Nutrition
Nutrition-related mortality problems in chicks and young juveniles include malnutrition or starvation, intestinal obstruction, and leg abnormalities. Recommended starter, grower, maintenance, and breeder diets are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1. Nutritional Guidelines for Emus
Calculated Analysis
Starter
(0 to 9 wks)
Grower
(9 to 42 wks)
Finisher
(42 wks to Mkt Wt)
Breeder
(4 to 5 wks before egg production)
% Protein
20
16
14
21
ME (cal/lb)
1250
1250
1250
1350
% Fat
1.00
1.00
1.00
5.25
% Lysine
1.0
4.7
3.60
1.10
% Methionine
.42
.29
.25
.35
% Methionine + Cystine
.75
.57
.50
.70
% Calcium
1.10
1.00
1.70
2.10
% Non-Phytate Phosphorus
.55
.42
.35
.39
% Total Phosphorus
.79
.66
.58
.61
% Salt
.30
.30
.30
.30
It is absolutely essential that emus have clean water available at all times. They must receive feedstuffs that provide adequate levels of protein and essential amino acids, and meet vitamin, mineral, and energy requirements.
Waterers should be rinsed daily and scrubbed every 3 days with a mild disinfectant. Inexpensive, water soluble vitamins and electrolytes for poultry should be added (at the recommended level) to the drinking water for the first 1 to 3 weeks. The fat soluble vitamins A, D3, E and K are compounded with a starch or protein emulsifier to enhance dispersion and availability in water. This will ensure and adequate intake of vitamins, particularly A and D3.
The following program is practical and has provided excellent results in rearing emu chicks. Start them on a good quality emu starter ration containing at least 20 percent protein. However, some emu producers withhold feed up to 72 hours in newly hatched chicks to allow for the complete reabsorption of the yolk sack. The quality and health of the chick should be carefully evaluated before withholding feed beyond 48 hours.
The starter ration is formulated to provide all nutrients necessary for optimum growth and health during the first 2 weeks of life, and it should be offered in the crumbled form. All other feeds should be pelleted.
Chicks should receive continuous light and have access to the starter ration at all times during the first 3 weeks. After that, they can be fed all the starter ration they will consume in two short (20-minute) daily feeding periods.
Chicks should not be fed excess protein. Too much protein may cause excessive weight gain, which can contribute to leg weakness, leg abnormalities, and death.
While emus do require more fiber than other birds, high-fiber feeds can cause intestinal obstructions in young chicks and result in "starveout" deaths.
Never feed any feedstuff that is damp, moldy, musty, or suspect in any way. Botulism or mycotoxicosis leading to intestinal problems may occur. Throw away any damp or moldy feed.
The primary feed ingredients of emu feeds should consist of corn, wheat, and alfalfa. Soybean meal should be mixed at no greater than 300 pounds per ton.
At 8 weeks of age, chicks can be placed on a good quality emu grower ration and fed what they will eat in two daily feeding periods. Juveniles can be switched to a maintenance diet at 25 weeks of age until they reach sexual maturity. Breeder rations contain a high calcium level and should not be fed to juveniles. The breeder diet should be fed 2 weeks prior to the expected first egg.
Always change from one type of feed to another slowly. Begin mixing the new diet into the diet which you have been feeding your birds. Initially, mix ¼ new to ¾ present diet. After 4 days, mix the diets ½ to ½. After 8 days, mix the diets ¾ to ¼ of the old diet. After 2 weeks of this process, the new diet should totally replace the feed from which the change was made. It is very important to make a slow transition. If a quick change is made, birds may avoid the feed, or develop diarrhea, or other adverse responses may be noted. A feeding program is only as effective as the management practices that are followed.
Birds should be offered an amount of feed that they will actually consume. Forcing the birds to "clean-up" the feed on a daily basis results in the birds consuming more balanced diet. This keeps the birds from picking through the feed and excluding certain constituents from their diet. A feed that is properly pelleted should not be a problem.
Also, leftover feed will be wasted, get wet and moldy, or drew predators and rodents. None of these alternatives is very good for production. Again, management is very important in accomplishing this recommendation. The grower must monitor the birds' consumption very closely. Do not assume that past consumption will predict consumption of new formulations. If feed remains at night, it should be removed. Feed the following day should be consistent with actual consumption of the previous day. Growing birds may eat more in subsequent days. If the feed runs out during the day, increase the feed input by 5 to 10 percent on the following day and record the results. Weighing feed amounts and keeping good records will help establish feeding programs for future birds.
Forages such as alfalfa, red clover, lespedeza, fescue, or Bermuda grass are desirable for juveniles and adults and will reduce production costs significantly. Some forages may be too tough or high in fiber or too low in protein and energy to provide the nutrient level required for desired growth.
If emus are allowed to forage on natural grasses or grain, try to balance this nutrient intake with the amount of commercial feed that is fed.
Breeding birds on pasture should receive daily supplements of a good quality, high protein emu breeder ration to ensure optimum egg production, fertility, and hatchability. Breeders in dry-lot confinement also should be fed the emu breeder ration.
Emus should not be allowed to become overweight. Excess fat is detrimental to egg production by breeders and to meat quality of birds that are to be slaughtered.
Credit: N.C. Cooperative Extension
