ABOUT RAISING EMUS
Where can emu be raised?
Emus are amazingly resilient and robust animals that can adapt to
their surroundings. In their native Australia emu can be found in
areas ranging from deserts to snowy mountains. You can expect to
breed as many as 20 pairs of birds per acre. They are successfully
raised in the Southern United States and North into Canada.
What kind of fences are needed for emu?
They do require very sturdy 6 foot tall fences to hold them in
extreme cases. You will find some folks that manage with four or
five foot fences, but, these birds can easily jump a four foot
fence, and they can scale a five foot fence if they desire to leave
the fenced area. They typically weigh on the order of 90-130 pounds
and playfully run at speeds of close to 35 mph, hence the fences
must be sturdy enough to withstand animals running into it at those
speeds and weights.
What kind of buildings or shelter do they
You will need some type of shelter/windbreak for the birds,
especially in colder climates. Three sided sheds work well. Just so
you can create a "dead air" space (similar to a calf hut) and keep
it well bedded during cold weather.
Will the female Emuís sit on a nest to
The males set the eggs for approximately 52 days and then raise the
chicks. The females lay their eggs from October thru April. With our
cold Wisconsinwinters, usually the male can hatch out eggs only if
he doesn't start setting until toward the end of the laying season.
Most emu growers incubate the eggs in a commercial incubator. This
way the chicks imprint on the humans instead of the male emu and
they are much friendlier and easier to work with.
Would the nesting male need to be separated
from the others?
They will need to be separated because after the chicks hatch, the
other adults (including the female) will probably try to kill the
How do you tell an adult female from a
The males "grunt" (like a pig) and the females "boom" (like a kettle
drum) using a "boom sack" located at the base of their neck. ALL
yearlings "grunt". The females will start to change to a boom
sometime after they turn a year old.
What is the primary diet/food you feed
We feed a complete, pelleted feed that is custom prepared for us at
a local feed mill. It consists of corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and
other grains that are available in our area along with vitamin and
mineral supplements specifically formulated for emus. Most major
feed companies have emu feed available if it is purchased in large
Do you need periodic veterinary visits
(shots, de-worming etc.)?
Most emu growers do minor medical work themselves. Food grade
Diatomaceous Earth is used by many emu growers. It is sprinkled on
the feed regularly. Ivomectin is used for deworming, if necessary.
EEE vaccinations are given if you are in a high risk area. As an
American Emu Association member, you can "ask the vet" questions and
receive answers through the AEA .
Are the emus friendly, tame? Will they
It depends on the bird. Emus are docile birds and will usually not
attack. Males are usually more friendly than the females. Females
are more stand-offish. Some birds you can put your arms around and
give a hug. Others would rather that you just feed them and leave
them alone. They are very inquisitive birds and like to peck at
shiny objects i.e., buttons, watches, earrings, etc.
How do you handle the birds when you need
to catch them?
Emu legs are very strong and well muscled (they can run up to 35
miles an hour). Always work from behind when you need to handle
them. When emus try to get away, they will flail those legs and
could break a handlers arm or leg if they connect. Also, their claws
can rip through clothing (and flesh) easily. Some emus are declawed
at hatching to prevent injury to handlers and other birds, though,
most birds that are not declawed get along just fine without
incidents. You just have to respect the fact that they can protect
themselves very well if they have to.
Can more 4 or 5 emus be kept in the same
With most chicks this is not a problem. But,.... as emu mature
(around 14 months of age) their hormones start to rage and some of
the "teenagers" may start to fight for territorial dominance.
Sometimes it appears that these dominant birds don't even like
themselves. At this point they have to be separated or it is
possible that a bird may be injured. Some birds are driven to be the
"top" bird at this time. Most are hardly affected. Some growers
successfully use community pens for their breeding birds. Community
pens are made up of several females and two males. These work out
only if the birds are fairly easy going and there is a "sight block"
where the birds can get away from each other, out of sight.
I want to raise emus. Where do I start?
I strongly recommend that you take two steps immediately to get into
the emu community:
1.) Subscribe to Emu Today and Tomorrow
2.) Join the American Emu Association
These two steps will put you in touch with serious growers in this
industry and will provide you the means to follow industry trends
and to learn the business well enough to make your decisions from an
informed perspective. There are other sources of information that
you will readily uncover as you get more deeply involved, but these
two would be my recommendation to you as a starting point.
1.) The Emu Today and Tomorrow (ET&T) magazine is the premier
publication for the emu industry. It carries articles that range
from rearing birds to product viability, farming methods, new trends
and developments, on and on. Not the least of importance is the
insight you'll gain through the publication on who is active in the
industry and how different developers are operating so you can pick
and choose who you'd like to work with. In fact ET&T is the only
comprehensive journal for the emu industry. If you are interested in
learning more about the emu industry, you should definitely take
advantage of this resource. You can subscribe to Emu Today and
Tomorrow by calling their subscription services at 580-628-2933, or
by visiting their web site at www.emutoday.com This magazine is
published monthly at a subscription fee of $25 per year. ET&T also
has available the "Emu Farmers Handbooks I & II" by Maria Minnaar.
These two books are a "must have" for anyone who own emus. They
would answer most of your questions about growing these birds.
2.) You can join the American Emu Association (AEA) by visiting
their website at: http://www.aea-emu.org/join.asp Membership in the
national American Emu Association (AEA) will enroll you in your home
state (or any state affiliate that you prefer) and the regional AEA
affiliate. By joining the AEA you will have access to other people
that share your interest. I believe you'll find them invaluable as
you pursue your quest for information, contacts and methods. I'm
sure you'll find your AEA Regional Director a very valuable source
of knowledge. The AEA has on-line e-mail forums to communicate with
other growers and to learn key skills and techniques for anyone
working in this industry. They also conduct conferences that expose
us to growers across the country (and in some cases from other
countries) that provides solid information and extremely useful
motivational information to keep us working together. Every other
month, a newsletter is sent to members. The cost of U.S. membership
is an initial fee of $100 for the first year and $100 for each
succeeding year of renewal. An international membership is available
for $350 to join and $150 per year to renew.
The AEA provides the clout needed in congress to get laws and
rulings that nurture the industry along, sets standards for emu oil
to promote marketing initiatives, etc. Click on this link to go to
the American Emu Association (AEA) website to fill-out a membership
application form, if you would like to join http://www.aea-emu.org/join.asp
State associations hold state meetings throughout the year. The
American Emu Association http://www.aea-emu.org holds an annual,
three day National Convention each year. These meetings allow an
opportunity for members to receive the latest emu industry
information, hear updates on emu oil research and network with other
emu growers from across the U.S. and around the world.
Another source of information on the care and raising of emus is the
Red Oak Farms website www.redoakfarm.com or, more specifically,
www.redoakfarm.com/farming_information.htm There are some excellent