Sexing Emu Experiment......

[msheets]

I've noticed that some of my chicks are light & some dark so I'll let you all know my results to see of its the case...I think I'm going to try vent sexing them but since I'm so scared of hurting them I doubt I'll be successful, I can't even stand to make them kick lol

 

[Raptor65]

The darker Emus could be the rothschildi subspecies. There's also the woodwardi which is supposed to be pale and slender, then the novaehollandiae which is a typical Emu.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Raptor, find below a quotation from a Website about emus. This stuff confuses as much as instructs. Okay, the rothschildi is darker in colour – but doesn’t that mean overall, as a sub-species? I suppose that all the emus around here are rothschildi, but they range in colour from quite light to quite dark.




[‘There are three sub-species of emu.
1. dromaius novaehollandiae novaehollandiae - found in the South East of Australia
This bird has a whitish ruff when breeding.(band of feathers around neck)
2. dromaius novahollandiae woodwardi - found in the North of Australia
This bird is paler in colour and more slender.
3. dromaius novahollandiae rothschildi - found in the South West of Australia
This bird is darker in colour and has no ruff during breeding.’]



And the ‘pendulous pouch’? Which subspecies has this? Check the picture. Is this a pendulous pouch? Or just an emu with its feathers at maxi-puff?
I read about pendulous pouches before my birds grew up. I'm sure this is maxi-puff [and Felicity, a rothschildi, has a 'neck ruff' of white feathers all the time].
Supreme Emu

 

[Raptor65]

Yeah, the line between different subspecies in general is already pretty blurry no matter how you look at it, can only go off what information there is available and compare it to the animals themselves.

To further complicate matters, Red Oak Farm states on their website that of the three subspecies, one of them has markings on the front of the head instead of the back but they don't say which.
http://www.redoakfarm.com/how_do_we_tell_them_apart.htm

 

[yinepu]

to further muddy the waters.. I know many breeders got chicks / eggs from several different sources.. so it's very possible that all the chicks we have hatched out from shipped eggs are a mix of the different subspecies.. I know that the chicks I have hatched out have a variety of stripes and coloring.. so it's a good chance they are mixed up little mutts..

even if they were pure.. does anyone have pictures of the chicks from the different subspecies to show any variations.. and have they compared chicks from a clutch from each (pure) subspecies to see if there is no noticeable variations between them?

if there ARE noticeable variations between chicks from pure blooded parents (in the same clutch)... then it would be worth noting if it was sex linked or not

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Yes!! It would be great to have photos of chicks of different species. I can't even easily find photos of adults of different species.

It may be appropriate to simply assume the existence of a fourth 'sub-species,' dromaius novaehollandiae middle-of-the-road-us, and that most of the chicks in the U.S. belong to it.

And . . . if the sub-species easily interbreed, and there are two sub-speices here in Western Australia, what would you find if you did DNA tests on birds that live in the overlap area?

Supreme Emu

 

[Raptor65]

Even with hybridization you'll no doubt see chicks that display more traits from one subspecies than others. Eventually they may get watered down to the point that there is barely any variation beyond individual variation but whether or not the darker chicks are an example of individual variation or the product of a subspecies is the real question. Just have to call it a wild card when trying to sex them via head patterns.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Okay, boys and girls . . .

Here are some videos that (mostly) show emus in identifiable places in Oz, so we know the species.

Go to ‘youtube desert emu.’ ‘Nambung’ is close to Perth. It’s not the South West – the range of the rothschildi – but I’m not sure if it’s ‘north’ enough to be in the range of the woodwardi. Whatever, it’s great footage of juveniles in a natural habitat.

Now go to ‘youtube wild emus australia.’ I’m not being helpful here because the video doesn’t tell you where it was made – but look at the colour of the chicks! Almost russet from some angles; and by the looks of the background, it’s north, whether east or west.

Next, ‘Youtube chasing emus,’ just the first seconds. This was shot near Burke, so these are d. n. novaehollandiae adults.

Now, ‘Youtube curious Emus on Marlong Plain, Mt Moffatt Section, Carnarvon National Park, Queensland, Australia.’ These must be d. n. novaehollandiae chicks – Queensland.

And, ‘Youtube Haley attracting wild teenage Emus - Savannah Walkabout, Australia.’ Juveniles again. Look how sandy in colour they are. Now compare them to the photo, up and to your left, of my birds at about the same age. Savannah Walkabout is over east, so these are d. n. novaehollandiae.

Okay, if anyone shows enthusiasm, I’ll find some more information.


Supreme Emu

P.s.: The site below has a bibliography, which is clearly what we need at this point:
http://animals.jrank.org/pages/369/Emu-Dromaiidae.html

 

[kathyinmo]

Okay, boys and girls . . .

Here are some videos that (mostly) show emus in identifiable places in Oz, so we know the species.

Go to ‘youtube desert emu.’ ‘Nambung’ is close to Perth. It’s not the South West – the range of the rothschildi – but I’m not sure if it’s ‘north’ enough to be in the range of the woodwardi. Whatever, it’s great footage of juveniles in a natural habitat.


Now go to ‘youtube wild emus australia.’ I’m not being helpful here because the video doesn’t tell you where it was made – but look at the colour of the chicks! Almost russet from some angles; and by the looks of the background, it’s north, whether east or west.


Next, ‘Youtube chasing emus,’ just the first seconds. This was shot near Burke, so these are d. n. novaehollandiae adults.


Now, ‘Youtube curious Emus on Marlong Plain, Mt Moffatt Section, Carnarvon National Park, Queensland, Australia.’ These must be d. n. novaehollandiae chicks – Queensland.


And, ‘Youtube Haley attracting wild teenage Emus - Savannah Walkabout, Australia.’ Juveniles again. Look how sandy in colour they are. Now compare them to the photo of my birds at about the same age. Savannah Walkabout is over east, so these are d. n. novaehollandiae.


Okay, if anyone shows enthusiasm, I’ll find some more information.


Supreme Emu

P.s.: The site below has a bibliography, which is clearly what we need at this point:
http://animals.jrank.org/pages/369/Emu-Dromaiidae.html

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Thank you so much, Kathyinmo. That is just what I'd have done if I knew how.

Supreme Emu