Female Emu not eating... much

[birdmanmax]

Lately (this past Saturday today is Thursday) I purchased 4 new emus, 2, year and a half males and a 10+ year old pair(they are also housed with three of my young emu chicks all getting along well). All the males are doing great switching right over to my regular feed. But the female doesn't seem to want to eat it I have seen her drinking water so that's not the problem and she also eats cut up apples and pears right from my hand but only if I'm on the other side of the fence. When I'm inside the fence she'll let me pet her, but she still is very frisky and runs around a lot. The four new emus were housed in a small 15 by 15 foot roofed muddy poop filled enclosure (they have been tested for worms and all that before I brought them home, all clear) so she may just be in shock from going from a 15X15ft area to a 100X125ft area? I just don't know any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[sourland]

Do you know what she was being fed at her old home ? Is it possible to obtain some of that feed and mix it with what you are feeding ?

 

[birdmanmax]

Yes I've tried that but didn't monitor her. I'll pick up some more in a few days and try again.

 

[briefvisit]

Hey! Well, I'm gonna be positive: the bird shows no sign of illness. Is drinking. Is eating, though not a lot -- but my rough understanding of wild-emu diets is that they are remarkably hardy: even a couple of weeks of just nibbles is unlikely to harm her.

And her environment is better.

Your thoughts seem reasonable to me: the poor thing is just a bit freaked out by a new, a larger, environment.

I don't think of myself as any sort of animal activist, but hearing of emus in small spaces really winds me up.

Here are 'Auntie Uno' Chick (tee hee -- the adult) and the two of Eric's orphaned chicks who have 'adopted' her, happily scrounging lilly pillies under the tree by the house:

 

[casportpony]

How are your emus doing?

 

[birdmanmax]

Thanks everyone for the responses I did go and pick up some of their old food and mixed it with some of the new and within two days I had her eating! Took a little while and a little worrying but it all worked out

 

[casportpony]

Thanks everyone for the responses I did go and pick up some of their old food and mixed it with some of the new and within two days I had her eating! Took a little while and a little worrying but it all worked out

Glad she is better, that's wonderful news!

I have a favor to ask... Can you take some pictures of them and submit them to the 2018 BYC Other Fowl calendar thread?

 

[birdmanmax]

I will see what I can do I'm not the best photographer but I'll try.

 

[briefvisit]

Auntie Uno and the chicks cruising through the garden yesterday. I have some bok coy flowering for seed. Pretty yellow flowers. Chomp. No more nutritious yellow flowers.

 

[Sara Ranch]

I love happy endings!