Emu is like two goats.

At first glance, it seems that it is difficult to breed them. Of course, they require premises (in the north - capital ones), but after all, no one grows the rest of the living creatures under the open sky alone. In general, keeping an ostrich can be compared with keeping any other farm animals. The most unpretentious of the ostriches is the Australian emu.

Emu is the second largest bird in the world, its height reaches 170-190 cm, and its weight is 70 kg. The emu has a long neck and very long thin legs, which allows the bird to develop great speed. The emu does not have flight and tail feathers in its wings, therefore, like other ostriches, it cannot fly, but it is famous for its love of water and even knows how to swim well.

It is very difficult to distinguish a female and a male from each other - both their weight and height are almost the same (on average 55-57 kg and 155-170 cm, respectively). And only in the mating season, when the birds form pairs, the males stand out - they begin to emit loud calling cries.

Emus become sexually mature at 3 years of age. Their mating season begins in the fall, at the end of September - October. Emu are natives of the Southern Hemisphere, and in their homeland at this time early spring. In January-February, the female lays her eggs in the nest prepared by the male and leaves the clutch. Emu eggs are oblong, dark green in color, weighing 600-650 g. (By the way, the female's egg production lasts for 20 years.) In clutch from 2 to 30 eggs (in fact, the female lays one egg every three days).

Further, the father of the family takes care of the offspring. Incubation of eggs lasts 53-66 days. In the first and last two weeks of this period, the male does not get up from the nest at all; during incubation, he loses up to 16 kg of his own weight. On farms, the male is replaced by an incubator. The temperature in it should be 37-38 °, air humidity - 40-70%.

Emus tolerate cold well and easily adapt to new conditions. But at the same time, it is still necessary to ensure the optimum temperature of 13-15 ° in the room during the laying of eggs by the female. In the department for young animals, a temperature of 18-20 ° is desirable. And in the summer it is enough to install a canopy for the bird from the sun.

When kept in a stall, an adult emu needs 10-15 sq.m (a chick - about 5 sq.m), for walking - 50-60 sq.m per head. Since emus are very mobile, it is necessary to fix all the posts and the fence from the outside. Emus cannot fly, so a 150-180 cm high hedge will suffice. If you decide to use a net, then its cells should be so small that the bird could not stick its head into them. And do not leave the top edges of the fence unfinished, otherwise the bird may injure itself.

Under natural conditions, the emu feeds on grass, insects, fruits and various seeds. The basis of the diet of ostriches kept in the farmstead is compound feed. Grain mixers, grass, hay, bread, vegetables, root crops, waste from the meat, dairy and fishing industries are added to it. An adult ostrich eats about three kilograms of feed per day, half of which is coarse and juicy. For comparison: two adult goats consume about the same amount. Ostriches do not know how to chew, so it is advisable to give them crushed grass and hay, otherwise the bird's esophagus may be blocked with balls of stems.

Practice shows that the same compound feeds that are given to birds traditional for our places are quite suitable for ostriches. For example, in the first month of rearing emu chicks, you can give them compound feed for turkey poults, in the second - for caesarlings, then - for broilers, from 4-5 months - for young egg hens, later - for laying hens. Such a menu is determined by the amount of protein contained in the indicated compound feeds and required by the bird: first, about 28%, then gradually it decreases to 17-19%. Feeding should not be excessive and stimulate too much weight gain. Excessive growth of the bird can cause curvature of the limbs.
N.Tkacheva

If you decide to start breeding emus, then first of all you will have to spend money on creating normal conditions for the life of the bird (buy or rent land, build or reconstruct premises, equip walking areas, purchase feed - all, of course, taking into account the scale of your future farm ).

You still need to decide whether you will sell eggs and poultry for breeding or prefer to sell products (meat, fat, feathers, etc.). In the first case, your main efforts will be directed to the maintenance of adult breeding stock and the incubation of eggs, to hatch the young. In the second option, special attention will have to be paid to sales.

For normal functioning, the farm must sell its products all year round, its quality must be kept at a constant level. good level. How to start breeding ostriches? Buying eggs for further incubation is the cheapest option, but more risky due to the high mortality of young animals, and the timing of obtaining commercial poultry is stretched. Buying ostrich chicks is more expensive (a daily emu costs from $200, a one-year-old emu costs from $800), but it significantly reduces losses due to mortality and speeds up the time for obtaining commercial poultry. Buying adult breeding ostriches is the most expensive option (the price per head is from $1,500), but it makes it possible to start commercial production next year.

The Australian continent is famous for its many outlandish animals. Some of them live only in their ethnic homeland, while others are successfully bred all over the world. Such a creature is the ostrich Emu. For many, he is just a character from a picture in a children's book and an outlandish creature. We will tell in our review how this bird lives and why it is interesting.

The emu is one of the largest (second largest in the world) flightless birds. The first place is occupied by its African colleague. emu - large bird, however the myth that it is a beast has been circulated due to its inability to fly. Nevertheless, ornithologists are unanimous in their decision - this is a bird, not an animal.

Breed overview

The size of an ostrich sometimes reaches 2 meters, and weight - up to 60 kg. They run excellently and often run away at a speed of 50 km / h from predators that hunt them in the Australian open spaces. Emu runners are great, but in a calm state, when the ostriches know that no one threatens them, they cross the area at speeds up to 7 km / h. On the day the bird is able to walk up to 25 km. In the photo below, you can see the graceful posture and appearance birds.

They swim well, but they are not satisfied with long-distance swims, preferring to splash near the shore. This method of bathing allows the ostrich to react more quickly to the approaching danger. The uniqueness of the breed lies in the fact that the birds perfectly adapt to different temperatures. It is known that some breeders managed to breed the breed even in Siberia. However, this is more of an exception.

The breed is easy to get along with people. Emus are very friendly if they feel good relationship and quickly get used to the owners, behaving like tame birds. The bird's wing skeleton is underdeveloped, and therefore its wings are small, weak, unable to lift a heavy body above the ground. But the legs are very strong. They have three fingers, on the middle there is a massive claw, with which the ostrich can inflict injury if desired.

An adult male Australian ostrich is very similar to a female, and vice versa. There are not so many external signs that reliably testify to the field of the bird. More often than not, only experienced breeders can tell if a dog is male or female. It is possible to determine the sex accurately only during the mating season - the males behave noisily and in every possible way attract the attention of the females.

Ostriches become sexually mature at 2 years old. Having laid their eggs, they throw them and the ostrich takes care of the offspring until hatching. Emus are not a family bird, but they are kept in groups. During the period of egg production in the season, the female can lay about 50 eggs. In the photo you can see the dimensions and unusual color of the ostrich egg.

Habitat

Emu ostrich lives all over Australia, and especially loves open areas of land where you can run. The bird does not like dense forests or areas that are too dry. It is known that the Emu ostrich harms the crops of farmers, so they mercilessly exterminate the birds of this breed. Ideally in natural environment Emu can live up to 20 years, but in practice, his age is usually up to 10.

In their natural range, emus are quite friendly, but nevertheless, ornithologists recommend refraining from hand-feeding these birds. For such entertainment, it is recommended to visit special reserves or farms where the ostrich also feels good. Currently, there are farms with emu not only in Australia, but also in China, Peru, North America and Canada.

A favorite place for “walks” of Emu ostriches is agricultural land. Australian farmers even set up a scarecrow in the fields on purpose, and also use shepherd dogs as guards. However, there are more modern methods scaring away birds from the fields, for example, electrical alarms. In addition, the population is screened out by the worst enemies of Emu - eagles, hawks and Dingo dogs, one of which is shown in the picture.

Video "Ostrich Emu in the nursery"

This video allows you to evaluate the dimensions of the bird, its behavior and appearance.

In this article we will talk about the emu - an amazing bird, one of the largest, deprived of the ability to fly, but a very interesting representative of the animal world.

What does an emu look like

This original ostrich grows up to 1.5–1.8 meters, while gaining weight from 35 to 55 kg.

The bird has a dense body, a small head and a long pale blue neck with sparse gray-brown and brown feathers that absorb the radiation of the sun, and a spacious (more than 0.3 m) thin-walled sac with a trachea in it. The eyes are round and protected by a nictitating membrane. The bird has a pink beak with a curved end, no teeth.
Emu is not a flying bird, and therefore its wings are almost not developed: they lack flight and tail feathers. The length of the wings is not more than 25 cm, but on their ends there is a growth in the form of a claw.

Strong and developed legs without feathers allow the bird to take a step 2.5 meters long and run up to 50 kilometers per hour at a short distance. An ostrich has three toes on each foot with very sharp claws.

The plumage of this bird deserves special attention: it is arranged so that the emu does not overheat in the heat, and does not freeze in the cold. Feathers are soft, brownish-gray.

What is the difference between an emu and an ostrich

Although the emu is classified as an ostrich (by the way, very conditionally: the closest relative of the emu is not an ostrich, but a cassowary), but this bird has certain differences from them, for example:

1. The ostrich is much larger than the emu, its weight can reach 150 kg, and the emu is 2-3 times less.
2. An ostrich has a place on its chest that is not covered with feathers, an emu does not.
3. Ostriches have 2 toes, while emus have 3.
4. The feathers of an ostrich are loose and curly, while those of an emu are structural, resembling wool.
5. Emus, unlike ostriches, are characterized by limited monogamy: one or two females.
6. Emus have dark eggs, while ostriches have white eggs.

Where does it live

The bird lives mainly in Australia, in the savannah, where there is a lot of grass and shrubs, but you can also meet it in Tasmania. Dislikes noisy and populated areas, arid places and dense forests. A favorite place to visit is sown fields, which cause significant harm. Emu is a loner, but sometimes it can be in a group of 3-5 individuals.

Did you know? An ostrich has more eyes than an elephant's.

Lifestyle and character

By nature, this bird is a nomad: it moves from place to place mainly in search of food, and with its long stride it is not at all difficult to overcome several tens of kilometers.

In the daytime, in the very sun, he rests somewhere in the shade, in the thickets, but in the evening, when the heat subsides, the emu becomes active, but only in the evening, the night for him is a time of deep sleep. To do this, he settles on the ground, stretches his neck and sleeps like that. But it is better for him to doze off sitting, half-closing his eyes.
It is believed that the emu is a stupid bird, but its stupidity is more than offset by caution: even when feeding, it periodically stretches its neck and listens to what is happening around, and if it smells something bad, it will start to run away from danger. However, the enemies wild nature the bird has almost none - its claws on its feet are capable of killing.

Emu likes to be on his own, not getting close to either people or large representatives of the animal world, but sometimes does not mind joining a small group of relatives. Under natural conditions, lives up to 15 years, but in captivity - up to 25.

Did you know? An ostrich can kill a lion with a kick.

What does an emu eat

It is not picky in nutrition, rather, it is omnivorous, but plants form the basis of its diet. Eats, as a rule, in the morning. Can eat mice, lizards, insects, small birds. He swallows food, and then throws small pebbles and sand into his stomach, which already grind the food that got there earlier.
Water in his diet is not the main thing, he can do without it for a long time. In a body of water encountered on the way, it can quench its thirst, as well as swim.

reproduction

Approximately at the age of two years, the emu begins puberty, and in the coming December-January, the breeding season begins, which is preceded by mating games. First, the male calls the female with his special sounds, then they stand opposite each other, lower their heads to the very ground and swing them in different directions, and then go to the masonry site prepared in advance by the male - a small depression in the ground, lined with foliage and dry grass.

The female lays one egg, usually daily, but it happens that this happens every other day or two. On average, from 11 to 20 pieces weighing 700–900 g each come out.
In the photo on the left (dark green) - emu eggs, on the right (white) - ostrich But daddy incubates eggs and for him this is a difficult period: for about two months he leaves the nest only to eat and drink, and even then not far and not at all for a long time. After 56 days, chicks appear, covered with down and already sighted, after 2-3 days they are already able to leave the nest, and after another day - to accompany dad from behind, wherever he goes.

For the next 7-8 months, only the father takes care of the offspring, the female does not take any part in the later life of the offspring.

Did you know? Emu's brain and eyes are the same size.

Why have their numbers dwindled so much?

The main reason for the decline in the number of these birds is their destruction by man.

In the 20–30s of the last century, agriculture began to actively develop in Australia, and the area of ​​cultivated land expanded significantly. At the same time, the number of emus, which had sharply increased due to migration, in search of easy prey for food, began to raid farms and cultivated lands. They ate and damaged crops, broke holes in fences, through which rodents then penetrated.
The Australian government has received tens of thousands of complaints from farmers about ostrich infestation and damage. The so-called "war with the emu" was started, when they tried to shoot the birds (three hunters were appointed, two Lewis light machine guns and ten thousand rounds of ammunition were allocated). And when this method did not bring the expected results, the government resumed the previously introduced system of incentives for the independent elimination of ostriches. As a result, over 57 thousand of these birds were destroyed in just six months of 1934.

Emu's ability to adapt to new conditions and unpretentiousness to food became the reason for their active farm breeding, including in the Nordic countries. Consider the conditions for keeping these exotic birds and caring for them.

Requirements for the premises

When equipping the premises, the following requirements should be taken into account:

1. Square. When kept in stalls, the calculation for an adult is 10–15 square meters. m, and on the growing - 5 sq. m.
2. The pad should be thick and comfortable.
3. Timely cleaning and disinfection of the floor.
4. Ensuring constant air circulation (enough if there are opening windows).
5. Maintaining optimal temperature regime- from +10 to +24°C, and up to +30°C in winter and during hatching.
6. Equipment with feeders and drinkers, given the growth of livestock.

Aviary for walking

The site should be spacious, for an adult not less than 50-60 square meters. m. with a separate corral with a canopy so that the birds can hide from the sun.
The fence of the enclosure should be equipped with a height of 1.5–1.8 m. A fine mesh is optimal for the fence - the emu will not be able to stick its head in and get injured.

Important! The sharp edges of the fence mesh should be sanded - this will protect the ostriches from injury.

How to endure winter cold

These ostriches adapt well to cold weather and can feel good even at -20°C.

What to feed

At home, cereal crops are suitable for food, in the summer season - freshly cut grass, and in the winter - hay.
Mineral and vitamin complexes, grain mash, bone meal, chicken eggs, meat and bread are used as feed additives. Half the bird's diet should consist of succulent and roughage.

Important! An adult emu should receive no more than three kilograms of food per day. Otherwise, overeating will begin, which, in turn, will lead to excess weight and curvature of the limbs.

Emu eggs and meat: benefits, uses in cooking

Speaking of emu eggs, it should be noted that this is a storehouse of beneficial nutrients. They contain:

1. Phosphorus.
2. Iron.
3. B vitamins - folic acid and cobalamins.
4. Retinol.
5. Calciferol.

In eggs, about 68% useful to man polyunsaturated fats and 31% saturated, and they also contain 8 essential amino acids for people.

Emu is a large bird that looks very much like an ostrich. For this reason, the emu was previously called the Australian ostrich and was assigned to the Ostrich order. However, it has now been proven that the emu is closer to cassowaries, therefore, in modern taxonomy, it is the only species in the emu family in the Cassowary order.

Emu, or Australian ostrich (Dromaius novaehollandiae).

Despite the large size, the emu is still much smaller than the African ostrich, it reaches a height of 150-180 cm, weighs 35-55 kg. It does not have such peculiar structural features as the African ostrich - the bladder and two-toed paws, that is, the emu is more like a typical bird.

The paws of the emu are three-toed, not as powerful as those of a real ostrich, but nevertheless strong nonetheless.

The nature of the feather cover is also very different. Emu feathers are very strongly feathered, therefore they have a hair-like structure. Another distant relative of the emu, the kiwi, has such wool-like plumage. At the same time, the emu has ostrich features: a flattened beak and clearly distinguishable auricles. On the body of the emu, the feathers are very long and its body resembles a living haystack, on the head and neck the feathers are short and curly. The color of the plumage is black-brown, the head and neck are black, the upper part of the neck is light gray, the iris is orange-brown. Sexual dimorphism is weakly expressed - females are slightly larger than males.

Emus live exclusively in Australia and on the island of Tasmania off its coast. These birds inhabit open and dry biotopes - shrub thickets and grass savannahs (Australian bush), they can enter the outskirts of deserts, but do not penetrate into their depths. Emus are sedentary; in the western part of the continent, some birds make seasonal movements: in summer to the north, in winter to the south. Emus usually keep alone, less often in pairs or in small groups of 3-5 individuals. Adult birds have almost no enemies, so they calmly walk in open spaces and only in case of danger break into a fast run, while they reach speeds of up to 50 km / h. Emu's eyesight is well developed, so they can see a moving object several hundred meters away and do not allow close proximity to large animals and people. Nevertheless, in a direct collision, the Australian ostrich is capable of breaking the ribs of a dog or the arm of a person with a blow from a strong leg. In a normal situation, emus are practically silent, males during the mating season make sounds that vaguely resemble a quiet whistle.

An emu grazes in a zoo enclosure.

They feed on rhizomes, seeds and fruits of plants, small animals (grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants, beetles, lizards, etc.). Food is pecked from the ground and plant stems. Emus tolerate drought well, but on occasion they willingly drink water from temporary puddles, and also visit shallow reservoirs. These birds love to swim and even know how to swim. But they, on the contrary, do not like to take dust baths.

The breeding season is December-January. At this time, males become aggressive and drive rivals from their territories. Unlike real ostriches, emus are limitedly monogamous: each male mates with only one female, extremely rarely with 2, at the same time, after mating with a male, the female is free from any parental responsibilities and can mate again with another male. The male alone builds a nest from branches and grass, placing it in a recess on open space With good overview. The female lays 7-8 eggs weighing 700-900 g each, that is, one emu egg equals 10-12 chicken ones. Emu eggs are very different from African ostrich eggs. Their color varies from dark blue, almost black to greenish blue. This color resembles cassowary eggs. In some males, up to 20 eggs can accumulate in the nest, some of which, of course, were conceived by the female from a previous partner.

Emu eggs.

All worries about the offspring are carried exclusively by the male, the female is not only indifferent to the offspring, but according to observations in captivity, she can even show aggression towards the male after mating. The male incubates the clutch for 53-60 days. And again, the difference in behavior with the African ostrich is striking. If ostriches provide laying to the rays of the sun during the day and are considered careless mother hens, then the emu literally does not get up from the nest for a minute. He does not eat, does not defecate, drinks only dew from the grass, does not leave the nest even when approaching it closely. For two months of such incubation, the male becomes very thin and survives only due to the fat reserves accumulated earlier. After the chicks hatch, the male carefully leads them and guards them. The down cover of the chicks is striped (spotted on the head), they grow quickly, but reach full development only by 2 years. In nature, emus live 10-20 years, in captivity up to 28.

Emu chicks.

Despite their large size, emus have a hectic life. The main danger threatens the chicks, 50% of the young will not live to adulthood. Emus are hunted by dingoes, monitor lizards, foxes, their nests are destroyed by wild boars brought to Australia. Emu has a dual relationship with humans. On the one hand, the development of Australian lands and subsequent deforestation has significantly expanded the open spaces suitable for emu habitat. They found an inexhaustible supply of food and water in the farmers' fields and became pests. Agriculture. On the other hand, emus were heavily hunted for their meat, feather fat and skin. Now the number of emus in Australia is high, in addition, they are bred on farms in the USA, Canada, China and Peru. There are over a million emus in captivity! These birds are unpretentious, breed well and are not aggressive compared to African ostriches. Emu meat is considered dietary due to its low fat content, subcutaneous fat (located outside the muscles) is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, the skin is used in the manufacture of haberdashery. Feathers, eyelashes, claws and unhatched emu eggs are also used. Defective eggs turn white and are suitable for making souvenirs, jewelry is made from polished claws.

The emu is found wild in Australia. Due to its large size, the bird needs enough space. Emu is the second largest among birds in the world, the growth of an adult bird reaches almost two meters: to be more precise, it is 170-190 cm. The average weight of an adult is 70-80 kg. Note the long neck and legs of this bird - these features allow the ostrich in the wild to quickly run long distances. The Emu ostrich cannot fly, but it swims quite well.

As for the differences between the female and the male, in this case, heterosexual birds differ little - and an unprepared person is unlikely to immediately figure out who is in front of him. The height and weight of the individuals are approximately the same, and the main difference lies in the characteristic guttural calling sounds that the male makes during the mating season. The behavior of birds in normal times is quite calm, however, during the mating season, males can become aggressive.

Description of the breed

First of all, to obtain their large eggs containing many useful trace elements. In addition, Emu feathers are also important - they are used to make luxury items, clothing, and jewelry. Ostrich skin is also of value - soft chic shoes, bags, and other leather goods are made from it. Also, the ostrich gives valuable fat used in cosmetology.

The female lays eggs in January-February. A standard clutch contains from two to 30 full-fledged eggs: each egg has a characteristic rounded-oblong shape and weighs approximately 600-650 grams. Note that the female retains fertility and the ability to carry eggs for 20 years.