Emu care?

[FowlKing]

Hello, this year or next year I will probably get an Emu. I was wondering how to take care of it, I would like to know what I can feed it, how much I feed it, and treats I should feed it. How much fence space should an Emu have? I already know that Emu need at least a 7 foot tall chain link fence and a shack. If I spend enough time with it as a chick, will it most likely be very friendly as an adult? Would it be safe to approach it? This may be a stupid question, but will an Emu play with a water sprinkler? A water sprinkler hooked up to a standard water hose. Any help is appreciated, Thanks! BTW I am from Wisconsin

 

[chickenzoo]

I tell everyone that asks about space for an emu, to give an emu the same amount of space you would give a horse. If you raise one up from a baby then you would typically be fine with a five foot fence. Emu in with others can get chased and go over a fence, but one or two emu lowers that risk a lot.....unless you live on a busy street etc..then go as high as you can.
Your feed store can order a emu diet or you can mix different feeds to get the nutrician they need... Like all stock, layer, dog food, pellets etc etc.
Different emu like different treats.... Some like veggies, some like fruit, horse cookies, ....
I feed one emu about a horse scoop of grain if they have grass etc to eat. Two scoops if not.
When raised from chicks they can become very friendly..boys even better than the girls when older. Mine like hugs, to be scratched...they follow me everywhere etc.
Any emu does not like to be held in place or grabbed however and that is when injury can occur, but otherwise they enjoy attention.
Emu love water... Love kiddie pools and water hoses.

 

[FowlKing]

Thank you so much! About how old as a chick can you see a bull's eye on top of the head? I mean from when the mark is visible and when the mark isn't visible anymore. I would like to have a male Emu so I can give it a male name, and I would like it to be friendlier so it can be a companion.

 

[Raptor65]

The pattern is visible from the moment of hatching but may not be readable until the feathers fluff up, they have a serious cowlick on their heads for a day or two or at least mine did. From there you've got about 2 or 3 months before it all falls out, I forget when Gerry lost the pattern on his head, he's all black and brown now and he's 5 months old.

Just remember, going off the patterns isn't 100% accurate, especially if you're not experienced in reading the patterns and it's not always a perfect yes or no pattern. To get a better result having them DNA tested by a reputable lab is a better option.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

This is interesting, Fowl King and Raptor. There are such good photos of chicks here and on the Net, but it would be cool to have sequential mug-shots -- you know, front on, side on -- at say, two-month intervals. 'Outright scrappy' would be a fair term for the overall quality of info on emus. Amazing gaps, and I swear I'm always thinking, 'Well, that chick is yay high . . . and it's mating season now, so that chick's gotta be about twelve months.'

Supreme Emui

 

[Raptor65]

One of the things I liked doing on another forum I go to was a weekly update and with Gerry it was never a dull update either. One of the things people liked the most was the comparison pictures of how much he'd grown.

This is 9 days after he hatched, now pay close attention to the size of the bowl in comparison to Gerry:


This is just 5 days later:


3 days later:


One week later:


And finally 3 weeks later:



This is why I plan to keep a more detailed record of their growth with my next two Emus, the rate at which they grow is really astounding and it'd definitely be interesting to see a photo, weight and size record.
It gets less apparent the bigger they get, but I was refreshing Gerry's pool and he came over, plopped down in it and hit both sides despite sitting in the middle of the pool and I looked at him and went "I swear you fit in there just fine a week ago..."

 

[FowlKing]

These are some really nice pictures! Gerry is a cute name for an Emu. I would name an Emu Eddy or Nosferatu. If I get an Emu, I would have to get it in November.

 

[FowlKing]

I agree, we really need more Emu chick growth pictures on the internet. That way it is easier to prepare a home for your first Emu.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Gee, Raptor65 and Fowl King, you're gonna be shocked at my method -- but bear in mind that my knowledge of chicks comes mostly from watching their tooshes disappear in the distance. It goes like this: 'Hmmm .. . that chicks is half as tall as his dad, so, it's about one-year-old.' The phase in the mating-season is my best marker: if the chick is half-grownish, but its 'half-way mark' is a couple of months away, then it's this side of one year old. Pretty technical, hey . . .

Seriously, a series of photos, and some other Basic Stuff (height of fences, etc. etc.), might be available to anyone who's interested.

Tableaux: I was walking home when I saw a male and two one-year-old chicks bolt enthusiastically across the Highway. They charged out of the bush on one side of the highway, in tight formation, with Dad in the lead, and disappeared into the bush on the other.

Lovely! Two healthy-looking chicks with their dad!


Supreme Emu

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Fowl King, there are no stupid questions. You are among friends here. It’s appropriate to ask every question if you are thinking of keeping emus. They are not your average budgie.

Try ‘Swarbrick Emu Husbandry Guidelines.’ This essay is well well worth reading. There are a couple of other texts listed here that are also excellent.

My suggestion is: don’t worry about treats for your birds. Foods tend to be, for emus, either Yummy for Emus or not Yummy for Emus. In short, they are gluttons. * A handful of wheat is as good a treat as something ten times as expensive. Keep your pennies for the scary day when you need a vet.

Yes, Fowl King, the more time you spend with your chick, the tamer it will be. You won’t need to ‘approach it.’ It will approach you every time it sees you, just in case there is anything Yummy for Emus.

Emus love water (I learned this mostly from the U.S breeders. Mine are a little coy about water.) They love to wallow on hot days. They will swim, given the chance. Emus, both chicks and adults, think a summertime sprinkler is the most fun in the world.

*Okay, they love any sort of dried fruit, most fresh sweet fruit, and nuts. Try them with pasta salad.