some questions about emu s

[Calla]

S.E.
Lucky you lol but I'm sure both lots are happy with their pads, big or small, but not too small and as long as they are loved.

Calla

 

[Raptor65]

Gerry's attentions toward the chickens tends to be fleeting, the majority of the time he'll just stroll by without paying them any notice, other times he's in a "I'm gonna git ya! I'm gonna git ya!" frame of mind with the chickens going "No, go away you're not wanted!", then he gets bored and go off somewhere else.

Your mileage may vary of course, I've heard of some Emus that will actively kill smaller animals and some that do so accidentally by way of their curious nature, Gerry doesn't fall into either of these as he never attempts to actually touch the chickens. He was introduced to the chickens at a young age and according to others this is key. An adult Emu who has never encountered a chicken may react differently, it's just as likely that an Emu raised with chickens may grow to do them harm by way of individual personality, Gerry just has a very gentle but spirited nature about him and because I know him as well as I do I trust him to be with other animals.

 

[Calla]

Perhaps because he is a lone Emu, he respects their company and they DO since he has seen them as young, brought up together, chickens may be safe.
Good luck anyway.

Calla

My 1st Emu chick hatched 2 days earlier, and it cried non stop, luckily same day I had a hatch of bantams, problem solved temporary,complete silence and both very happy, till the next hatched

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[De Wet]

Hi De Wet
Any chance getting some eggs now ? or is it out of season in your country ? It's great fun to rear your own ,
more info to follow soon.

Calla

I reckon it is breeding season now eggs cost normaly R50($5) each so I will check for some. Some breeder advertise 4 months old R600($60) a peace so I m checking which way will the best to purchase them.....

 

[Calla]

My own experience..
You don't need more then about about 100ft x 60 for a pair and 1/4 of this is concrete and buildings, my eldest pair I have for last 4 years occupy this , Rosie laid 25 eggs at 18 months old and 35 following season and both must be very happy, also they are not at all aggressive, I can stroke both of them daily several times daily and Rosie loves a hug, more so when in breeding season....but DO not mix with other poultry.

Good luck !

Calla

 

[The Sheriff]

You have to be vigilant to mix emus with other poultry. Mine were fine until the emus got big then they chased and harassed the chickens sometimes stomping them. They knew each and every chicken in the same run with them and never bothered those. However if a girl was broody or in a different pen for another reason upon their return they would chase them and stomp to the death. I have found that the older they get the more their guard instinct kicks in. They are obsessive about guarding their territory from intruders, be it baby chicks or visiting grandchildren. My goats and emus are housed together and they get along fine. They have been together since they all were babies. If I were to add another goat, it would probably be chased and stomped to death.

This is just my experience and it may not be the same with others. Our boys (older) became more aggressive when we added the (younger) girls. They boys have settled down but one of the girls fractured my tooth and knocked a filling out two weeks ago. She is 11 months old.

Care must be taken when raising emus. They have an incredible reach and can suddenly lurch three feet over the top of the fence and snatch the earring out of the ear of a visitor. Don't ask me how I know this.

Anyway, emus are great fun, good pets, and wonderful guard animals, but care must be taken to avoid problems.

 

[Calla]

Emus are great pick pockets too, often wondered why they run about with tissues etc... then later find them on the ground,only to find out they nicked them from my pocket, not even noticed doing it...probably while getting stroked lol.
Emus are such fun.
Calla

 

[matt4emu]

I agree with a lot of what was said here, however I have owned hundreds of emu and have never given any vaccines. I have NEVER lost a juvenile or adult bird due to any illness or anything. Emus natural body temp 104 F. not many bacterial organisms can live at this temp. I live in WA, so it may be different elsewhere. I also keep my breeding pairs in a 120' x 40' pen. Emus have the most personality of any fowl (my opinion) and you will be addicted.

Good Luck and have FUN!

 

[critterqueen]

I found just about everything I needed to know on the web site, www.redoakfarms.com she is very good at covering many topics. I've had emus for 2 yrs. now and I still find myself going back to her site. On how much land to have, ours pretty much just run the fense line, I read that at least a hundred feet of fence line is adequate. We only have 3 so if you would have more you would need more space I suppose. There is approx. 50 ft. width, and then another about 125 teet on the other side. They are a facinating bird, we have really enjoyed them. Ours have killed chickens though and they were raised with them until they were about 6 months old then we moved them to their own small barn and pasture. Occ. one will get in with them and they stomp on them and kill them real quick. I read that they consider anything smaller than them a predator. I suggest doing lots of reading on them, that web site is a great place to start! good luck!

 

[De Wet]

I found just about everything I needed to know on the web site, www.redoakfarms.com she is very good at covering many topics. I've had emus for 2 yrs. now and I still find myself going back to her site. On how much land to have, ours pretty much just run the fense line, I read that at least a hundred feet of fence line is adequate. We only have 3 so if you would have more you would need more space I suppose. There is approx. 50 ft. width, and then another about 125 teet on the other side. They are a facinating bird, we have really enjoyed them. Ours have killed chickens though and they were raised with them until they were about 6 months old then we moved them to their own small barn and pasture. Occ. one will get in with them and they stomp on them and kill them real quick. I read that they consider anything smaller than them a predator. I suggest doing lots of reading on them, that web site is a great place to start! good luck!