anybody know how to sex an emu?

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I just got an adult emu out of Animal Control. They call me on all the wierd stuff! It's a big, scary looking bird. Very reptilian. Any emu experts out there who can tell me how to determine the sex of this animal (from a distance, of course!) or any other things I need to be aware of? Thanks!

-- Shannon (Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary) (gratacres@aol.com), August 15, 2000

Answers

Ask it out on a date and see how it reacts?

-- William in WI (thetoebes@webtv.net), August 15, 2000.

Shannon, We have four young emus. We got ours about the same way you did. I called some friends and they said the female will make a thumping sound while the male makes no sound. Keep in a tall fence,six feet or better. Watch their feet if you need to go into the area that they are in. They can kick the heck out of you. Good Luck, Sundancers Farm...Vanessa

-- Vanessa Weese (sdancers@nr.infi.net), August 15, 2000.

Shannon, we loved the emu business, we were more than happy to take their money to build their fences, those elaborate labs for incubation etc. As for our pair, now down to just the female she lives in a cattle panel pasture. They don't need lots of room, just lots of fence line to walk! She rarely is in the middle of her pasture. They love wading pools, and we have a mister/sprinkler system set up on a motion control device. We also have fed her nothing but layer pellets for the last 5 or 6 years. She was wormed with Ivermectin Injectable when she got here, but nothing else, we also took off her leg tag since it was cutting into her leg. She is very friendly and does scare me a little when she walks up to me, though my husband loves her and lets her rub all over him! The eggs are the coolest part. The males and females look exactly the same, no bigger or smaller, the older they get the more color they will get on their throats. The female has a large purplish colored stomach, which is really a sack that she fills full of air and boom's. The males also make a sound but it's this sack and the boom that is totally female. You will know for sure in a couple of months what you have since the females lay the eggs! Be warned, that big old body is only ran on the tinyest of brains, and they can shred you up through your jeans with just a flick of those powerful feet. Their peck doesn't hurt at all and ours is always steeling my husbands ball- cap off his head and running off with it. Definetly not an animal for children to be around, since you can't predict how they will react. We put up that orange construction fencing, out about 3 feet from the pen when the preschools come for tours. She has never hurt anyone, but she will rip and stomp a hen, cat or baby goat to shreds if they come into her pen. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), August 15, 2000.

I have a friend who raises emus. She makes a lot of money from eBay.com selling those huge avocado looking eggs. She blows out the innards, and the artists buy lots of them. She also incorporates the emu feathers in the jewelry she makes ~ also on eBay. She hatched one of the eggs in an incubator. Then comes what you do if you want a pet: the bird was with her 24/7, even slept with her. The first week is crucial. Now that bird will lay in your lap; she'd rather be petted then eat. This tame emu and another emu, altho this ones not quite as tame, live in the chicken, duck, geese, pigeon yard, where they all free range. The rest of the emus have their own area.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), August 17, 2000.

Dunno, but it sure sounds like a Kodak Minute if I ever heard one.... best of luck, for sure!!.......k-k-k-katie

-- k-k-k-katie (yarsnpinnerkt@hotmail.comk), August 18, 2000.


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