New to Emus and have some questions

[Gallimimus]

Hi, all
I am not new to BYC. Had an account 5 or 6 years ago, but deleted my email a year after, making it useless. Oops! I have been on BYH mostly as my herd is what direction my life took. But getting a new species of bird has brought back excitement I haven't felt in a really long time! For the last 3 years, I have THOUGHT about getting emus, but I always ended up passing as I just wasn't prepared, and never really knew what the birds were truly like. That all changed when I was going through facebook posts in my livestock group and saw 6 little emu chicks who had hatched (April 1st) There were over 150 comments when I asked and over 200 by the time I got the response! I couldn't believe that out of all those people she, the breeder, said I would be a great emu owner, and she would hold one for me! Only 4 people were picked out of at least 160. I was in shock. Of course, I asked if she could give me a day or 2 to do more research and to make sure I am fully prepared before I can guarantee I can get it. She thought that was great and had no problem holding him/her for me. Spent the last 9 days almost non stop going through these threads, care books, and talking to emu and ostrich owners that I know, as well as seeing their birds so I know what I'm getting into. I feel like I am 80% prepared but still have a few questions. I think I am in the right mindset of what to expect. These are captive bred, wild animals you always need to be cautious around. They can seriously injure, maybe even kill someone if you are not careful. They need a lot of space, need to run and stretch, eat lots of greens, have specific diet requirements, need to be introduced to any new animals slowly and with serious caution, they need high fencing and companionship. That is basics off the top of my head. There is much more I have learned about both captive bred, and wild emus, from many of the folks here on BYC, but I don't want to make this much longer than it is!

My questions
Single emu? What are thoughts on having a single emu? There is absolutely no one else around here selling chicks, and I was one of the 2nd to last the breeder picked for these little chicks. 2 people are getting 2 chicks and me and another person only 1. I know people do have only single emus and don't have many problems, but what are thoughts?. It will probably be alone for 4-8 weeks. However, I will be here and with it 24/7 so I hope I provide some sort of company which leads me to my next question.

Too old to tame?
These guys hatched on April 1st(April fools babies!) and the breeder will not sell chicks until 3 weeks or almost 3 weeks to assure they are healthy, growing, and eating properly. So I won't get baby until it is 1 day out from 3 weeks old. Do you think it will be scared? I'm not sure how the owner interacts with them. They were incubator hatched. If they are scared of people, do you think it will be hard to tame down? Will it ever tame down, or be as docile as ones handled from hours after they hatch? Since he has been with other emu chicks do you think will he get lonely/depressed when taken away from them, or will he probably just forget within days?

Fencing
Ah, the much talked about fencing. I have read so many things, but haven't seen anyone with this type of fence so I'll ask. This guy/gal will be going in a 3-acre pasture. Much bigger than some of the places I have seen emus kept when visiting friends, so I think this will do for just one (hopefully 2 later) However, my fencing is a bit variable. Half of the pasture has 6' 8" cattle panels very thick, durable fencing. But the other half only has 4' 11" and 5' 1" cattle panels. I wonder if this will be good enough though. When I hear of emus getting over fences it seems like the kind push the fencing down as they climb(bending it with their weight) Seems similar to how my goats climb between pastures. They kind bend it down with their weight as they climb and once it's bent they just go right over. There is no way the emu could bend those cattle panels though. They are stiff, in place, will not move or bend. So, I hope it is enough to hold him/her in. But what are thoughts on this? I have heard of some people keeping them in only 4' fencing so I hope what I have is enough.


I am very excited and the 20th can't come fast enough! I have already said yes on the baby, so either way, this is happening. I hopefully have about 1 year to figure out fencing and other issues, and if all goes wrong, my neighbor who already owns 2 emus agreed to take it in and give it a home if I can't. I really hope that doesn't happen though. Anyways, sorry for the book! Thank you for any and all help!

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

@Pyxis

 

[Pyxis]

Single emu? What are thoughts on having a single emu? There is absolutely no one else around here selling chicks, and I was one of the 2nd to last the breeder picked for these little chicks. 2 people are getting 2 chicks and me and another person only 1. I know people do have only single emus and don't have many problems, but what are thoughts?. It will probably be alone for 4-8 weeks. However, I will be here and with it 24/7 so I hope I provide some sort of company which leads me to my next question.

My thoughts are it's not good for the bird. In my opinion, the breeder really should have been selling you two if she knew you didn't have any others. If you can't find any other chicks, or find any eggs this year to try to hatch (and it's getting to the end of the season so that can be iffy) then start getting on lists for next year now.

Even though you say you'll be with it 24/7, you probably really won't, not like another chick would. Are you going to take it with you when you go shopping? When you're asleep at night will it be sleeping (and pooping) in the bed with you? What about when it gets old enough and too big to be inside, are you going to move outside with it? Etc etc. I know it's not your fault that the breeder is only selling you one so I'm not trying to shame you, just point out what I mean by you won't really be with it 24/7 and why I think it should have a friend.

Some people keep lone emus with other species like chickens and goats and call that good enough, but I don't even believe in keeping a lone goose with chickens or ducks, so to me it's not good enough. I just think about what I would feel like if someone stuck me, all alone with no other humans, in with other species of animals and decided that was good enough, would I really think that was good enough? Probably not.

Too old to tame?
These guys hatched on April 1st(April fools babies!) and the breeder will not sell chicks until 3 weeks or almost 3 weeks to assure they are healthy, growing, and eating properly. So I won't get baby until it is 1 day out from 3 weeks old. Do you think it will be scared? I'm not sure how the owner interacts with them. They were incubator hatched. If they are scared of people, do you think it will be hard to tame down? Will it ever tame down, or be as docile as ones handled from hours after they hatch? Since he has been with other emu chicks do you think will he get lonely/depressed when taken away from them, or will he probably just forget within days?

If she's been handling them and working with them from the time they hatched, it will probably be friendly. I have some three week olds too, and they're very friendly because I have handled them from when they hatched. They are also imprinted on me. But, they are friendly with other humans too, so it's not just the imprint factor. I have a friend that comes over to play with them and even the first time they saw her they were fine with running over to her and having her pet them, etc. But if the breeder hasn't worked with them...gonna be a lot harder.

The little one probably will be upset being separated from the other chicks. My two don't like to be split up. They go everywhere together. If they're split up, the one that's with me is fine (because in their eyes I hatched them and am their 'daddy' emu) but the other is not fine and will scream.

The lone one may accept your company as a substitute for the other chicks, but expect that it will scream when it is not with you or can't see you.

Fencing
Ah, the much talked about fencing. I have read so many things, but haven't seen anyone with this type of fence so I'll ask. This guy/gal will be going in a 3-acre pasture. Much bigger than some of the places I have seen emus kept when visiting friends, so I think this will do for just one (hopefully 2 later) However, my fencing is a bit variable. Half of the pasture has 6' 8" cattle panels very thick, durable fencing. But the other half only has 4' 11" and 5' 1" cattle panels. I wonder if this will be good enough though. When I hear of emus getting over fences it seems like the kind push the fencing down as they climb(bending it with their weight) Seems similar to how my goats climb between pastures. They kind bend it down with their weight as they climb and once it's bent they just go right over. There is no way the emu could bend those cattle panels though. They are stiff, in place, will not move or bend. So, I hope it is enough to hold him/her in. But what are thoughts on this? I have heard of some people keeping them in only 4' fencing so I hope what I have is enough.

It may be able to jump those lower fences if it really wanted to. When my Ciara was a juvenile, only about four feet tall herself, she jumped a four foot tall fence. I saw her and Desi, the male, jump over a four foot tall piece of plywood at about that age too. It wasn't that they climbed the plywood or the plywood sagged, they could just jump right over it. After witnessing that, my fence is seven feet tall, lol. Some people say five feet is the lowest height you want, and others say six. After seeing a four foot tall emu go over a four foot piece of plywood, I agree with those who say six.

 

[Gallimimus]

Okay, thank you for the help @Pyxis! I would be with it at least 18 hours a day I can assure you that. So, yeah I guess it's not 24/7 though. I don't leave actually. I don't think i have left home in 2 months and when i do leave its never for more than an hour. My sister is the one doing feed runs, groceries, new animals, etc. It wouldn't be beyond me to move outside with it, lol. Makes me sound like a crazy person but for the first week when I move young bottle goats out I sleep out there with them. Love my barn, makes it much easier to do it (electricity, guest bed/hammock, heat/cooling, etc.) Moved out for 3 weeks when I had a calf that got sick. It can have run of the house during the night and come outside with me for the rest of the day during the day. Normally wake up at 6 am and go to bed at 1am. I draw the line at letting him/her sleep in the bed, but I have a pen I put around it and I drape my hand down for goats. Just need to figure out how to get a heat lamp so it won't burn me. It will be 4-8 weeks without company cause I am waiting for the breeder to hatch more eggs. She said she has more hatching may/june and some hatching mid-May. Just not sure which one I get. So could be 4-8 weeks before I have another and it will be a good bit younger so not sure if that is a big problem.

Okay, hmm, I guess I could close the fencing to the lower side. I have a gate/fence splitting the 2 pastures, but I was hoping to allow as much space for it as I can and let it have both. I guess it could work until I can get taller fencing.