Just introduced two adult females to my two adult males --> A Bloody Disaster!

[alpacaparadise]

Is it normal for a male emu to attack females? The alpha male has bloodied both females; he only leaves them alone if they stay sitting (in submission?). As soon as one of them gets up, he is at them again, using his claws to tear them up.

The other male doesn't want to have anything to do with it; he cowers in a corner of the pen.

Any advice appreciated, as my vet doesn't do birds.

The pen is roughly 100 ft by 30 ft. They are the only animals in there, although horses and alpacas are adjacent.

Thank you.

Sara, worried about the two girls

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Sara, at the risk of causing grave offence, I feel obliged to say that a 100by30-foot pen for four adult birds is grossly inadequate. Swarbrick notes in her excellent text that an elemental aspect of emu husbandry is space/places (like stands of trees or areas of shrubs) which provide birds the option of avoiding their fellows.
I know from my observations that once an ‘end-game situation’ is begun, such as a bird being weakened by injury, the other birds will simply continue to try to kill it. Full stop. Law of the jungle. Pecking-order determination is a constant process, from alpha birds to runts (I have one of each); and flight is the sole option that the weaker bird has after the first exchange of blows. I have seen the ‘sitting strategy’ (‘I am neutral! Leave me out of it!) used by several birds; but again, in each case, flight remained an option.

Supreme Emu

 

[Raptor65]

You could try setting them up in a partition so they can see but not physically interact with each other for a few weeks or months, but with such a small area that may not be feasible.

 

[chickenzoo]

Yes, if you could put the two boys in a pen where they can see the girls but not hurt them...then that is ideal until they can get use to each other. I would introduce the meeker male first once they have known each other for a month or so. Do it in a large pasture. Mine roam with my horses and alpaca. Some emu are just bullies, others show dominance then back off after a good chase. I would move the aggressive male by himself until the other three have bonded.

 

[drumstick diva]

They do need more space. could you partition the 100 ft. side in half and maybe extend the 30 ft. wide to 50 ft. let the girls have one side and the males the other. I agree with chicken zoo but, the meeker male in the girls while you can watch and see if they bond.