Raising emus is manageable for small farms and rural properties, but these large, powerful birds need specific housing, nutrition, and handling practices that differ significantly from standard poultry. Adults weigh 40 to 44 kg (roughly 90 to 97 pounds), reach maturity at about 1.5 years, and can live for decades. Here’s what you need to know before bringing them home and at every stage afterward.
Fencing and Space Requirements
Emus need tall, sturdy fencing. The minimum height is 1.8 meters (about 5 feet 8 inches), built with wire mesh or high-tensile wire with droppers and tensioners. Never use barbed wire or electric wire, as both can injure these birds badly. Emus are curious and fast, and their feathered bodies don’t conduct electric shocks the way mammalian livestock does, so hot wire is both dangerous and ineffective.
For a breeding pair, the minimum pen size is 8 by 20 meters (roughly 26 by 66 feet), though 10 by 40 meters (33 by 131 feet) is recommended. If you plan to keep a breeding trio of two females and one male, you’ll need considerably more room: 25 by 80 meters (about 82 by 263 feet), because females can become aggressive toward each other. In larger colonies, allow at least 4 square meters (43 square feet) per adult bird in any holding area.
Shelter and Weather Protection
Emus tolerate a wide range of temperatures, but they still need a three-sided shelter or roofed structure that provides shade in summer and blocks wind and rain in winter. Good ventilation is critical. Enclosed spaces that trap moisture and ammonia from droppings cause respiratory problems quickly. The goal is steady airflow without direct drafts hitting the birds. A simple open-front shed with a deep, dry bedding layer works well for most climates. In regions with extreme cold or heat, you may need to add fans, misters, or insulated walls to keep conditions comfortable.
What Emus Eat
Commercially formulated ratite or emu feed is the backbone of their diet. Protein content matters most, and it changes with age. Research shows that feed with only 14% protein fails to support maximum growth in young emus. Chicks and juveniles need higher-protein starter and grower rations (typically 18 to 20%), while adult maintenance and breeder diets can taper to 15 to 16%. Most emu producers use pelleted feed because emus tend to pick through mash and waste it.
In addition to pellets, emus eat grass, leafy greens, fruits, and insects they forage from their enclosure. Fresh water must be available at all times. Adults drink a surprising amount, and dehydration shows up fast as lethargy and poor feather condition. Breeding females need a well-balanced breeder ration before and during the laying season, because nutritional deficiencies at this stage carry directly into egg quality and chick health.
Breeding and Egg Incubation
Emus typically begin breeding around 1.5 to 2 years of age. Females lay large, dark green eggs weighing about 500 to 700 grams each, usually during the cooler months. In the wild, the male sits on the nest and incubates the eggs, but most farmers collect eggs for artificial incubation to improve hatch rates.
Incubation takes approximately 42 days. Set your incubator temperature between 97.5 and 99.0°F. Humidity is managed by targeting a moisture loss of 12 to 16% of the egg’s original weight over the incubation period. You can track this by weighing eggs weekly. As the chick approaches hatching and begins to pip through the shell externally, raise the humidity in the hatcher to 70 to 75% relative humidity. This prevents the chick from sticking to the inner membrane, a common cause of failed hatches.
Brooding and Chick Care
Newly hatched emu chicks are striped, about the size of a large duckling, and surprisingly fragile for the first few weeks. Brooding temperature should start around 85 to 90°F and decrease gradually as the chicks feather out. Provide a heat lamp or radiant heater at one end of the brooder so chicks can move toward or away from the warmth.
Splayed legs are one of the most common problems in emu chicks, and they’re largely preventable. Slippery flooring is the main culprit. Line the hatcher floor with a towel, and use straw or textured matting in the chick pen. Eliminate any slick spots or gaps where a leg could slide out. Nutritional deficiencies also cause leg problems: chicks need a balanced ration with adequate vitamins and minerals to develop strong tendons and bones. Deformed legs specifically point to B vitamin deficiency. If caught early, switching to a better-quality feed can correct it, but once the bones harden in a bad position, the damage is permanent.
Give chicks plenty of room to move. Overcrowding leads to injuries, stress, and disease. Keep their pen clean and dry, and watch for signs of lethargy or abnormal droppings in the first few weeks, when they’re most vulnerable.
Handling Adult Emus Safely
Emus kick forward. This is the single most important safety fact for anyone working with them. All handling should happen from behind or from the side, never from the front. An adult emu weighing 45 kg or more can deliver a powerful blow with a hard, slightly serrated edge on the back of its leg.
To restrain an adult, approach from behind, hold the wings firmly against its body, and keep your hands and arms tight to the bird. Position your feet on the outside of the emu’s feet to avoid getting struck on the shins. An alternative technique involves standing behind the bird, pressing down on its back with one hand while the other hand reaches around from the side to grip the loose skin between the legs and breastplate. Squeezing gently in this area tends to immobilize the bird temporarily.
If you lose your grip, let go immediately and move away. Trying to re-grab a struggling emu puts you in the kick zone. If you do end up in front of the bird, seize the upper neck or back of the head and pull it forward and downward. This throws the emu off balance and reduces its ability to kick. Remove watches, bracelets, and loose clothing before handling, as emu toes can snag on anything dangling from your wrists.
Common Health Issues
Erysipelas is one of the most serious diseases in farmed emus. It strikes suddenly, primarily during cold, wet months, and the first sign is often dead birds with no prior symptoms. In outbreaks, mortality runs 6 to 10% within the first 7 to 10 days. When clinical signs do appear, they include lethargy and greenish diarrhea. Vaccination at 4 weeks and again at 8 weeks of age controls the disease effectively, providing at least 12 months of protection. On farms where erysipelas has already occurred, annual vaccination is standard practice.
Internal parasites are another ongoing concern, especially in birds on pasture. Regular fecal testing lets you monitor worm loads and treat as needed rather than deworming on a fixed schedule, which can encourage resistance. Overcrowding and wet ground increase parasite pressure, so rotating paddocks and maintaining good drainage makes a real difference.
Respiratory infections, usually tied to poor ventilation or dusty bedding, round out the most common health problems. Keeping shelters well-ventilated and bedding dry prevents most cases before they start.
What Emu Products Are Worth
Emus produce oil, meat, leather, and feathers. Emu oil, rendered from the thick layer of subcutaneous and abdominal fat (adults carry roughly 10 kg of it), is the highest-value product. Retail prices run around $100 for a 16-ounce bottle. Emu meat sells at specialty retailers for $50 to $70 per pound for steaks, with premium cuts like fan filets reaching $200 for a whole piece. Even emu burgers sell for about $50 per pound.
These are retail prices, not what a farmer receives wholesale, so your actual revenue per bird will be lower. Still, the combination of oil, meat, and leather from a single animal creates multiple income streams. The market is niche, which means demand is smaller but prices are higher, and finding reliable buyers before you scale up is essential. Many successful emu farmers sell directly to consumers online or at farmers’ markets rather than going through distributors.
Growth Timeline at a Glance
- Hatch to 8 weeks: Brooder phase. Chicks grow rapidly and need high-protein starter feed, warm temperatures, and non-slip flooring.
- 2 to 6 months: Transition to grower feed. Birds move to outdoor pens and begin foraging. This is when leg problems and nutritional deficiencies show up most.
- 6 to 18 months: Rapid weight gain. Emus reach near-adult size and can be shifted to maintenance rations.
- 18 months: Sexual maturity. Birds can begin breeding, though many farmers wait until the second year for more consistent egg production.
- 4 to 6 years: Full adult weight and fat deposition. Females tend to be heavier, while males accumulate more fat.