New to Emu Keeping...Help!

[angel8035]

Those baby emus in the video are some of the cutest things I've ever seen. They do look like little dinos! Question: as adults I have heard that emus can be somewhat aggressive and dangerous? Can one of you with actual emu experience confirm or deny this? Is it to do with how they're raised?

 

[chickenzoo]

Most tame domesticated emu are not aggressive towards people ....there are exceptions and some during breeding season can get grouchy, but as a whole they are none aggressive. They will however kick out with much force if restrained or cornered when frightened . And those feet bear very thick toenails that can do some serious damage. I have scars to prove it from less tame emu.
Most people think emu are mean because they have been pecked or bitten by one....also emu do not know what personal space is and tend to get fixated on something with a creepy Dino stare. But emu are very curious, anything shiny, colorful, stringy, metal, etc etc gets them fixated and when you don't have arms you use your beak. Even emu that have learned the word No, have a hard time keeping themselves contained. They also do a rolling, jumping, hissing, running crazy type of dance when excited. This often freaks people out too. I've not know a emu to hiss at me out of meanness. It can mean anything from Hi, what's that, I don't like that, I'm upset.... Etc etc. you soon learn all the different meanings.

 

[angel8035]

I am excited to have emu when I have the land. They seem like entertaining creatures

 

[flaharty]

i am not much into computers but a emu was found walking down a main hwy here. we were able to have someone put him in a pen he was very hungry. i am willing to take him to my place but only for a while. it would be great if someone could come and take him, the people who have him said it appears to be missing some toes didnt get close to tell if it is new or old. i havent yet seen him will this evening. i work at a vet clinic and my husband is very disabled so its going to be hard to give him the attention that we think he will need. can someone please call me at 417-646-8239 work or 417-646-2939 ask for sheila or harold and sheila

 

[kathyinmo]

i am not much into computers but a emu was found walking down a main hwy here. we were able to have someone put him in a pen he was very hungry. i am willing to take him to my place but only for a while. it would be great if someone could come and take him, the people who have him said it appears to be missing some toes didnt get close to tell if it is new or old. i havent yet seen him will this evening. i work at a vet clinic and my husband is very disabled so its going to be hard to give him the attention that we think he will need. can someone please call me at 417-646-8239 work or 417-646-2939 ask for sheila or harold and sheila

You are very close to me - only about 30 miles. I will phone you.

 

[MarcAustin]

Hi Kathy
When I was a young man (1995) working my way through university, a co-worker had a flock of 26 adults and a bunch of little ones running amok. At that time she was doing a lot of business selling the eggs to folks interested in art type projects but she indicated a lot of owners were attempting to market emu as a healthful red-meat alternative. I lost touch with her and obviously haven't run across emu steaks in the local grocery so perhaps you could tell me - what happened with between then and '2000 ? Why do you think emus never took off beyond boutique farming ?? Just curious. I LOVED hanging out at her place. At 1st I found them a little creepy but when you get to know them - they are fascinating and quite amiable. The youngsters are better than prime time television. Thank you and best of luck in your endeavours !!

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

The phenomenon of Get Rich Quick has been around since emus soared high above the earth: Mr. Ponzi and Friends, jojoba beans, Far East Trading Companies, win-big-at-the-races techniques, pyramid schemes of a million forms, chain letters, junk bonds, blue gum plantations, Nigerian guys whose uncle’s cousin has a locked safe full of Dollar Bills, gold rushes, tulips, derivatives, and ‘exotic meats’ in all shapes and forms, with and without feathers.

This is peripheral to my field – it’s psychology not business. Get into banking or armaments.

Supreme Emu

 

[yinepu]

Hi Kathy
When I was a young man (1995) working my way through university, a co-worker had a flock of 26 adults and a bunch of little ones running amok. At that time she was doing a lot of business selling the eggs to folks interested in art type projects but she indicated a lot of owners were attempting to market emu as a healthful red-meat alternative. I lost touch with her and obviously haven't run across emu steaks in the local grocery so perhaps you could tell me - what happened with between then and '2000 ? Why do you think emus never took off beyond boutique farming ?? Just curious. I LOVED hanging out at her place. At 1st I found them a little creepy but when you get to know them - they are fascinating and quite amiable. The youngsters are better than prime time television. Thank you and best of luck in your endeavours !!

living in Texas I have spoken to many emu "ranchers" over the past several years

the farming or ranching of emus started out as an alternative to beef. They had less health issues than beef and many people DID make millions of dollars off of them back when they were gaining popularity. I know of one person in particular who was selling young adult pairs for $ 45,000 each on up to over $ 75,000 for a "proven" pair. Some ranchers got even more than that at auction. Janice Castleberry and her husband made several millions of dollars selling hatching eggs as well as running an auction (where they only got commission fees) off of any emus that were sold through their auction barn. The Castleberrys still live locally, raise exotic pets and are authors of several books. Now their son runs the auction where they still sell exotics.
After a few years the bottom fell out of the emu market.. mainly because the meat seemed too "exotic" for most people and the general public never would embrace the emu as a "meat bird". But also because there just wasn't as much meat on an emu than there was on a beef cow (even though emu meat is by far a healthier alternative to eat than beef).
You can still find emu and ostrich (as well as other exotic meats) at some of the "high end" or specialty restaurants. Lol.. I've eaten emu, ostrich, alligator and buffalo all at local restaurants.. so I know it's out there. (all of those are delicious by the way)
Emus are still slaughtered for their oil, and I know there are several breeders who sells hatching eggs as well as emu oil online (and a few do sell emu meat).
http://www.kalayaemuestate.com/catalog_c33163.html
http://www.dinomeat.com/

I think you'll find that most of the people even here on the forum would never dream of eating an emu since they consider them to be their pets or family.
Lol.. even rabbit and lamb are considered to be too exotic by most people who can't get past the "cuteness" factor and look at them as being "dinner" instead

you may also find this interesting:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=98190&page=1#.UD4l5KA4u20

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Great post, Yinepu. When I was first taming my birds, I looked and looked and looked for people who had emus as pets, naively supposing, if nothing else, that there would be a community of Australians who loved them. Nuh.
Eventually, I found BYC.

Supreme Emu

 

[MarcAustin]

Thanks all.
I really love the idea of owning a pair, but just for pets. I run a no-kill hobby farm. From some of the online videos I found, they seem to need quite a bit of room to sprint around in. Curious if they would get along with a milk cow and some kiko goats other wise I wouldn't have the room to dedicate. Take Care!