Toos and Vlad

[servpolice]

So friends and family have decided to name the Emus Toos(female) and Vlad(male) and I'll just update their life on this thread hoping one day I'll get more so I can hatch more emus!

With your help!

 

[servpolice]

Attempting to tame these guys will take work but at least these guys are slowly co-operating with me

Vlad always approaches me first and the female follows.

They're about 4-5 months old

 

[briefvisit]

'Attempting to tame these guys will take work'

Talk quietly to them. Be still around them/move slowly. Entice them to you with healthy treats. Dried fruit is good. Stay low.

Lovely looking chicks!

 

[servpolice]

So I've been hand feeding them for the past 2 days and I got to rub them while they were eating.

So far all good, the male seems to be a bit more shy but he's getting there. They now run to me when I come into the yard and it's so cute!

They chase the chickens at times (the male normally) which seems to be the only issue but they only chase the chickens along the fence line so they chickens know not to be at the fence line once the emus get excited. Both the emus and chickens eat together as if the emus were always here so they don't dislike eachother.

I've had so many visitors to see our emus since people just didn't believe I got emus :')

The geese don't like the emus and they both choose to ignore eachother otherwise the geese stand their ground once the emus go for their random sprints.

The emus are right next to my field and burst into excitement when they see my horse's run! It's so funny to see.

Still fencing random locations in the field to contain the emus before they join the horse's.

My plan is 2 months in my yard to tame them up a bit and to get them used to the area where food is also present.

I can't wait until they go into the field!

Hope to get another male and female in a few months so in 2 years or so they will start breeding.

Will be an interesting journey

I want to know what food you definitely shouldn't give emus and what plants they should stay away from?

 

[briefvisit]

'I want to know what food you definitely shouldn't give emus and what plants they should stay away from?'

Perhaps sorta the other way around, servpolice. Discussions are usually about getting more fresh food.

And I don't readily recall any episodes of emooz poisoning their silly selves by eating stuff -- the real danger is bits of glass and metal. Greedy Emu once ate the top of my fountain pen. Just scoffed it down.

Supreme Emu

[Got T. and Mrs. T. here for breakfast. And Tagalong Emu]

 

[servpolice]

These guys are obsessed with water

 

[servpolice]

Some people got a fright today :'D

They come to the window for treats

 

[servpolice]

So we released the emus into our 9 arce field....

...but they don't like it and prefer staying in my backyard.

They look like wee bushes when they sit down

 

[briefvisit]

'but they don't like it'

All incubated emus are, ummm, sorta 'orphans' in that they lack Dad to instruct them. (We have extensive observations of this instruction here.)

Now, 9 acres is a splendid world for them. So, if you have the energy -- 'cause they're bonded to you -- put some treats in your pocket, and take them exploring. On one occasion, while they were still chicks, I took Greedy, Number One, and Felicity all the way to the river, which is more than two miles. The next time, I took them the same distance in the other direction. They'd follow me -- with a little bit of treats -- like puppies.

So, the 'snatch-twist-pull' of chicks' food-gathering is great exercise for them, and you'll get a chance for some great observations of what foods in the paddock they like.

SE

 

[servpolice]

'but they don't like it'

All incubated emus are, ummm, sorta 'orphans' in that they lack Dad to instruct them. (We have extensive observations of this instruction here.)

Now, 9 acres is a splendid world for them. So, if you have the energy -- 'cause they're bonded to you -- put some treats in your pocket, and take them exploring. On one occasion, while they were still chicks, I took Greedy, Number One, and Felicity all the way to the river, which is more than two miles. The next time, I took them the same distance in the other direction. They'd follow me -- with a little bit of treats -- like puppies.

So, the 'snatch-twist-pull' of chicks' food-gathering is great exercise for them, and you'll get a chance for some great observations of what foods in the paddock they like.

SE

I take them in the field with my dogs daily and we walk every corner of the field so they can get to know the area and know where they can't go.

I don't even have treats and the follow me and once I stroll far away they race over towards me and it's hilarious to see.

I take them to my river and they submerge themselves in the water to the point I only see their head and love it. They love the river more than my geese hah!

I work in the fields to get rid of unwanted plants (ragwort, rushes). And they just stick around me and I see what they eat the most and love.

They love Dock-leaves, 3 leafed clovers, fruit leaves (apple, bramble) and any type of broad leaf so far I've seen.