I have a little over one month old Emu chick with balance issues. She seemed fine when I got her from my friend but was a little crazy in the crate in the hour long car ride back. First few days here she was good and in with some chicks I have. I was going to sell those chicks so last week I moved them to a different pen and she flipped out running back and forth very stressed so I had no clue what her problem was...I left her with some other chicks that I was keeping but she did not like them at all. So I finished cleaning their area and put her back in with the keeper chicks and she was still freaking out. Finally it dawned on me it was the other chicks she wanted so we are now keeping them to keep the Emu chick happy. She calmed down and seemed fine...Later on in the evening she seemed to be a bit off with her walking she would fall over easily...I noticed this when I had her outside on last Sunday too but I had in an enclosed pen in the front yard so I thought it was more about getting scared wit the noises than balance problem....
Last Tuesday I cleaned them out then she had the craziness and now its been a week. She is still having a lot of problems walking and staying balanced. She has been out 2 times since then. Mainly its been rather chilly here so I wanted to keep her inside and warm. When she is out she tries to walk and wants to walk but seems to have issues with the balance. I always have to keep her outside with some of her frizzle friends or she flips out! She will walk forward a bit that back peddle and have to lean up against something to stand on her own. If she can lean on anything she is doing back flips and somersaults...Definitely not something NORMAL AT ALL!!! When I hold her she seems to have power in the legs...her strong kicks have ripped a few shirts....The balance seems to be the major problem....from the photos of splayed legs she does not seem to have that. She seems to be teetering along and the only way she can stand on her own is to lean on something....almost like a drunk person or someone with an equilibrium problem. When she is sitting she is fine...her head is raised with no issues and she seems alert and not lethargic.
I have been feeding her the same chick food my friend was using and giving her kale, broccoli, brussell sprouts & cabbage. Everyone looks healthy on the chick side...maybe a bit too healthy....they were getting broiler feed and now they are on a lower protein for her and not liking it...Her poop has been a little on the dry side lately....at one point it was runny and now its getting a bit more firm. I can try and give her some other food options or order an emu starter online just for her. She has bonded to the chicks so she cries when I take them away...so I will have to work around what the chicks can eat...
I am AT A LOSS as this is my first Emu. My goal is to make a temp outdoor pen to go along the side of the house so I can still give them a heat lamp and get them out of my house...It will have a natural grass floor and some wind protection....we live in a mobile home and dont have a garage only a shed with NO POWER so I also like the idea of them close to the house so I can hear if there are issues...
Any advice or knowledge is greatly appreciated I can provide a video if needed...thanks a bunch!
Last Tuesday I cleaned them out then she had the craziness and now its been a week. She is still having a lot of problems walking and staying balanced. She has been out 2 times since then. Mainly its been rather chilly here so I wanted to keep her inside and warm. When she is out she tries to walk and wants to walk but seems to have issues with the balance. I always have to keep her outside with some of her frizzle friends or she flips out! She will walk forward a bit that back peddle and have to lean up against something to stand on her own. If she can lean on anything she is doing back flips and somersaults...Definitely not something NORMAL AT ALL!!! When I hold her she seems to have power in the legs...her strong kicks have ripped a few shirts....The balance seems to be the major problem....from the photos of splayed legs she does not seem to have that. She seems to be teetering along and the only way she can stand on her own is to lean on something....almost like a drunk person or someone with an equilibrium problem. When she is sitting she is fine...her head is raised with no issues and she seems alert and not lethargic.
I have been feeding her the same chick food my friend was using and giving her kale, broccoli, brussell sprouts & cabbage. Everyone looks healthy on the chick side...maybe a bit too healthy....they were getting broiler feed and now they are on a lower protein for her and not liking it...Her poop has been a little on the dry side lately....at one point it was runny and now its getting a bit more firm. I can try and give her some other food options or order an emu starter online just for her. She has bonded to the chicks so she cries when I take them away...so I will have to work around what the chicks can eat...
I am AT A LOSS as this is my first Emu. My goal is to make a temp outdoor pen to go along the side of the house so I can still give them a heat lamp and get them out of my house...It will have a natural grass floor and some wind protection....we live in a mobile home and dont have a garage only a shed with NO POWER so I also like the idea of them close to the house so I can hear if there are issues...
Any advice or knowledge is greatly appreciated I can provide a video if needed...thanks a bunch!
