newbie questions

[bamachicks8]

My dh's boss has emu she said. She has never gotten eggs from them first how does he tell if they are male or female what months do they usually lay in? And what do the Eggs taste like at what age do they start laying at what color are the eggs and is there a special egg laying diet like with chickens

 

[The Sheriff]

You can do DNA testing on emu feathers. You have to pull some of the big tail feathers out, including the follicle and sent them to a lab. I use ZooGen in Davis, CA. They test the tissue from the feather follicle and in a couple of days they email a report telling you the gender. It costs about $25.00 per bird. You have to print out a form for each bird and attach that bird's feathers in a ziplock bag to the requisition.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Hey, Barnachicks!

Male and Female?
Yes, DNA tests.
As chicks, the patterns on the tops of their heads.
Otherwise, you won’t be sure until around two years of age. Trying to describe sounds is frustrating; but without a doubt, if one of the birds one day pulls its neck into the ‘swan position,’ and emits a string of ‘booms’ . . . it’s a female. The males grunt in a dozen different ways, and females sometimes make ‘grunty’ sounds, but the boom is a giveaway.

Mating-Season?
Winter, which is December on the emus’ home continent, and now in the U.S.

When do they start breeding?
Hmmm . . . around two, though apparently earlier in captivity, and it can be later in the wild. (One of my birds if four, and hasn’t bred yet.)
The eggs, Barnachick, are an exquisite green, and range from light-ish to dark.

S.E.

 

[yinepu]

My dh's boss has emu she said. She has never gotten eggs from them first how does he tell if they are male or female what months do they usually lay in? And what do the Eggs taste like at what age do they start laying at what color are the eggs and is there a special egg laying diet like with chickens

As The Sheriff said they can DNA test them from PULLED feathers (not feathers laying on the ground or naturally moulted).. another method is vent sexing (which for safety reasons is best done by two people on adult birds).

How old are they?

The emu eggs that I have eaten were pretty much like any other bird egg.. just depends on what they were fed. Emu meat is very delicious (think of very tender high quality veal)

Laying season in the U.S. is going on now.. usually from November until spring. Just depends on the individual birds.

 

[yinepu]

Hey, Barnachicks!

Male and Female?
Yes, DNA tests.
As chicks, the patterns on the tops of their heads.
Otherwise, you won’t be sure until around two years of age. Trying to describe sounds is frustrating; but without a doubt, if one of the birds one day pulls its neck into the ‘swan position,’ and emits a string of ‘booms’ . . . it’s a female. The males grunt in a dozen different ways, and females sometimes make ‘grunty’ sounds, but the boom is a giveaway.

Mating-Season?
Winter, which is December on the emus’ home continent, and now in the U.S.

When do they start breeding?
Hmmm . . . around two, though apparently earlier in captivity, and it can be later in the wild. (One of my birds if four, and hasn’t bred yet.)
The eggs, Barnachick, are an exquisite green, and range from light-ish to dark.

S.E.

LOL.. the pattern on the top of the head isn't reliable.. I wish it was..
It's correct on some birds.. but then you get the ones that you just can't tell from all the swirls.. and then you have the few odd ones who laugh at the idea and prove the exact opposite of what the pattern says they should be

There is a possibility that on wild birds the patterns may be correct because of the gene pool.. but here in the US when we get eggs from the farms (and smaller gene pools) it's not all that accurate. Plus who knows how many of our birds here in the U.S. are mixes between the different types of emus.

 

[bamachicks8]

Thanks guys for all the help

 

[smokeyjoe]

If they are young , the male grunts and the female drums a lot but if they both grunt when they are older it is males normally , they normally lay October - march or April if you are lucky and get a good layer ,

 

[yinepu]

if they are grown , the male grunts and the female drums a lot but if they both grunt it is males , they normally lay October - march or apral if you are lucky and get a good layer ,

both sexes grunt

just ask my DNA sexed birds

 

[smokeyjoe]

when they are young both sexes grunt but with my more mature emu's the male's grunt and females drum I guess it depends on the age , (at least that has been mine for the past 10 to 17 years before that yes they both grunt , if yours is different then that is your data but I have never been wrong on mine and never had DNA testing I have 4 laying and 4 males which I vent sexed and many baby's which of all I vent sexed , sorry if you have different info , that is my experience but when they are young you can't tell without vent sexing or DNA sexing .at least accurately good luck .I did not post anything to argue with anyone just trying to help with my experience , and for the love of my babies I posted this on my thread not on any other persons thread , sometimes there are some who just want to argue and I don't I agree there are some things that differ from experience to experience but what I write is only trying to help . if you don't like me doing that I am sorry , wasn't trying to boast or sound like I am any more then anyone , I just love the breed and love helping anyone who ask

 

[smokeyjoe]

My dh's boss has emu she said. She has never gotten eggs from them first how does he tell if they are male or female what months do they usually lay in? And what do the Eggs taste like at what age do they start laying at what color are the eggs and is there a special egg laying diet like with chickens

thought you was talking about older emu's when they are young yes both grunt , but after a couple of years they have distinctive difference in sounds .