What are Emus?
Emu's are a member of the ratite family.
Ratites are flightless birds.
Also included in he "ratite" family are:
Ostrich
Rhea
Cassowary
Kiwi
Emus are originated from Australia. In
1930-1950 they were transported to United States zoos.
The average weight for an adult emu is about 110 lbs -140lbs and stands
about 5-1/2ft tall. An emu's feathers has a mop-like loose down feathers that
droop in the back forming their tail.
A female emu will begin to lay eggs 2 or 3 years of age and could lay around 20
to 50 eggs per year, usually in the fall. The female emu will
continue to lay eggs for up to 20 years or even more. The eggs are very large
and not very easy to incubate on your own. A large incubator is needed to hatch
these eggs. Emu eggs are edible, but best when scrambled.
Emu's life span is about 25-35 years. Emus can adapt to most climates and
may be raised anywhere in the United States. Emu's should have some type of
shelter. But in the most extreme cold climates, they should have an enclosed
shelter with heat.
Emus are the second larges bird in the world.
Emus are generally very gentle birds and generally are friendly, depending on how
they are raised.
However, they do have sharp claws that could really hurt a person if you try to
catch one that is not friendly or sick.
Some people raise these birds for meat and their nature oil. The meat is almost
like a very lean beef. Almost 100% of these type birds are usable in some way.
We have never killed any of our emus, they were our pets.
The exception to this, is the rheas. The male rheas are very aggressive and can
be dangerous.
I have found that rheas disposition is completely different that of emus.
Overall, emus are calm birds and make a great pet. But, they must have a fenced
in area.
We had an emu Rocky, he was a great pet. He was very friendly
and amusing. He loved potato salad, macaroni salad , eggs and coffee. when
we picnic outside, Rocky would help himself to the food.
Sadly, Rocky died. Currently, we have no emus or rheas at this time.
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