Protective Emu problems

[Lrbumpas]

I have 2 older adult male emus, around 11 years old. Recently I have gotten 2 new emu chicks that are now around 6 months old. I kept them in a smaller pen around the adult males to let them get used to each other for 2 months. The adults have always lived peacefully in the field with my 4 pot bellied pigs and 2 dogs. Once I turned the emu chicks loose in the field with the other animals the adult emus have become very aggressive toward my pigs and dogs. They will not let them leave the barn and chase them anytime they do. My pot bellied pigs and dogs are now terrified to leave the barn. I thought this would be just a phase that would pass but it has been 3 weeks now and it isn’t really improving. The only thing I can think of it that the older males are protective of the new chicks? Any other advice or ideas?

 

[briefvisit]

I don't think the sort of set-up you've described is bad, but it isn't a microcosm of Emooo World.

One of the strange things we've figured out over the years is that parenting males will adopt chicks. (It happened once here at Planet Rothschildi.) Check the video. That male emu didn't hatch all those chicks.*

So, my krazee guess is that the appearance of the chicks has triggered the parenting instinct of the males, who suddenly find themselves surrounded by critters that are in the way of their parenting project.

And why mention your set-up at all? Well, I think that the . . . ummmm . . . non-representativeness of such set-ups leaves emus like yours liable to over-reactions, 'excesses.'

Supreme Emu

[Got a tame-wild breeding-pair -- Tooshtoosh and Mrs. Tooshtoosh -- here today, and another female here for the lilly pillies.]

*Check at 0:26, on the right of the frame. You can clearly see the difference in the sizes of the chicks.

 

[Lrbumpas]

Thanks for your quick reply. That is a wonderful video!
In your experience, would you think the “new daddy” will get over the protectiveness with more time or should I figure out a new plan for housing? It’s just so strange because they have all lived in such harmony for so many years.

 

[briefvisit]

Morning, L.

[Pre-dawn here. Emoooz roosting up behind the fig trees.]

Important to understand that I am wild-emu guy. So, ummm . . .

one of my first thoughts was: 'How old are the chicks?'

Parenting in the wild lasts between three and seven seasons.

But the discussion goes roundey roundey on the issue of space. (Out the window in front of me, it's fifty miles to the next house.) As I hinted above, I think a lack of immense amounts of space makes mountains out of genetic molehills.

New housing-plan, I'd guess. And observe and post here.

Supreme Emu