Is it worth it to raise emu chicks longer before finding homes?

[Cochintrice]

So, odd question. I really want input from experienced emu breeders who sell chicks if I can get it.

I LOVE emus, but my property isn't fenced, so I can't have adults. I still want to experience caring for an emu before I die and there is nowhere nearby for me to volunteer. After moving to my current home and watching local marketplaces for over a year I know there is nearby demand for fresh hatched emu chicks (especially blonde and white,) and that I have access to local hatching eggs for normal and blonde emus.

So I would like to incubate a very limited number of eggs (likely 4 max,) raise the babies that hatch to a hardier age, and find them homes at about 3 months old (as old as I have a fenced area for.) I could DNA sex the hatchlings and the whole point would be me getting to spend time with emus, so they would get very spoiled.

So when I say "is it worth it" I don't mean "can I make a profit," I mean "is there enough of a demand for established, sexed, socialized older emu chicks that I would be able to reliably find homes?"

With chickens my rule has always been "only hatch what you can give lifelong care." I am cautious about breaking that rule here because I'd be up a creek if I failed to rehome them. I know there is a demand for breeding adults, fresh chicks, and fertile eggs, but I don't have any data points on older chicks. I don't know if it is because there is no demand or simply no one has them! I want to guess it is the latter, since it is putting in an awful lot of labor when a fresh hatched baby sells just fine, but I could be wrong.

Upside, when I can finally fence in our property I will already have young emu experience to bring to raising my first keepers!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@Pyxis

 

[Pyxis]

Depends on your local market. A lot of people like to get them young so they can experience the stage where you can still hold them and carry them around and cuddle, and really start to bond with them.

Some people though like to get them older, when they're less fragile and there's less chance of losing them. I've sold both younger chicks and older chicks without much issue. But the market in some places is also starting to get saturated, so that could make it hard to sell them if that's happening in your area.

I say you could hatch some, but you need to have a plan for if you can't sell them. What would you do if it turned out no one was interested? Would you be able to afford to fence in an area for them? Is there a farm sanctuary in your area that could take them?

Basically, only do this if you have a backup plan, because if you do end up getting stuck with them, you'll need to be able to care for them. Perhaps make sure you have an interested party already lined up to take them before you buy the eggs - that way, you already know there's a place they can go.

 

[my spoiled chickens]

So, odd question. I really want input from experienced emu breeders who sell chicks if I can get it.

I LOVE emus, but my property isn't fenced, so I can't have adults. I still want to experience caring for an emu before I die and there is nowhere nearby for me to volunteer. After moving to my current home and watching local marketplaces for over a year I know there is nearby demand for fresh hatched emu chicks (especially blonde and white,) and that I have access to local hatching eggs for normal and blonde emus.

So I would like to incubate a very limited number of eggs (likely 4 max,) raise the babies that hatch to a hardier age, and find them homes at about 3 months old (as old as I have a fenced area for.) I could DNA sex the hatchlings and the whole point would be me getting to spend time with emus, so they would get very spoiled.

So when I say "is it worth it" I don't mean "can I make a profit," I mean "is there enough of a demand for established, sexed, socialized older emu chicks that I would be able to reliably find homes?"

With chickens my rule has always been "only hatch what you can give lifelong care." I am cautious about breaking that rule here because I'd be up a creek if I failed to rehome them. I know there is a demand for breeding adults, fresh chicks, and fertile eggs, but I don't have any data points on older chicks. I don't know if it is because there is no demand or simply no one has them! I want to guess it is the latter, since it is putting in an awful lot of labor when a fresh hatched baby sells just fine, but I could be wrong.

Upside, when I can finally fence in our property I will already have young emu experience to bring to raising my first keepers!

not an emu breeder but if you post it in ur state format asking if anyone would get them off you that might be smart or just post in this thread your state/area if you don't live in the usa

 

[my spoiled chickens]

not an emu breeder but if you post it in ur state format asking if anyone would get them off you that might be smart or just post in this thread your state/area if you don't live in the usa

btw what state do you live in