pretty impatient person, so the waiting would be torture, but I feel if you have the chick from hatch the connection/bond with them might be stronger? Is this true?

There is no available pre-made ratite feed in the country I live in unless I buy it in two pound bags and get it shipped to me. I could do a drive down every month to get larger quantities, but I'm not sure my parents will be willing to pay fuel costs. So is there any mixture that would be suitable, would all flock work?

What kind of fencing is needed, I watch a youtube channel (called White House On The Hill) and their emus are kept in by a standard electric netting fence. The fences on our property are pretty secure, but not that tall, so would they need a more enclosed area?

What do emu need in terms of shelter? I'm not a great builder, but I can get my parents to help me.

How long do they need heat for, and what kind of heating would you reccomend? I have heat lamp, a brinsea ecoglow and a hot water thing that I used to brood a lone chick once.

Can you keep one emu? I'm going back to homeschooling next year (after spending a year away from my chicken babies, in the city) so I will have all the time in the world to spend with my animals. So would one emu on its own be more tame and/or docile? Could I raise it alongside a chicken/duck or turkey?

So yeah thats all of my questions, if anyone could help me out that would be awesome!

 

[gimmie birdies]

As far as shipped eggs, I hear the smaller the egg, the better chance of it hatching.

 

[Longacre petting zoo]

Hi

Just joined and curious to know if you got an emu? I have a female called mop top that I got when she was 6 months old and I could just pick her up without her feet touching the ground then lol I’m completely animal crazy and have had so many pets that a lot of people in my town have never even seen and most people know me or of me through all the rescues I have taken in from people knocking on my door in the middle of the night with babies cause their husbands have shot the mums and they have no idea how to look after them to dogs I’ve taken off people who were mistreating them or not bothering to feed them. The only two other emus I know of in my town aren’t freindly like my girl and I used to have schools and kindys and old peoples homes to visit and could get moppy to sit down with me so a class of kids could come in and pat her. Funny that not many of the kids were too scared to but I think only one teacher ever came in lol moppy is the most loving and cuddly girl but if she takes a dislike to someone she lets them know before they get near her paddock. She has always shared her paddock with one or two kune kune pigs as she was in the paddock next to them and kept jumping the sheep fencing to be with them and would cuddle up in the shed with them and the stray cat that turned up when it was about 4 weeks old but it took 3 years for me to get her to come to me after I trapped her when she was young and got her fixed so she held it against me for a few years lol but she was besties with the emu and pigs. I never had a problem with moppy leaving the property till I moved and something must’ve scared her one night and the next day my friend rang and said there’s an emu in a paddock round the road from you and I don’t know anyone else mad enough to have one. I’m on a state highway so I freaked out and got the float hooked up in record time and she had crossed the highway and was in a paddock next to a freinds alpaca farm. I used to have 3 so she probably felt a bit better when she saw them. I had to leave her there and go back past my house and down another road to get to her cause there were no gates from the main highway and I had no idea what way to go so stopped when I saw a guy in his yard about where I thought the paddock would be behind him and he kindly came with me to take down portable fences as it was a cow farm. A friend came out from town to help me cause she was only used to both of us leading her onto the float and she loves people but only trusts a couple besides me that much. People were stopping and asking if they could help which was the biggest problem telling everyone but my friend to please stay back cause she was pretty freaked out and I had no idea if she had been out all night but she was very puffed and scared but happy when she saw my float. We always held a wing each and put one palm each on her chest and she would just walk onto the float and sit down so she was doing that and someone decided to walk up behind us and she got a fright and lifted her leg on my side but put it down gently when I told her it was okay but one of her nails got my forearm and made a nice slice through my tattoo and straight down to the bone. I just said quietly s@&t the stings a little and my mates face went white. She wiped off her teeshirt and told me to wrap it over so I thought I better not look cause I was just wanting to get her home and safe. She looked at my arm then at me and I’ve only seen her look that sad when each of the pigs died and she walked straight on and sat straight down. My mate always traveled sitting with her and I drove home dropping off the guy that helped me get to the paddock even though he was saying no you just go cause you need to get to hospital and I was saying no I’m all good I’ll go home and put her in the big chook house first that was all deer fencing and then have a look and see if I needed too after she was settled. Safe to say as soon as I saw it and she was safe it hit me and even let my mate drive me into town instead of driving my 4x4. 10 stitches later and nerve’s only just missed and lots of doctors and nurses coming to look and ask if it was really from my pet emu and shaking their heads laughing and saying pet emu to themselves lol it’s the only time she has ever hurt anyone and it was totally a mistake. But I learnt my lesson quickly and she has had deer fencing for 5 years now but she is about 16 years old so I think now I’m very lucky it never happened before but she showed no interest at all and I suspect there was something trying to get my sheds and didn’t expect to come across an emu and a kune kune boar with huge tusks. I still take kids in that visit but most of my animals have slowly died off and my health isn’t good so I haven’t had the petting zoo or pony parties for quite a few years so the animals that are left get super excited when we have visitors. Everyone thought I was nuts getting her but I’m so glad I did cause she is such a character and so cuddly and so many kids would never of had the chance to cuddle an emu along with all the other different animals I had. I also had 6 rotties and 3 donkey’s and 10 horses, a handreared wallaby and deer, miniature Hereford, a lot of my animals were handreared. Cockatoos and heaps of other birds and 3 types of lizards, chinchillas, too many to name but I’ve handreared my last animal because of my health and he is 4 now and a big beautiful pure white Appaloosa gelding whose mum had an old injury that flared up near the end of the pregnancy. I was just looking after her and 9 others for a couple of years and had to train him to lead and float by 2 months old so I could bring him to my house. His owner recently got him back and is very happy with him. Have to say I’m quite proud of him considering he is the first big horse I’ve trained but done lots of minis. He thinks he is a dog lol anyway sorry for the huge story but I hope you got an emu and have had as much love from it as I have from my girl. Minus the stitches lol a good reminder of what they can do though. She lets the chooks she likes in her paddock but has never hurt the others just chased them out but she rips at least one wild rabbit to bits a week which my boarder couldn’t believe cause she likes his cat that looks like her old one and lets him in her paddock so I had to reassure the boarder that she wouldn’t hurt his cat. Photo attached of the good job the doctor did of lining up my tattoo lol I thought I better not put the ones of the gaping wound.