Suggestions! How to feed my emus without the goats eating all their food

[kimcurnow]

I'm asking for some creative ideas here!

I have three emu chicks that are about 2 months old. In the beginning they stayed in a stall in the barn and I walked them out to the corral every morning. Well that became a nightmare! Sometimes it took me 45 minutes to get them to the corral because they want to run with the dogs. Now they stay outside with the goats in the corral and they all get along fine and are as happy as can be.

My big problem now that they are staying outside is how the heck to feed them separate from the goats. The goats eat everything and will just push the emus away. For the past week, I have been kicking the goats outside the pen while I stand around and wait for the emu babies to finish eating every morning and evening. It's a real time waster! Not to mention I'm a little worried they might not be eating as much as they should be. They get distracted with everything and stop eating and run away. I have to coax them back to eat so I can get the goats back in the corral before they eat all my flowers! I can't keep doing this!

We are in the process of building a shelter for them that I thought I would try to lock them in at night. That way I can feed them when I lock them in and put the food up in the morning when I let them out. Eventually they'll be tall enough that I can put their food somewhere the goats can't reach it. I'd love to not have to lock them in at night, I don't think they'll really like that, but I need to find a solution to this feeding problem!

Does anyone else have their emus with other animals? If so, how do you handle the feeding situation?

 

[Grassman 52]

can you place boards or posts around a feeder that only has openings large enough for the Emu's but small enough to keep the goats out - When they are older you can place the feeder higher where the goats can't reach.

 

[IlaWampa]

I'd like a solution for this too! We actually have a "catch pen" situation we have set up behind our mini-barns that we close the emu in during feeding to keep the greedy alpacas out. As soon as she is done, we open the gates. But we do have to wait for her to finish eating, and can't leave feed out all the time. The alpacas LOVE her feed. Also, she loves the alpaca feed, so if given the chance she will push them out of the way to eat it! It's ridiculous!

 

[casuarius]

can you place boards or posts around a feeder that only has openings large enough for the Emu's but small enough to keep the goats out - When they are older you can place the feeder higher where the goats can't reach.

This is my idea also in a way. I build a box...kind of like a bird house, with the top able to lift up and pour the feed in, and on the front I cut a hole big enough for the emus head to get in, but keeps the goats out. Goats are one of the most irritating animals alive when it comes to this situation lol. And it dont matter if you have a 20 acre pasture full of grass, if they find a hole big enough they can get out, they'll go right out!