Urgent help please! Emu Injury

[FishMtFarm]

Hi guys. Appreciate the theories. Sorry in advance im on my phone which equals grammar errors.

So strider continues to heal. He no longer has neck sleeve and no one picks at him.new pin feathers are starting to emerge.

With that said....we made a yarn grid over their pen in case it was a predator bird attack. I also emu proofed the pen a bit more. I put this blue insulation stuff over the fence posts because yes they were all rubbing as they paced and even Fawkes started looking thin on his neck feathers! But pacing the fence isn't what happened to strider im sure of it. Because it happened so fast.

As far as them attacking each other. I observe then even when they think im not. From afar and they play and horse around but nothing major that I can see

However about a week ago I was in the yard doing things and I could see them starting to pace again. TRYING TO GET TO ME!!! So I know I'm a culprit for this behavior if I stay within sight! If i go away completely they don't do it! I come back less than an hour later of totally monitoring them and strider has a hurt beak and neck is raw a bit from this pacing!!

Anyway long story short I got them a ton of toys in town today and strung them up everywhere in the hopes of providing more enrichment! These guys are a huge challenge and it hurts me to the core not knowing if I will succeed in raising them injury free.i kinda feel like a failure in a sense.

Your not a failure. Stuff happens and you learn as you go. Everyone has to start someplace and even experienced breeders started as novices so keep doing what your doing. Don’t rule anything out yet tho and continue to monitor them. Took me 2 months to finally catch my two picking at my third one. They always seemed happy and played together but they had a secret brutal side that I never saw til I was home on a day I should have been at work and caught them being mean to their third companion. If the injury doesn’t happen again then that’s a victory.

 

[briefvisit]

'However about a week ago I was in the yard doing things and I could see them starting to pace again. TRYING TO GET TO ME!!! So I know I'm a culprit for this behavior if I stay within sight!'

Some years ago, astrid, the backyard here wasn't a thoroughfare -- I bribed the real-estate agent with a bottle of wine to allow me to take out the back fence.

Before that, adult birds -- Eric -- could step or jump over the fence at low points.

But every so often Eric would wind up on the outside of the fence while the chicks were still inside.

And they exhibited exactly the same behaviour. They only understand line of sight. They couldn't understand: 'Go back up the yard, and through the side gate (they'd come in).' It was heartrending to see their panic mount. They'd rush to and fro. Then charge the fence. Then to and fro again.

And you may recall that I have written of acculturating all your birds to some sound -- with mine, it's my knuckle on the bottom of their tin plate. This gives you a chance, when birds need to lured out of a situation, to do that.

S.E.

 

[507382]

Your not a failure. Stuff happens and you learn as you go. Everyone has to start someplace and even experienced breeders started as novices so keep doing what your doing. Don’t rule anything out yet tho and continue to monitor them. Took me 2 months to finally catch my two picking at my third one. They always seemed happy and played together but they had a secret brutal side that I never saw til I was home on a day I should have been at work and caught them being mean to their third companion. If the injury doesn’t happen again then that’s a victory.

Thank you. I feel like such a mom, I just want them to be happy and safe of course.
It's so hard for me to think of them as "brutal" in any way. When one sits down, I have seen the other two go to almost step on them? I wonder if that's normal. I've seen "kick-claw" where one is playing and sort of goes to scratch another. But again, it all seems to be in good fun? I will continue to monitor them. There's just soooooo many predators around here, from eagles, ravens, pine martins, etc. That was always my first instinct of course!

And they exhibited exactly the same behaviour. They only understand line of sight. They couldn't understand: 'Go back up the yard, and through the side gate (they'd come in).' It was heartrending to see their panic mount. They'd rush to and fro. Then charge the fence. Then to and fro again.

And you may recall that I have written of acculturating all your birds to some sound -- with mine, it's my knuckle on the bottom of their tin plate. This gives you a chance, when birds need to lured out of a situation, to do that.

S.E.

Awww. They sure do panic easily!! It scares me actually.
My neighbour suggested that I just let them out, and said they would probably stay in the yard. Me and my husband had a good chuckle over that one. I highly doubt they would just stay put!

Mine know my whistle. I whistle to them all the time (it gets them going to playfully bounce around) Do you think that's the same sort of thing?


I have some photos of Strider, taken in the last few days. He's definitely a lot better than before but still looking kinda rough!

Strider on the left with Fawkes

 

[FishMtFarm]

Looking a lot better!

 

[briefvisit]

'Mine know my whistle. I whistle to them all the time (it gets them going to playfully bounce around) Do you think that's the same sort of thing?'
I think so -- but I should have explained better: The Food Thing is the pivotal thing.

We've had long talks about this -- stuff like how owners get emus onto horse-trailers for transport. You can't 'drive' an emu -- get behind it and shoo it along. Just doesn't work. But if they know they can get a bit of Yummy, they will come to you. Very very useful in a tight spot.

[Further to this: if panicked birds are in danger of injury as they run about, first and foremost: get everyone to shut up; sit down; be still and quiet. If they know your voice, talk softly to them. If you must move, slowly, 'smoothly,' quietly.]

'It's so hard for me to think of them as "brutal" in any way.'
I wish you guys had met Eric. You looked into Eric's eyes, and your brain said, 'Dinosaur!! Dang, this critter is a dinosaur!!'

So I cheekily reserve the right to tease you guys about this:

although, where there is lots and lots of room, retreat is a general tactic, at times and places, physical conflict is constant and fierce. I've seen chicks no bigger than a bucket lead the charge into conflict*. Seen a double-alpha bird score a massive double-kick to the chest. Attacking bird's head was nine feet off the ground. She took a thirty-yard run-up (and I was standing about ten feet away.) Seen the same double-alpha bird single-handedly attack a dozen wild emus. Seen them swipe great chunks of feathers off one another. Seen a pair knock each other clean off their feet. Seen on repeated occasions two adults lock eyes, and attack each other over the top of a fence standing in the way. Seen them try to kill a sibling.


And here's an anecdote:
so, one day, at dusk, I was observing with binos, but at quite close quarters, when Eric was here with chicks, and so was Greedy -- the only every two double-alpha emus we have data on. Real heavyweights in their world.

And while watching Eric, I saw him spark up for conflict -- you learn to pick the signs -- and realised that Greedy had come up behind me.

And what followed was a minor skirmish (a male with chicks in tow will back down); but for about ten seconds, I was the meat in the sandwich after these two characters had locked eyes (with the looney-belligerent chicks thrown in). And for about half that time, I managed to keep the binos focussed on Eric as he approached.

DINOSAUR!!!

Six feet tall, massive talons seen from the business end, crazy-lookin' cold-coal-black/orange eyes fixed on the foe, head down, travelling fast.


*But they pull up at the last second, and dad does the heavy lifting; but the behaviour is quite clearly spontaneous. We documented it with Alpha and Omega Chicks when they were here.

 

[briefvisit]

R.I.P. Greedy Emu. She would snatch prunes from between my lips; had a really accurate snatch. But look at her eyes, and note that she always carried her chest plumage erect. Only bird I've ever seen do it.

Fast. Heavy. Relentlessly aggressive.


Over five years since we've seen here. Presumed dead.

 

[EmuChemainusBC]

Your emu is looking much improved. How is the blue fence post protector holding up in their pen?