Emu Farming
1. Introduction
2. Infrastucture required for raising Emus
3. Chicks from hatch to 3 months
4. Grow-out camps
5. Breeding pens
6. Feed
7. Breeding
8. Diseases
Introduction
The emu is principally farmed for low-fat meat, high quality leather and oil. Emu oil has a reputation largely derived from its traditional use over hundreds of years by the Australian Aboriginals. Western Australia was the first State in Australia to allow commercial emu farming in 1970, with approval being given in Queensland in 1987 to the Cherbourg Aboriginal Community to capture 300 wild emus for a primary breeding stock.
Emu farming in South Africa began in 1994 with the importation of two lots of birds by, Alec Rough and Tony LeRoy. Since that time, the population of these ratites has grown to about 8000.
Any stock producing industry starts with a breeding phase where the breeding population has to grow to a size to produce enough offspring for slaughter.
South Africa is still in the in the breeding phase, where most commercial emu farmers make their money from selling live birds.
It is estimated that the transition from a live market to a slaughter market will occur in this industry within the next two to tree years. Emus are hardy and easy to manage. Chores consist of checking each animal’s overall demeanor and appearance, cleaning out their water, and feeding them twice a day.
Emus breed during decreasing daylight hours in South Africa, from April to September. We collect their eggs early in the morning. The eggs are a beautiful dark bluish-green color and can easily win an avocado look alike competition. The eggs are labeled and stored for incubation. In the incubator, the eggs are rotated at lease twice daily. Eggs take 52 to 54 days to hatch.
Once chicks are hatched, they are kept in brooder for three days. Thereafter they are allowed to run out side and enter the heated area freely. Chicks are raised to 14 months of age, when they can produce between 10 to 14 kg of fat. The fat is processed in an oil refinery plant, to produce emu oil.
Infrastucture required for raising Emus
Chicks from hatch to 3 months
At night they should be housed in a heated area. A covered area of 3m x 3m will comfortably house 25 chicks. The outside run outs are at lease 15m long and 3m wide. The fence can be diamond mesh of 1.2m height. The rooms should have some sort of floor covering that can be easily removed and cleaned daily.
Protection from predators is important as eagles and owls can easily take small birds.
Grow-out camps
Grow-out camps should be as large as possible. Twenty-five to 40 birds of similar size may be placed in an area of 50m x 50m. Fences should be 1.8m high and constructed of either Veldspan game fencing or diamond mesh. It is necessary to keep predators and dogs out and keep the birds in.
Camps should have shelters to protect the birds against the sun and long rainy periods.
Breeding pens
There are two different types of breeding pens, small- and colony breeding pens. There is no right or wrong when it comes to these two types. It depends on the farmer perceptions and/or preferences.
The breeding pen for each pair should be 10m x 30m. The bigger the area the more difficult it would be to collect the eggs.
Colony breading pens are generally stocked with about 5 pairs.
Feed
The diet of the Emu is very important. A breeding pair that is not properly fed can produce +/- 15 eggs of which only 30% will hatch. The same pair on a proper diet can produce more than 35 eggs with a hatch rate of more than 80%.
A Ostrich starter crumble/mash is used until they are about 10 weeks old, from 11 weeks they are gradually introduced to a grower pellet.
They should be switched to a breeding ration at the age of 16 months until they stop laying.
DE is a non-toxic, safe substance made up from crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. Crushed to a fine powder and observed through a microscope, the particles resemble bits of broken glass. Deadly to any insect and completely harmless to animals, fish, fowl or food. Most insects have a waxy outer shell covering their bodies, INSECT STOP scratches through this shell causing the insect to dehydrate leading to eventual death.
RESULTS OF THE USE OF CODEX FOOD-GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH WITH POULTRY, C.S. Mangen, DVM, San Diego, California
Using two groups of birds with each group consisting of 8,000 white leghorn caged layers in their pullet year which had been producing for five months. After feeding the test group 60 lbs. of diatomaceous earth per 1-1/2 tons of standard mixed feed (17% protein) for 2 and 1/2 months the following results were observed:
- There appeared to be less flies around the test group.
- Droppings are of a drier consistency, making for easier cleaning of the house.
- Seventy-five percent less deaths in the test group.
- A 2-4 case per day increase in egg production by the test group compared to the control group.
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DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
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Chicken |
Emu |
Ostrich |
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Never feed any feedstuff that is damp, moldy, musty, or suspect in any way.
Breeding
Birds usually begin to breed when they are two years old. Those that hatch late in the season may not breed until they are 3 years of age. The female lays an egg every 2 to 3 days. If left in the camp in a nest, the male will eventually do the incubation. Most farmers incubate their eggs artificially to ensure higher yields.
Diseases
We are not aware of any diseases that affect emus.
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