Question about Emu Behavior

[ShannonsChimkens]

If you can record it’s sounds, we can tell you what it is.

 

[emupriya]

I have a video of him making noise, but I’m not sure how to post videos on BYC since I don’t have YouTube ):
I’ll just assume he’s a male for now, unless I find a clutch of eggs!

 

[Pyxis]

I can’t be sure if what I felt was just fat or the sack.
Anyway, I contacted the breeder we got him from, and he said they were genetically sexed. There’s a 1-2% chance its wrong but I think it’s unlikely. Guess I just got a really strange emu. Thanks for all the info and help!

Can you grab a few feathers from him/her? You'll have to get them root and all, but if you can snag a few, you can have the DNA test done yourself to confirm.

Was he marked in some way when you got him? Even if the breeder did have them DNA sexed, which they would have had to have done by eggshell or blood at that age, they could have mixed them up. Eggshell is more likely than blood, since most people don't draw blood from baby emus, so maybe they mixed up what egg it came out of, or mixed up the chicks after sending the samples out.

But if he/she is making a drumming or booming sound, she is almost definitely female. Males don't make that sound.

 

[emupriya]

Can you grab a few feathers from him/her? You'll have to get them root and all, but if you can snag a few, you can have the DNA test done yourself to confirm.

Was he marked in some way when you got him? Even if the breeder did have them DNA sexed, which they would have had to have done by eggshell or blood at that age, they could have mixed them up. Eggshell is more likely than blood, since most people don't draw blood from baby emus, so maybe they mixed up what egg it came out of, or mixed up the chicks after sending the samples out.

But if he/she is making a drumming or booming sound, she is almost definitely female. Males don't make that sound.

He was marked with a band when we got him. I did some research comparing his sound to those of other emus, and found his call is more of a grunt rather than the boom/drum of a female.
If I have any more suspicions then, yes, I’ll get him DNA tested but I’m pretty sure he’s male.
One more question- will my emus be okay in nighttime temps as low as 10 degrees(F) ? They have a fully enclosed shelter and lots of bedding.

 

[Traci76]

How sure are you that he's male? The strutting, posturing, and especially the booming noises all sound like things females do during mating season. Those are things my females do during this time of year. Not so much my males. And the booming, drumming noise is typically a female noise.

Especially with him then getting a bit aggressive towards you, a female, but following your dad, a male, around.

I’m having the same problem. I have an Emu, about 25 years old, that we’ve had since he(we thought) was about 4. Within the last month he has became so aggressive towards both me and my husband. He will run towards the fence, kick the fence, peck us if we get too close. He’s mean to the Billy goats. He does the drumming and hissing plus flares his neck. Idk what to do with him. He’s always been so sweet

 

[briefvisit]

Hey, Traci. Well, it may be odd that Emooo has begun behaving this way after years of not behaving this way; but the behaviour itself is not incomprehensible.



It’s sad at ‘ES’ is not active anymore. S/he had captive emus, and always good advice on situations like this.



As best as I understand, isolate the bird, and give it time.

And please give us a report in a few weeks.



Supreme Emu, Lake Muir, Western Australia