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This request came to the forum from someone on a small island in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia. Followed by answers from this blog host......

"Questions on Raising 2 Emu Chicks with Alpaca, goats, sheep. We are thinking of introducing emu (1 or 2 chicks) to our little barnyard.."

1. Is it safe to house an emu with 3 alpaca, 2 Nubian goats, 2 babydoll southdown sheep all together? I have heard of people cohabiting emu with sheep and goats and if you heard about Lucy on the Loose BC news coverage then you will know that Lucy lives with a deer. I would think that one of the issues would be the size of their enclosure and whether there are places to take cover. Our emus have been raised with border collies around but never in the pen. Emus are very adaptable with gradual change but if startled will try to run away at great speed or if cornered come out kicking!

2. Is it best to have 1 emu? Emus are very social especially with their own kind. I had a single chick hatch and had to buy 3 Road Island Red chicks to keep it company. Emus on their own will usually make a strong bond with their owners, however it is not the same as another emu. I agree with Briefvisit that two females would not be a good idea. Females are generally the alpha of the species. The likelihood of one trying to drive the other away so that she is available for any passing emu males is very strong. Better to have a pair or two males in my opinion.


Source: Wikimedia Commons

3. Alpacas have big, shiny eyes! Can the emu hurt them? Emus are very curious and pecking is a large part of their daily activity. I would think shiny eyes would be irresistible.

4. Fencing...we have 4 foot fences all around our pastures. Four foot fencing works well with chicks up to 6-8 months. We also use it for our established breeders who are in 100x20' pens with wooden rails between the posts so that they can't get their body weight over . However the growout pens for 8-18 month olds are much larger in area and so we use 6' wire. Remember that a bird being chased by another emu will pickup a good speed and can jump amazingly high when aided with their strong toes climbing the fencing.
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