How to Breed Emus

Emus are large, flightless birds that resemble ostriches. They are mostly bred for their low-fat meat, oil, hide and feathers. The adult birds are 5 to 6 feet tall and require a lot of space to stay healthy and active. Healthy emus can produce 20 or more chicks for 20 years. Emus aren't difficult to breed, but the eggs do require some special attention to ensure that they hatch.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Breeding pair
• Egg incubator
• Hatchling box
• Emu feed

1. Purchase sexually mature, animals that are about 3 years old. Younger animals may try to mate, but will likely not be fertile.
2. Separate the male and females emus into pairs with plenty of room to move around. Emus are not polygamous and may produce less eggs in colony pens.
3. Look for eggs during the laying season at about the time the weather begins to cool in the fall or winter. Emus dig a shallow nest in the dirt and may cover the eggs with twigs and leaves to protect them from predators.
4. Place the eggs into an incubator using gloves. Set the temperature to about 97 degrees F. The size of the incubator will determine how many eggs it can hold. Larger incubators can hold as many as 1,000 eggs.
5. Allow the eggs to incubate for 47 to 55 days. The emu chicks will peck their way out of the eggs, usually without needing help. If a chick seems to be struggling or taking too much time to hatch, you can assist by pulling back a portion of the shell.
6. Place the baby chicks in a box that is set up specifically for hatchlings. Allow them some room to walk around and stretch their muscles. Position some lights in or above the box to keep the chicks warm. Place some water and emu feed in the box.