Pyxis' Emu Chat Thread

[briefvisit]

They never stay still for photos!

And I love playing 'wiggle finger' -- wiggling your finger, and having curious chicks latch on to it.

[tee hee 'her sex' not 'her gender' Birds don't have gender.]

 

[mark19851234]

Hi Everyone. Glad to join this community. Collected my first emus a few days ago. Female 5 years and male 2 years. They seem to be drinking but not eating. I managed to get them to eat grapes yesterday but as these contain very little nutritional value I have tried other things. Dog food (dried and wet), apples, greens. They just look at them then walk away. They dont seem settled yet and I am hoping this is normal until they settle into their new home? How long should i leave it before worrying / calling out a vet.

Thanks again!

 

[briefvisit]

The males fast for seven weeks during incubation. So your birds likely won't starve in a few days.

Are they showing signs of anxiety otherwise? Pacing the fence, for example?

Keep trying them with 'treats' -- with varieties of (good) foods.

SE

 

[Pyxis]

Hi Everyone. Glad to join this community. Collected my first emus a few days ago. Female 5 years and male 2 years. They seem to be drinking but not eating. I managed to get them to eat grapes yesterday but as these contain very little nutritional value I have tried other things. Dog food (dried and wet), apples, greens. They just look at them then walk away. They dont seem settled yet and I am hoping this is normal until they settle into their new home? How long should i leave it before worrying / calling out a vet.

Thanks again!

View attachment 2766794

What are you offering for a main diet?

It may take them a little bit to settle in. My one male, Sebastian, took a week or so before he calmed down and was used to everything.

 

[mark19851234]

The males fast for seven weeks during incubation. So your birds likely won't starve in a few days.

Are they showing signs of anxiety otherwise? Pacing the fence, for example?

Keep trying them with 'treats' -- with varieties of (good) foods.

SE

Hi

Thanks a lot for the reply. They seem a bit better today. I think the animals on the paddock next to them they are not used to. We have Shetland sheep (smallest breed). They seem to be reacting less when the sheep come near them. We have moved the 3 boys out of the same paddock as the emus due to the female emu chasing them resulting in terrified sheep. I am hoping they can live together eventually but until they settle and start eating it is very hard to judge their normal behaviour. Will keep hosing them down to keep them cool (UK heat wave atm) and giving them treats as you suggested.

 

[Pyxis]

Well, the eggshell didn't work out for DNA testing - I had the breeder save it for me but somehow it got moldy. Not sure if maybe it wasn't dried out before going in the bag, but oh well. We'll retest with feathers, or blood if I feel like doing that (I probably won't, lol).

So, still no name for the little one.

He is the most mischievous little emu, though! Seriously, if I leave something near the brooder, he steals it from me. Today, I was cleaning and left a small bag of trash too close to the brooder, apparently, because I look over and he had stolen a chip bag.

The brooder is also near my computer desk, since I want the chicks to see me most of the time. He will wait until I am not expecting it, then streeeeeetcchhh over and grab my pants to startle me.

He's big enough now that this weekend he's gonna be moving outside to my workshop/garage, which he is going to have the run of - needs more space now, but I'm still too nervous to put him right outside after what happened with Ori.

I think I'm gonna miss him pulling 'pranks' on me, haha.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Well, the eggshell didn't work out for DNA testing - I had the breeder save it for me but somehow it got moldy. Not sure if maybe it wasn't dried out before going in the bag, but oh well. We'll retest with feathers, or blood if I feel like doing that (I probably won't, lol).

So, still no name for the little one.

He is the most mischievous little emu, though! Seriously, if I leave something near the brooder, he steals it from me. Today, I was cleaning and left a small bag of trash too close to the brooder, apparently, because I look over and he had stolen a chip bag.

The brooder is also near my computer desk, since I want the chicks to see me most of the time. He will wait until I am not expecting it, then streeeeeetcchhh over and grab my pants to startle me.

He's big enough now that this weekend he's gonna be moving outside to my workshop/garage, which he is going to have the run of - needs more space now, but I'm still too nervous to put him right outside after what happened with Ori.

I think I'm gonna miss him pulling 'pranks' on me, haha.

I wish my chicks did cute things like this, but nooiiiiiioiioooo~, they just poop on the floor when they jump out and get trapped behind a shelf, where they poop, even more

 

[Pyxis]

Today's mischief included yanking on the wire to my computer mouse, and stealing an empty tissue box.

Oh, and stealing a feather from Luna. Luckily she molted it out and he didn't actually steal it right from her tail, haha.

 

[Pyxis]

Aaaanndd today we have more mischief.

I'm sitting at my desk wondering why it's so hot and the air conditioner hasn't kicked back on (I leave it on Eco mode so it senses room temp and runs as needed). Occasionally I have to turn that mode off to get it to run if I'm feeling like it's getting too hot.

So I grab the remote and aim and point...and realize that he somehow pulled the blinds down over the air conditioner

Well, that's fixed and the room is cooling off again, lol.

 

[briefvisit]

I call it 'beaking'. Pecking and cropping are eating. But it seems that 'beaking' is how you check stuff out if you don't have arms.

SE