Emu ostrich: description and differences from other breeds where it lives and breeding

Emu ostriches look like real African ostriches, but according to biological classification they do not belong to them. Consider the description and characteristics of this bird species, how it differs from the African ostrich, productive characteristics. How to properly maintain, care for and feed an emu at home. How to breed birds at home.

Origin story

Australia, the birthplace of the emu, has been a closed continent for millions of years, so many endemic animal species live there. At first, emus were attributed to ostriches, but later it turned out that they have many differences, and emus are more similar to cassowaries.In the modern classification, the species is conditionally divided into 3 subspecies, which have external differences and live in different regions of the continent.

Description and characteristics of emu

In appearance, the emu resembles a cassowary, but it does not have leathery outgrowths on its neck. The plumage is dark brown. Body length - 1.5-1.9 m, weight - 30-55 kg. Running speed - 50 km / h, step width - 2.5 m. In nature, birds are able to travel long distances in search of food. They drink once a day, if the opportunity presents itself, then more, they even know how to swim.

The legs of birds are long and powerful, they use them as a means of protection. Emus have keen hearing and eyesight. Can withstand exposure to both heat and cold. In the wild they live 10-20 years, with home cultivation - 30 years.

Outwardly, it is difficult to distinguish females from males - there are no special differences in size and color of plumage. The difference can be noticed during the mating season - males, calling for females, make guttural sounds. By nature, the birds are calm, aggressive can only be during the breeding season.They treat a person calmly, they also react adequately to their fellows.

Differences from an ostrich

The Australian emu is smaller than the African ostrich. He also has differences in the structure of bones: on his feet there are 3 fingers, not 2, there are claws on each finger. Claw-like growths are also found on underdeveloped wings. In size and plumage, females and males are almost the same, they can be distinguished by the sounds they make. The emu differs from the ostrich in that it lives alone or in small families of 3-5 birds.

Where does it live?

Emu settled throughout Australia and on the island of Tasmania. They live in savannahs, bushes, they are not found in deserts.

Productivity

Outside of the Australian continent, emus are grown in North America, Peru and China and elsewhere, although to a lesser extent. Basically, birds are bred for meat, eggs, skin and fat.The meat is lean, high in protein and low in cholesterol. It is red in color and looks and tastes like beef. Lean and refers to dietary products. It can be used by people of any age, he althy and sick, overweight people. Slaughter yield - on average, 55%.

Eggs each female can carry up to 50 pieces. Each can immediately replace 10-15 pieces of chicken. Ostrich eggs can be boiled, fried, made into an omelette. Durable shell is used for crafts. He althy female emus can lay eggs for up to 20 years. Fat is used for the preparation of medicinal and cosmetic products. Leather - for the manufacture of bags, shoes, clothes, wallets. Products made from ostrich leather are valued for their beauty, original texture, strength, durability, resistance to moisture.Feathers - to decorate dresses and hats.

Features of maintenance and care

Emus tolerate the cold well, but you can't keep them outside all the time. For them, it is necessary to build a warm, closed room, the temperature in which will not be lower than 15 ˚С. In summer, you can keep ostriches outdoors around the clock, but you need to build a covered canopy in it, where birds can hide in rain and wind. In winter, birds can also be released there, but only if the frost does not exceed -15 ˚С and there is no wind.

For each adult emu will need 10-15 square meters. m of poultry house area, for an ostrich - 5 sq. m. The corral should be even more extensive - 50 square meters each. m. per bird.

The grazing area should be fenced with a high fence 2 m high to prevent birds from getting outside. A fine mesh is used for it, this is necessary so that the ostriches cannot stick their heads into the holes and get injured. All sharp edges need to be rounded for the same reason.

Caring for Australian emus consists of cleaning the room, changing the bedding, which should be changed at least once a week. Ventilate the room every day by opening windows and doors. But it is better to install an automatic ventilation system that will maintain the level of clean air without human intervention.

Emus are endowed with strong immunity and rarely get sick if they are properly raised. But still, these large birds can get respiratory viral and bacterial diseases. With improper nutrition, they suffer from digestive disorders, poisoning, gastrointestinal diseases, acute and chronic. The fluffy feathers of ostriches can harbor parasites.

Ostrich keeping involves preventive treatment of livestock from external and internal parasites, vaccination against viral diseases. And treatment, if the development of the disease has already occurred. A chick or an adult ostrich, if he is sick, should be placed in a separate room so that he does not come into contact with he althy pets.Treat the rest by giving them a prophylactic dose of the drug. You can return the ostrich back only after full recovery of he alth.

Meeting plan

Of course, feeding emus with what they eat in their homeland will not work. Birds grown in artificial conditions have adapted to the local vegetation, and eat grass, such as clover and alfalfa, as well as the tops of garden plants, greens, and herbs. In summer, ostriches can even be grazed on ordinary pastures, and hay and silage can be harvested for the winter.

Emus will not refuse fruits, berries, vegetables. In addition, the diet should include grain mixtures with the addition of premixes, bone meal, chalk and s alt. Each ostrich is given 3 kg of food per day, and half of this amount should be rough and juicy food.

You can replace the mash with poultry feed. Of course, it will take a lot, but the use of ready-made mixtures is beneficial - they are stored for a long time, do not deteriorate, and do not take up much space. But most importantly, birds grow faster on such food than on grass-grain mixtures. For industrial cultivation of emus, it is recommended to stop at this option.

To prevent the birds from being thirsty, they need to be watered 3 times a day. Drinkers should have fresh water, so you need to change it every day. Like other birds, emus need small pebbles, which must enter the stomach to grind food. Therefore, in the poultry house, you need to put a bowl and pour fine gravel into it.

Breeding rules

The breeding season for emu is in December-January, with artificial breeding - in the spring. The family of ostriches consists of 1 male and 1-2 females. One female lays up to 10 green-shelled eggs weighing 0.7-0.9 kg each.The male incubates the eggs for 50-60 days. He sits in the nest almost around the clock, but goes away for a while to eat. During incubation, ostrich eggs turn from green to blue-green. This means that the chicks are developing successfully in them.

Chicks hatch with a mass of 0.5 kg. Grow quickly, puberty occurs at 2 years. When breeding in an incubator, which is used on ostrich farms, in order not to keep a lot of males, they maintain a temperature of 37-38 ˚С and a humidity of 40-70%.

After hatching, the chicks are sent to a separate room from adult birds. There they are kept up to 3-4 months of age at a temperature of 20 ˚С. Then they are released for general grazing. In the early days, ostrich chicks, like chickens, are fed with a mixture of boiled eggs, cottage cheese and greens. Then the young animals are transferred to a light compound feed intended for chickens. By the age of one month, ostriches can be accustomed to grain mash, greens, vegetables and fruits.

You can also feed on compound feed if such feeding is beneficial.The advantages of compound feed are the rapid growth of chicks and adult birds, ease of use. Disadvantages - high cost. Australian emu can be a good investment. If you need to choose what you can make a profit on, then you need to pay attention to the breeding of this bird, which is still exotic for agriculture.

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