Rockporters
Songster
Now that the hatch is done... it has been an adventure! I’m going to include the good, the bad, and the stupid 
, for any newbies considering emu. Here’s what I’ve learned this past week:
Raising emu chicks is exhausting.
If you think chicks and chickens have a death wish, you’ve never spent time with an emu chick. O.M.G. They give new meaning to kamikaze and suicidal tendencies.
Picking up and holding emu chicks is like trying to hold on to a greased pig. Actually, it is like holding onto a greased pig while it is having convulsions.
Granted I’ve never seen, let alone tried to hold onto a greased pig, especially one that was convulsing, but...
Every part of their body moves in a different direction, at full speed, as they wiggle away from you with all of their might.
When you set them down, their legs are already spinning. They usually face plant and do somersaults.
Speed kicks in before coordination. No wonder they can have so many leg issues.
Whatever you use to cage/block them in, they will attempt to get through/over/around it, at any cost. Usually with them face planting or doing somersaults.
Dogs with spots, nails, ears, lips, eyes, or any other body parts ... are targets for emu chicks. Repeat for dogs without spots. They nip, tug, and hold on for dear life while walking or falling backwards. We didn’t separate dogs and emus soon enough, and the little dog got fed up and bit one of the emu on the beak. Bleeding has stopped, we will see how it does. It was totally our fault, we should have separated them much sooner. Lesson learned. Btw Cat whiskers are lots of fun to pull out too!
Convincing emu chicks to eat and drink is ridiculously difficult. They won’t drink out of a bowl, but they will trip and fall into it numerous times. They will peck at every dirt spot, yet not “see” the bowl of food right in front of them. Putting kale into their water or food to grab their attention...
Mine hate kale. One does like carrots, so there is that. I’ve tried the ‘putting a chick in with them’ trick. That lasted until they started moving around-reread the nipping and tugging paragraph, substitute chick for dog.
Enjoy the first few poop free days. ‘Nuff said.
On the positive side:
They are cute, and super cuddly.
They have whistling conversations with you and answer back nearly every time.
They follow you everywhere. Everywhere! They enact kamikaze mode to catch up if you dare leave them behind.
If you force them to hold still for 30 seconds, they will fall asleep on you for at least 15 minutes.
They are curious and brave. So far nothing scares them. Perhaps this should go with the kamikaze remark lol.
They love to cuddle and fall sleep on you. They prefer your body heat to a heat lamp every single time.
And.. we haven’t managed to kill them yet, so that’s a bonus!
Pics to come soon!
, for any newbies considering emu. Here’s what I’ve learned this past week:Raising emu chicks is exhausting.
If you think chicks and chickens have a death wish, you’ve never spent time with an emu chick. O.M.G. They give new meaning to kamikaze and suicidal tendencies.
Picking up and holding emu chicks is like trying to hold on to a greased pig. Actually, it is like holding onto a greased pig while it is having convulsions.
Granted I’ve never seen, let alone tried to hold onto a greased pig, especially one that was convulsing, but...Every part of their body moves in a different direction, at full speed, as they wiggle away from you with all of their might.
When you set them down, their legs are already spinning. They usually face plant and do somersaults.
Speed kicks in before coordination. No wonder they can have so many leg issues.
Whatever you use to cage/block them in, they will attempt to get through/over/around it, at any cost. Usually with them face planting or doing somersaults.
Dogs with spots, nails, ears, lips, eyes, or any other body parts ... are targets for emu chicks. Repeat for dogs without spots. They nip, tug, and hold on for dear life while walking or falling backwards. We didn’t separate dogs and emus soon enough, and the little dog got fed up and bit one of the emu on the beak. Bleeding has stopped, we will see how it does. It was totally our fault, we should have separated them much sooner. Lesson learned. Btw Cat whiskers are lots of fun to pull out too!
Convincing emu chicks to eat and drink is ridiculously difficult. They won’t drink out of a bowl, but they will trip and fall into it numerous times. They will peck at every dirt spot, yet not “see” the bowl of food right in front of them. Putting kale into their water or food to grab their attention...
Mine hate kale. One does like carrots, so there is that. I’ve tried the ‘putting a chick in with them’ trick. That lasted until they started moving around-reread the nipping and tugging paragraph, substitute chick for dog.Enjoy the first few poop free days. ‘Nuff said.
On the positive side:
They are cute, and super cuddly.
They have whistling conversations with you and answer back nearly every time.
They follow you everywhere. Everywhere! They enact kamikaze mode to catch up if you dare leave them behind.
If you force them to hold still for 30 seconds, they will fall asleep on you for at least 15 minutes.
They are curious and brave. So far nothing scares them. Perhaps this should go with the kamikaze remark lol.
They love to cuddle and fall sleep on you. They prefer your body heat to a heat lamp every single time.
And.. we haven’t managed to kill them yet, so that’s a bonus!
Pics to come soon!
Today, I’m going to look for bigger pads.
