The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: CarraghsBorderCollies on July 07, 2009, 09:16:20 pm
-
himself has hinted he would like a couple of emu! has anyone here kept them?
are they suitable for meat or for egg laying or are they purely ornamental?
do you need any kind of licence to keep them?
can i mix them with other poultry or not?
would i be ok with electric poultry netting?
what do i feed them? is ordinary poultry feed ok or do they have special dietary requirements?
should i keep a pair or a trio?
thanks in advance!
gem x
-
They are nasty bad tempered things so if you have kids or little dogs don't go there. I have met a few of them. I think they are kept for meat(and a status symbol), but over here in Scotland it didn't take off - he he - neither can the Emu's! lol
-
i have no kids yet and the emu's will be kept in their own area!
as for bad-tempered! i keep japanese shamos and geese so im used to it!
-
I'd rank them up there with ostrich and agree wholeheartedly with auntie annie - don't go there !
You'll need 6 ft high fencing (minimum) lined with enviromesh type stuff, a large field shelter and lots of warning signs for the public incase they decide to go in to see them and end up being disembowelled! I personally wouldn't mix them with other poultry because of the size difference and their tendancy to be aggressive, here's a little snippet I got by googling -
Keep in mind that emus are very strong, have razor sharp claws on each of their three toes and can peck really hard. If they become aggressive, they won't hesitate to use their natural weapons against you, even if they were once gentle. If they feel cornered or threatened in any way, they are even more likely to lash out.Don't wear shiny jewelry when playing your emu. They are attracted to shiny objects and dangling jewelry, especially earrings, are a big temptation for them to peck at. Plus, if they swallow a piece jewelry that's too large for their digestive tract, it could be fatal.Remember that emus pose more danger if you're standing in front or just off to the side of them; because of their knee structure, they kick forward, not back.Only buy emu chicks from a reputable emu farmer who practices safe and sanitary procedures to ensure the chick is healthy and free from disease when you get it.A full-grown emu can reach 6 feet in height. When you purchase a chick that fits in the palm of your hand, remember that one day, it could be taller than you and possibly even outweigh you.Emus are not completely domesticated animals. The claws that only made small scratches when they were chicks will one day be large enough to kill a person.If you've ever been inside a chicken coop, you know how much chickens can stink; an emu is at least five
Maybe suggest he chooses something a little less dangerous ;)
-
I'd rank them up there with ostrich and agree wholeheartedly with auntie annie - don't go there !
You'll need 6 ft high fencing (minimum) lined with enviromesh type stuff, a large field shelter and lots of warning signs for the public incase they decide to go in to see them and end up being disembowelled! I personally wouldn't mix them with other poultry because of the size difference and their tendancy to be aggressive, here's a little snippet I got by googling -
Keep in mind that emus are very strong, have razor sharp claws on each of their three toes and can peck really hard. If they become aggressive, they won't hesitate to use their natural weapons against you,
if anyone goes into my animals when i am not around emus are the last of their problems! would an 18X18ft pen be enough? ive had bigger more dangerous animals try to kill me on 2 seperate occasions so im not too concerned (an appaloosa stallion,and a crazed limousin cow with sick calf)
-
Hello,
In the UK until recently you needed a licence to keep emu's. Would check with the relevant authorities in Eire before buying anything.
Regards
Tony
-
Gem,
I really don't want to be accused of being a party pooper but I don't think 18ft square would be big enough for one, let alone 2 or 3. You've got to remember that these birds grow to over 6ft tall and like to run. I suspect that if they weren't getting the chance to exhibit their 'natural' behaviour they would not only turn aggresive but also get stressed and depressed.
I know what you mean about the public going in with them, but as a responsible animal keeper you've got to consider that, hence the warning signs you can't be mad with joe public when he's lying there in your field bleeding ! and it's fair enough to have dealt with more dangerous animals before, but why would you want to take the risk? Especially when you consider that they may live for 20 years - do you really want to be watching your back twice a day, every day for the next 20 years....................................really?
I would urge you to consider something else, for your sake & theirs.
Sorry, don't want to sound condescending - please don't be offended.
-
They are nasty bad tempered things so if you have kids or little dogs don't go there. I have met a few of them. I think they are kept for meat(and a status symbol), but over here in Scotland it didn't take off - he he - neither can the Emu's! lol
I've seen them used for racing - they run like stink - that size of pen would be downright cruel.
-
Why not try something less dangerous. Lions are nice ;D
-
What about rhea??
They are alledged to be more managable than emu. I've not had experience but try googling them!!
-
think rod hull had the best idea, ie arm position for emu's ;D
-
ive had enough experience with lions to know that i dont want one! they cost too much to feed!
seriously if joe public manages to get past my padlocks he is likely to be trying to steal my stock and deserves any injury he suffers! that is if i dont get to him first and put him in intensive care!
i think im gonna leave getting emu until i have expanded my acreage!
gem x
-
I think that is a good decision, Gem, I really can't see the point of getting something that is going to create hassle and possible costs for virtually no return. I have eaten some strange things in my week in France, but I would have no inclination to eat emu.
Information:
The soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds reach up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) in height. The Emu is common over most of mainland Australia, although it avoids heavily populated areas, dense forest, and arid areas. Emus can travel great distances at a fast, economical trot and, if necessary, can sprint at 50 km/h (31 mph) for some distance at a time. They are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food; they feed on a variety of plants and insects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emus
-
Hi Joe here from Tullywood farm.
I keep a couple of Emu's and have done lots of research into these birds before buying them.
These birds are no longer on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act in the UK as they are deemed as a lot less Dangerous than Ostrich.(Removed Oct 2007)
The fence that you require for these want to be about Five feet high unlike Ostrich which wants to be at least six feet six inch high.
Also the pen doesn't need a rail at the bottom 18 inch high to escape under like you need with Ostrich as unlike Ostrich the Emu doesn't attack.
Also if you did put the rail the Emu would tend to try and escape under it and could seriously injure its self.
The pen wants to be as big as possible mine is approx 60 meters x 20 meters with additional space there if required,You need the pen to be nice and long as they tend to like to walk along the side of a fence NOT because they are bored but because they like to especially if they can walk along the fence that you walk past to come and see them.
The best number of Emu's to keep is TWO then they have company for each other and also if you had THREE one could be singled out as two of them will tend to form a bond and might pick on the single one.
The house needs to be as big as possible as well 10 feet by 10 feet is not a bad size with a concrete yard 10 feet x 20 feet out side make sure you can lock the animals in the house or house and yard when ever you need to work on or in the pen as EVEN THOUGH I am stating that These ANIMALS are NOT Dangerous EVERY animal no matter how big or small Can be dangerous from Lions to Rabbits I know one person that ended up with a broken hip from a RAM that was very quiet and if you are able to lock the Emu's into the house when working on the pen you will be able to concentrate on the work in hand.
Emu's in captivity can live up to 30 years so you have to be prepared for this type of commitment.
Emu's are approx 4 feet to 6feet 6inch and take about two years to become fully grown they are by nature a very inquisitive and Not aggressive and can weight anything from 80 to 120lbs when fully grown.
The female lays anything between 30 to 40 eggs in the winter time and while on the subject of the winter these animals are very hardy and only need a basic shelter to keep them happy.
The eggs are green in colour and take 56 days to incubate and then when the Emu's are born they are approx 7" high and are striped with speckled heads which in there natural enviroment would help them blend in and stay safe.
Emu's are omnivores and feed on anything like grass,seeds,fruit,weeds and insects when fully grown a adult Emu require 1 to 1.5 lbs of feed each per day of Ratite feed if you are not able to get this Layers pellets are pefectly OK.
They also love things like carrots and apple BUT be aware that you need to chop them as they will swallow whole if given the chance.
These birds also need to be able to pick up SMALL stones which they use to grind up there food in there Gizzard they can have up to 1lb in there gizzard at any one time.
You will need to have a fresh supply of water available at all time in the pen as they drink a lot of water I use an automatic drinker for them which are available to buy from any good feed store for about €30.00.
Emu's do tend to peck at anything that is shiny so be aware of this if you have Earrings in.
There is a lot of information available on the web try looking at
www.leicestershireemus.com
I found this web site very very helpfull BUT I am also very lucky as one of our friends is the Keeper of RHEA and OSTRICH in Dublin Zoo and has worked with Emu so I was able to ask him to come down and HELP me design my Emu pen.
The other thing to remember is try to keep changing the pen slightly NEW things for them to look at ect as I have allready stated these birds are realy inquisative.
NOW on a more serious note ANIMAL HEALTH Emu's are birds and as birds they are able to suffer from all problems that birds suffer from also remember not only your Chickens ect but Wild bird BUT on a whole they tend to be fine as with all STOCK the most important thing after food and water is keeping ther house CLEAN so that they can rest in a clean,warm and safe environment.
JUST ONE THING as far as I can tell YOU do need a LICENCE in Northern Ireland to keep these Birds.
I do hope this has not put you off Gem as I would love you to be an Emu keeper as well if I can be of any further assistance just ask.
Kind Regard
Joe
-
Have resurrected this thread, does anyone else keep emus?