How much meat from an Ostrich vs and Emu

[ericefl]

I was wondering from some experienced farmers/ranchers here.

From an adult Emu how much meat can you expect?

and

From an adult ostrich how much meat can you expect?

I am wanting to start my own boutique emu operation, and was wondering what people have experienced.

Or is it better to just sell eggs instead of raise an emu to maturity?

 

[chickenzoo]

I know most of here raise them as pets........ so i don't have a clue. It is easier to sell eggs and those are certainly easier to handle......

 

[flyweed]

Eric

you have lots of great questions, and most you can find by doing some research on the internet and/or joining your local emu association. Anyway..Emu's will eat about 2 pounds of food per day as a mature/adult. and it really depends on the bird how much meat you will get from them...usually it's somewhere between 80-120 pounds. Also, the ENTIRE bird is useful, and not just the meat...the feathers, emu oil, meat, the skin to make into leather and of course the eggs for either hatching, eating, or to artists for egg decorating. So this animal is almost 100% usable in some form of marketing.

With that said, I'll be you fall in love with them, and would hate to even think of selling any of your birds for meat after you raise them. They are great birds.

Also, I had all intentions of starting an Emu farm, to raise and sell birds for meat...BUT.....there is no way I could kill my birds, so now I will be strictly egg production..and WILL sell eggs for both eating and hatching once my flock is mature. Right now, I have 4 10 month old Emu's and just started incubating 3 more...When all said and done I hope to have 8-10 birds in my "egg production"

Dan