harness training my young emus

[Fuzzybird1]

Several weeks ago I got 2 emus who were 3 and 5 wks old at that time. They were quite skiddish then but have tamed down quite a bit and come running for treats. They are still a little uncomfortable when I try to pet them. Once they were comfortable enough to come running for treats I started trying to harness train them. They don't mind wearing the harness but they panic when they feel any restraint from a leash. One continues to jump and run in fear and the other just lays down when she feels the control of the leash and harness. I worry that I am making them fear me. I have had it on them several times and don't feel that I have made much progress with it. Does anyone have advice for me? Should I continue trying or just give up the idea?

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Hey, Fuzzybird,

boy! I gonna stick my neck on the block by asking, quietly and respectfully, what the whole point of the harness thing is.

S.E.

 

[Kiril749]

My guess is they want to walk them. I know our pen is mostly in our back acre which is somewhat woodsy and wild. I always wondered how to take my emus out onto our lawn for grazing. Maybe that's why they want to harness train them.

 

[Fuzzybird1]

The reason is that they are being raised as pets. I read somewhere, I think it was even somewhere on this site, that harness training was a good idea. That way you can move them easier when they are grown. I also thought it would be fun to take them out of their enclosure at times. I was told that they would struggle at first and then adjust. I'm new to this and I don't want to ruin their trust in me so I'm wondering if it's really the right thing to do.

 

[29PalmsRanch]

The reason is that they are being raised as pets. I read somewhere, I think it was even somewhere on this site, that harness training was a good idea. That way you can move them easier when they are grown. I also thought it would be fun to take them out of their enclosure at times. I was told that they would struggle at first and then adjust. I'm new to this and I don't want to ruin their trust in me so I'm wondering if it's really the right thing to do.

I have ostriches, but they follow me anytime I'm visible. Moving them from one pen or pasture to another is quite easy. I grab a bucket, dump feed into it, make a lot of noise doing it... then walk into their pasture and call "Hey birrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd!" and they come running over to see what's up with the crazy human. Then I hold out a handful of feed. They crowd around to get a peck. Then I turn around and start walking with the bucket in my hand. They follow. I dump the feed where I want them to stop. They eat it. I close the gate. Next task

 

[Fuzzybird1]

Can you take them through unfenced areas that way?

 

[29PalmsRanch]

Can you take them through unfenced areas that way?

You know, I really don't know My entire ranch is fenced and cross fenced.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Morning, Fuzzybird!

Yah, that question came to mind as I read the posts. It’s an important question. Here’s my two cents’ worth:

Any emu can be spooked. Full stop. And will run mindlessly (into and over things . . . ). The tamer the bird is, the quicker it regains its equanimity. For example, if S.E. is physically outside while Felicity is here, and a vehicle comes down the drive, and S.E. talks to Felicity, she’ll dash about a bit, but she’ll stay.

So, if you headed out into unfenced territory with a tame bird, I suspect that if that bird were spooked badly enough to cause it to panic, the real problem becomes that you can’t control what follows, particularly the noise level. Dogs barking or people yelling would put the emu at risk of running across a busy road, or smashing into a fence.

S.E.

 

[Fuzzybird1]

After listening to all of your sound advice, I'm thinking it's best to forgo the whole harness idea. Is there anybody on this site that thinks otherwise?

 

[chickenzoo]

Hi....it may have been an older post of mine. I harness train mine at a very early age, so if they ever escape when grown...they will be use to some restraint that may be needed to guide them towards a trailer or to beable to walk them back to their encloser when out of your property. I don't do it often when they are here on the property. It is best to do it for short intervals....letting them walk forward on their own with only slight give and release pressure at first. Enticing them with shiny objects and using a narrow area where they can follow a barrier and not have a whole open area works best to start training them. Wearing just the harness by itself is the first step before even connecting a lead to it....they need to get use to the feel. My Jazzy had once flipped over the fence while play chasing the dog. He stood and waited for help in my neighbors yard. Because he had been trained he was easy to manage.back to the gate and into our yard......so I try to teach mine how to lead....even just a little...lol