An emu resembles an ostrich in size quite a bit. They belong to the Dromaius family and are the second-largest living bird in terms of height.
Emus are raised primarily for their meat, leather, feathers, and oil; they are not able to fly. Emu meat is considered thin and healthful because it has less than 1.5% fat, and 95% of an emu’s carcass is consumed.
These large birds may reach heights of 1.9 meters, with long legs and necks, silky brown feathers, and a top speed of 50 kilometers per hour.
They need a lot of food to maintain their energy levels and maintain the health of their enormous bodies because they run so quickly and have such a large body.
What Do Emus Eat?
Emus are omnivorous creatures because they enjoy eating a wide variety of plants and insects. They are relatively simple to maintain as pets and on farms thanks to their diverse diet.
They are also eager to eat since their huge bodies need a lot of nutrition to remain healthy.
Here is a quick rundown of the meals needed to maintain an emu’s health and happiness:
Water
Emus need to drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and metabolize their diet. 9 to 18 liters of water can be easily consumed each day by an adult emu. They won’t drink often, but when they do, they’ll drink a lot. It’s crucial to provide your emu with enough of fresh, clean water every day.
Plants
Emus will consume any type of plant-based diet. They enjoy eating a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as fresh herbs. They don’t hesitate in the least to eat leafy greens if they come upon something that looks appetizing, as well as green grass, cereals, crops, and hay.
Fruits and veggies
These plant-eaters take pleasure in consuming a wide range of nutritious fruits and vegetables. They enjoy virtually all fruits and vegetables that people like to eat, including carrots, cake, cabbage, beets, onions, potatoes, apples, and other root vegetables.
Grains and seeds
These birds love to consume grains. They enjoy eating huge seed varieties including corn, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and many others as well as oats, yeast, hay, bran, ray bread, and other sorts of grains.
Meat
Emus need a lot of protein to keep their bodies strong and healthy. Almost any non-poisonous bug can be caught and eaten by emus. Arthropods including grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, cockroaches, ladybirds, Bogong, cotton boll moths, ants, spiders, millipedes, and many others are among the many arthropods they prefer to consume.
Emus do not have as much access to insects in captivity. These emus will receive additional nutrition from farmers or breeders in the form of bone meal, chicken eggs, small animals, meat, and other animal items.
If they are starving enough or don’t get the nutrients they need, emus can also catch and eat tiny creatures like mice and lizards.
Small stones
To aid in digestion and to break down their meal, emus will swallow tiny stones. These stones typically weigh about 45 grams, although an emu’s gizzards may accommodate up to 740 grams of rock at once.
Feed
Most domesticated or agricultural animals are fed pellets. The nutritional content of these meals can vary, and many farmers prefer to feed emus feeds designed for chickens or even other animals.
Diet variations
Emus will eat a wide variety of unusual foods and weird objects because they are omnivorous and infamous peckers.
They have been observed consuming several other loose or random objects, including marbles, vehicle keys, jewels, nuts, and bolts.
These enormous birds have been known to like eating human cuisine. Tame emus may even attack people or attempt to steal food from them, including bread, sandwiches, fruits, and vegetables.
It’s crucial to keep their enclosures litter-free because they are such naturally curious creatures and enjoy to eat such a wide variety of strange stuff. Emus are prone to ingesting strange toxins like plastic, which can be quite harmful to their digestive systems.
How Much Do Emus Eat?
Emu chicks between the ages of 0 and 8 weeks should be given as much food as they desire. They should be permitted to feed frequently throughout the day. Your chicks won’t need more than 2 pounds of feed every day if you provide a nutritionally balanced feed.
Most farmers decide to switch to a different feed around 2 to 14 months. Chicks on this kind of feed eat less overall. With a higher protein feed, their nutritional requirements are satisfied more quickly, and their daily intake falls to around 2 pounds.
Most farms decide to introduce emus into free-feeding areas between 12 and 24 months of age. Additionally, they are changed to a different maintenance feed.
A full pound of ground or pelleted feed is consumed daily by adult emus. They will eat a lot less of these things if they are permitted to graze in natural fields all the time because they will get most of their meals from pastures and insects.
Adult emus will eat far less food during the mating season. They can consume as little as 1 pound of feed each day in terms of food.
Male emus who are brooding their eggs won’t eat or drink anything during the entire incubation period.
What Do Baby Emus Eat?
Emu chicks are fed a 20% protein emu chick starting diet from 0 to 8 weeks of age. These chicks will transition to a 20% emu grower diet between the ages of 2 and 14. To keep the emus well-fed as adults, the transition to a 16% maintenance feed can be made at 12 to 24 months of age.
What Do Wild Emus Eat?
Emus that live in the wild will eat as much food as they can find each day or until they are no longer able to eat.
The father of an emu will incubate and raise any chicks that are born in the wild. Even on the hottest days, these creatures will search for food because they are quite tolerant of the heat. Any edible food that young emus can fit into their beaks will be eaten. Insects, seeds, and all plant foods fall within this category.
Emus who are adults in the wild eat pasture grass, seeds, natural fruits, greens, insects, and even small animals that they happen to come across while foraging in their habitat to meet all of their nutritional demands. To aid in the digestion of many of these rougher or harder food kinds, they will also swallow tiny stones.
Are Emus Aggressive?
Emu attacks can be very hazardous. They can run at speeds of up to 50 km/h, and to protect themselves from predators, they will kick and use their toe claws. Emu mails can be rather violent during the breeding or mating seasons. Emus in the wild have the ability to become aggressive if they sense a threat.
However, emus maintained as pets or cattle are quite docile. They become acclimated to people and are less likely to act aggressively toward farm animals unless they are in danger from them.
Emus frequently become so docile that they barely ever need to be confined and are allowed to roam freely across properties without endangering people.
Do Emus Attack Humans?
Humans can be attacked by emus. They can do a lot of harm with those razor-sharp toe-claws, thus they are highly deadly. Your chances of beating an emu are reduced because these creatures move considerably more quickly than people.
Even though emus have killed humans on occasion, it is recommended to stay your distance if you notice aggressive behavior, especially if you come across an emu in the wild.
What Kind of Seeds Do Emus Eat?
Emus are fed a diet consisting of a variety of nutrients, including wheat and seeds, as pets and livestock.
Additionally, they enjoy picking at different kinds of seeds. They enjoy larger seeds that are simple for their enormous beaks to pounce on. Emus like eating a range of seeds, including corn, sunflower, grass, and tree varieties. They speed up digestion by crushing the tough seed shells with the pebbles and rocks they swallow.
Emus are amazing animals, and they make wonderful pets. These animals are incredibly helpful, and because their flesh contains so little fat, it is regarded as health meat. Emus can be dangerous, but if you have a good understanding of them and give them the correct food, you shouldn’t have any trouble rearing healthy, robust emus.
If you comprehend their intricate nutritional needs, they are rather simple to take care of. They will happily eat the majority of the food you feed them because they are keen eaters.
FAQ
What is special about emus?
The emu can run at up to 31 mph (50 km/h), making it a swift animal. They can cover a lot of ground and avoid danger thanks to their lengthy legs. Emus are proficient swimmers as well. Like the majority of ratites, emus are big flightless birds. non-flying birds Birds that have evolved to be flightless are those that have lost the capacity to fly. Over 60 species are still alive today, including penguins and the well-known ratites (ostriches, emus, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwis). The Inaccessible Island rail is the tiniest bird incapable of flight (length 12.5 cm, weight 34.7 g). Wiki: Flightless bird, available at https://en.wikipedia.org Bird without wings – Wikipedia The eggs are hatched by the male.
Why did emus go extinct?
When they first arrived in Van Diemen’s Land, European settlers are said to have feasted on emus and kangaroos. According to Mr. Derham, the early colonists were insane for shooting emus and kangaroos. The final captive bird perished in 1873, while the species continued to exist in the wild until 1865.
What is good about emus?
Emu meat is significantly lower in fat and cholesterol than beef while having higher levels of protein, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin E. (which contributes to the dark red color of the meat).
Why are emus so strong?
However, due to its long, strong legs, it can run at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour (50 kilometers per hour). Three of the toes on each foot of an emu face forward, allowing the foot to grip the ground and propel the bird forward. A strong kick is also useful for fending off predators.
How does an emu defend itself?
Due to the strength of their legs, emus can protect themselves from dingoes, one of their main predators. They can kick with deadly force and leap rapidly to get their necks out of the predator’s grasp.