Emu predators and shelter flooring

[MontserratChick]

Hello all! New emu owner here. We hatched 4 in May and we live in France. They are currently sheltered in a barn at night and have free range in our 150acre property during the day. They’re very, very tame and want to be with us at all times. We’re planning to fence the core of our property soon, with 6ft double fencing (required by law for keeping emus in France). The thing that I’m having difficulty designing is the shelter. Again the law says we must be able to enclose them if required, so we need doors, but I’m wondering how necessary it will be to close the doors at night, and whether they should be half doors like a horse stable, or full doors. The only potential animals that could damage an adult emu here, I think, are stray dogs (big ones sometimes) and wolves, which are moving into the area. Both of these have been known to kill large amounts of sheep, but I’m wondering how much of a risk they’d be to adult emus at night if the shelter was left open sided, or even half-doored.
The other thing I’m wondering about is how to construct the base of the shelter. Is it better to have a concrete base covered in straw, a raised wooden floor like a chicken coop, or just left natural at ground level (I’m concerned that could get very muddy in winter)? Any advice on flooring would be very gratefully received!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@Pyxis

 

[briefvisit]

'Again the law says we must be able to enclose them if required, so we need doors, but I’m wondering how necessary it will be to close the doors at night'

Hey, Montserrat Chick!

It is sort of a standing joke that folks worry about building Nice Little Shelters for their emus . . . but the emus couldn't care less. (I've seen wild emus sit quietly and happily for hours in the open in pouring mid-winter rain.)

But attacks from predators? In the wild, in the old days, dingoes were the only predator likely to take on an adult emu. (Lots of things predate on the chicks.) But wolves known to attack sheep?! Gee, that's serious.

You see, in the open, with moonlight or starlight, emus can run like mad. Running away is a primary emu tactic. So if they are enclosed -- and I imagine that a determined dog could scale a door of at least a metre -- then they had best be fully enclosed.

In the wild, they roost under trees.

And the floor? I think so long as it is dry, dirt is fine. A dry earth floor with warm dry straw would be heaven for an emu.

Can we see some photos?

Supreme Emu

 

[PatriciafromCO]

I don't have emus.. There may be times that your emus get sick/injured, or you need them out of the way, Have new animals coming in that need to get use to a new home, or there a weather situation For my animals I have a 6ft industrial chain link fence off the back of my barn. 120' x 200' it has an open area with double gates, with (7) 30' x 30' individual pens that open towards the open area so an animal may get past you from the pen but they still contained in the open area. It would be a nice area off your barn building to let the emus go in and out but still be contained at night.