Emu Possible

[PineappleMama]

Now granted we've a small lot, so I wouldn't confine such a large bird to such a place, but my curiosity got the better of me so I just had to know if I COULD... hypothetically. Here's the code....

Section 5.02 Keeping of Fowl

A person commits an offense if he:

A. Keeps or maintains more than four (4) fowl on one-half (1/2) acre or less or at a distance closer than fifty feet (50') from any habitation located on another's property; or

B. Keeps or maintains more than ten (10) fowl on more than one-half (1/2) acre but less than one (1) acre at a distance closer than fifty feet (50') from any habitation located on another's property.

C. Keeps or maintains twenty-five (25) fowl or more on one (1) acre or more at a distance closer than fifty feet (50’) from any habitation located on another’s property.

D. Fails to keep any fowl of the Order Anseriformes from being at large; or

E. Fails to keep any fowl of the Order Galliformes contained within a coop or pen.

F. Keeps or maintains roosters except in an area zoned as agricultural.

Now, the question is Do emu count as Fowl? The only actual species listed aren't species per say, but Orders. So, are fowl defined as those Orders actually mention, or would emu count as fowl, since the basic definition of fowl is bird kept for human consumption of meat, eggs and/or feathers.

And no, there's not much point in asking Animal Control... I tried to double check with them, mentioning size of our lot and whatnot and I was told "All I know is you can have four"... and this was the Wise One I was transferred to by the ignorant one that answered the phone. So, any interpretations welcome just to satisfy my curiosity.

 

[justbugged]

I was going to get an Emu or two about 12 years ago, until I got to talking to a guy that had them. I got stopped with the fencing requirements. He said that I would need 7 foot chain link fences, that were 100 feet long by 10 or 12 feet wide. Apparently they are parameter walkers so they need the length and not the width. It was the cost of 7 foot chain link that stopped me in my tracks.

 

[justbugged]

I am reasonably certain that Emu are fowls.

 

[PineappleMama]

Yeah, precisely why I know we won't have one so long as we're in 'town' but darned if my curiosity and my desire to outwit the Code Rangers *shakes fist* any chance I get doesn't have me wondering if I COULD... legally, IF we had the space ...some lots here are 100' but ours is only 87' and that's IF we moved the house out of the way... no way I'd pen one in that... like putting a red eared slider in a goldfish bowl... just wrong.

But, I bet it sure would give the neighbor's dogs, who try and eat through the fence (and since it's THEIR landlord's fence I can't do doodly until they actually break through) second thoughts.... hmmm ramble much?

 

[danischi24]

It just says that you have to keep waterfowl in your property & poultry (from quail to turkeys) in a coop or pen.
So you can get an Emu or 4

 

[Supreme Emu]

The difficulty in the matter of 'Is an emu a fowl?' is that bureacracrats have, by dint of the power discourse in which they function as bureaucrats, the power to over-ride common sense and even academic standards. Now, I am a lexicography junkie from way back, and my 'desk dictionary' is the Random House Webster's, which is both American and the largest single-volume dictionary in print – that is, it's definitive in the U.S.

The RHW says, under the headword 'fowl' (Number 5), that a fowl is 'a bird' – which an emu is. However, there is a quirk. That quirk, Pineapple Mama, is that the definition clearly enough has 'roots' in the 'historical set' of 'domesticated birds' – such as pheasants and turkeys and ducks. The emu doesn't belong to this category, as it only recently joined the set of birds raised for meat.

Note also the lexicographical logic of 'Fails to keep any fowl of the Order Galliformes contained within a coop or pen.' If one set of fowls are those 'of the Order Galliformes,' then some OTHER set of fowls exists, and that other set of fowls may arguably include emus.

P.S.: the Tasmanian Govt. has in the Web a document that defines the minimal legal area per bird as more than three times 100 by 12 sq. feet. I wonder about this notion of 'perimeter-walking.' An emu is genetically imprinted to range of hundreds and hundreds of square miles. (I worry that mine are restricted on the 1,200 plus acres that they're on, which is why I taught them how to walk out the front gate, whereby they access . . . Western Australia.) Could it be that 'perimeter-walking' is simply a sign of stress (because emus haven't been domesticated long enough to be 'genetically placid' )?

Supreme Emu, Rocky Gully, W.A., Australia

 

[PineappleMama]

That is a very good question SE.

I know that cavies (yeah I know pigs are NOT birds) will run around and around the sides... but then they also bust out in the center and 'popcorn' their happiness... so I think for THEM maybe it really is fun exercise...

But for an Emu... I'd be thinking he wanted OUT... if a bird was safe and happy in their territory, had all its needs met (including a mate?) then there's no reason for them to leave... if they're wanting to leave their own space (that they are protective of normally) then yeah I'd think something is up... or at least missing.

You and I are both word junkies... I couldn't tell you how many dictionaries are in this house... not even all the ones in English... n'mind the others. Off the top of my head at least one each of.... English, Latin, Greek, Native American, Welsh, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Norse, Gaelic, Middle Egyptian, Russian... so yeah SLIGHT word obsession.

It is very nice to see that I'm not the only one. I thought of those exact same 'issues' ... depends on which end of the spectrum your pickiness manifests... are you picky and stick exactly to what IS mentioned only, and any NOT mentioned are okay... OR do you use this amorphous "fowl" to describe ANY bird at all... is a parrot a fowl, and thus you can't have more than four, people do eat those even if it isn't here where it's common. Same with emu, others have been eating them for ages, but it's new here so do we go by OUR 'historical list of fowl" or by the world's?

Maddening and fascinating all at once no?

 

[Dingo]

For better understanding of laws pertaining to livestock, it would probly be best to contact your state fish and wildlife, department of recreation, or your town hall, I went through all three of these in my search and found my answer. Animal control only really deals with dogs and cats.

 

[treldib]

I was reading a bit about the habits of the Emu today and stumbled across this...


Commercial Emu farming started in Western Australia in 1987 and the first slaughtering occurred in 1990. In Australia, the commercial industry is based on stock bred in captivity and all states except Tasmania have licensing requirements to protect wild Emus. Outside Australia, Emus are farmed on a large scale in North America, with about 1 million birds in the US, Peru, and China, and to a lesser extent in some other countries. Emus breed well in captivity, and are kept in large open pens to avoid leg and digestive problems that arise with inactivity. They are typically fed on grain supplemented by grazing, and are slaughtered at 50–70 weeks of age. They eat two times a day and prefer 2.25 kilograms (5 lb) of leaves each meal.
Emus are farmed primarily for their meat, leather, and oil. Emu meat is a low-fat meat (less than 1.5% fat), and with cholesterol at 85 mg/100 g, it is comparable to other lean meats. Most of the usable portions (the best cuts come from the thigh and the larger muscles of the drum or lower leg) are, like other poultry, dark meat; Emu meat is considered for cooking purposes by the USDA to be a red meat because its red colour and pH value approximate that of beef, but for inspection purposes it is considered poultry. Emu fat is rendered to produce oil for cosmetics, dietary supplements, and therapeutic products. There is some evidence that the oil has anti-inflammatory properties; however, the US Food and Drug Administration regards pure Emu oil product as an unapproved drug. Emu leather has a distinctive patterned surface, due to a raised area around the feather follicles in the skin; the leather is used in such small items as wallets and shoes, often in combination with other leathers. The feathers and eggs are used in decorative arts and crafts.

Not really sure if this answers your quistion but I hope I helped

 

[justbugged]

Quote:
It's always good to learn something new each day. Thank you.