Our newest adventure, EMU's!

[KsKingBee]

'Have been raised together'?

Not related?

Not related.

 

[KsKingBee]

'their first breeding season'

We (I) got a Big Theory about adulthood in emus. The data you'll find on the Net, from sources like emu farms, suggests that actual physical maturity -- about 18 months -- and the beginning of breeding go together.

My experience suggests something else: that an emu is physically mature at about 18 months; but an emu is not 'socially mature' until at least one year, perhaps two, later.

Think this over: the breeding-season starts about two months after a bird is adult (last vestiges of black-head plumage disappear). We've observed umpteen young adults in this state, and the notion that they might go up against a five-or-seven-year old bird is hilarious. They get the feathers thrashed off them in a micro-second.

We have seen indications -- Youtube clips -- that a first-season male may not get it right because of inexperience.

So what's my point? Is first-season-ness perhaps a part of the equation here?

Raised together/first season.

SE

I have messaged the person I got them from to get a hatch date because I am not sure what she meant by the term 'first season'. Ask me anything about bees or peacocks and I will have an answer but I know that every species will have their own peculiarities. Translating northern and southern hemispheres bends my mind a bit. We recognize that all birds birthday is January 1st. So our peachicks hatched in mid year are 'yearlings' at six months, and two years old on the following January 1st when they are 18 months old. Two year peas are considered mature but don't normally lay eggs until late in the season, and only a few eggs at that. The third year they are fully mature and will be on the same schedule as all other mature peafowl. At this time the cocks will have their final full plumage. So, is there a sign of maturity in emu plumage? You noted something about the black feathering on the head... We also note in peas that the facial skin especially in hybrids, will brighten in color. Limu has a bright blue skin color whereas Mumu is much less apparent.

 

[KsKingBee]

'Mumu, was being 'hormonal''

Ok.

My thought exactly when she stated that except more like oookaaay....

 

[KsKingBee]

'The next day, the male, Limu, kept jumping out the the paddock and would pace the fence wanting back in but every time we put him back in he would freak out and hop out.'

There is great wisdom in admitting what you don't know, KsKingBee. I got nothin'! I have no idea how to interpret this!

Space is the next discussion. My shtick is that breeders/pet emu owners experience inexplicable stuff at least in part because the 'equation' of how emus interact goes wonky without space.

[There was several years ago a member named 'ES.' We miss him/her. He/she had fine insights on this problem -- had rescue emus, I think.]

For now the hen is in a 30x100 meter paddock and Limu is in one about half that size. We intend to let them out into the ten acre pasture but will wait until they settle down and learn where food and shelter is as well as getting used to us. Perhaps after winter is over near the end of February.

 

[KsKingBee]

Just For Fun

What they call 'zoomies,' we call dancing.

https://imgur.com/uGb3OzG

These two wild Rothschildis are in my garden

Is the dancing related to a mating ritual or just normal behavior?

 

[KsKingBee]

Got coffee. Will try to break down This Big Subject into bite-sized chunks -- certainly I am enthusiastic to help and understand. So:

'How does the male keep the eggs from getting ruined in the cold?'

To begin, the range of temperatures across the habitat of emus varies enormously, but your question is valid, and we've discussed it in the past.

My best (brief) swing at this is that there is a period of some days between the egg being laid, and it becoming non-viable. There's some miracle here whereby the female lays eggs over some number of days, and the male stashes them.

Now comes the annoying part about interacting with me/Planet Rothschildi: we have a lot of data on some things; a little on other things; none on some things; wild guesses about everything; and regular changes of our conclusions.

SE

Peahens will lay an egg every second or third day until they have enough eggs to set. We see viability go down after ten days. So a clutch of ten eggs will be close to two or three weeks old. Do you know how often emu lay? Also peahens will lay the eggs scattered about but will gather them into a clutch. I assume the male emu will gather them as well. Peahens differ quite a bit but only a few will cover their eggs while they are adding more to the clutch. Some broody hens will cover the eggs while they are off the nest to eat however, most will not, especially when they are nesting in full sun.

 

[briefvisit]

'Translating northern and southern hemispheres bends my mind a bit. We recognize that all birds birthday is January 1st.'

Wonderful! I have invented the first day of spring as Emu Birthday

 

[briefvisit]

' So, is there a sign of maturity in emu plumage?'

To begin: the oddity: sometimes a Dad parents his clutch way into the second year, which makes his 'chicks' technically adult for a brief period at the end.

But your question:

emoos go through three plumages until they reach adulthood. The first two, in their first season, are baby ones. Then, at about twelve weeks (one season) you see black pin feathers on their upper necks, and proper toosh feathers sprouting. This is the black-head stage.

 

[briefvisit]

https://imgur.com/Q4K8dSy

 

[KsKingBee]

'Translating northern and southern hemispheres bends my mind a bit. We recognize that all birds birthday is January 1st.'

Wonderful! I have invented the first day of spring as Emu Birthday

Cool, I'll mark March 21st down in my calendar.