Emus

Emus are native to Australia.  They are the 2nd largest flightless bird right behind the Ostrich.  While Emus don’t fly, they do have small wings that they use to steer when they run.  They can run up to 30 mph!

The lifespan of an Emu is about 10 years.  They are omnivores, eating both plants and animals (insects).  Our Emus are fed grain.  To help in digestion, Emus will swallow large pebbles to help grind up food in their stomach!

A fascinating thing about emus is how the chicks are hatched. The female emu will lay between 5 and 15 eggs over the course of a couple weeks.  We call it a clutch. The female will leave the clutch of eggs and then the male emu takes over by laying on the egg nest and protecting them.  The male sits on the eggs for 8 weeks straight without eating or drinking and will lose 30% of his body weight.  He will get up slightly to rotate the eggs with his beak. The male hatches the babies out and protects them.  They sleep under him each night.  Male Emus are very dedicated daddy’s!

Emus can be used for their meat, feathers, oil and skin.  

Emus have a long history of living on the Anelin Farm.  When farmer Cameron was young, his parents bred and raised Emus and Ostriches.  In the 1980’s, Emus and Ostriches were very rare in the United States and selling them was a profitable business for his parents.  Over time, the Andelins phased out breeding and raising Emus and Ostriches.  When Cameron and Natalie opened the Andelin Family Farm to the public, they were happy to bring Emus back to live at the Andelin farm!