# Raising ostriches, emus, or rheas?



## Back to Nature

Have any of you raised any of these things? How easy was it, and what materials did you need?

I was thinking of raising some for meat and eggs. I'd then have my own supply of shells for batik and pysanky eggs. I'm not afraid of the birds; I've worked with them in a zoo, and if I bought any I'd work with them from hatching to make sure they know I'm the boss. But other than size, what things would need to be looked out for?

Don't worry, if I do get any I'll do a lot more in-depth research first.


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## Pixie Dust

This is also something that I want to do in the future.  There are a lot of good Youtube videos that get into the specifics.  These birds can be dangerous.  There does seem to be a growing demand for the meat.  Seems like a really good animal for smaller farms.


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## Royd Wood

Growing demand ????? Not in Canada - some farmers lost their shirts in that game - Chickens are pretty good for eggs and meat


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## Straw Hat Kikos

Royd Wood said:
			
		

> Growing demand ????? Not in Canada - some farmers lost their shirts in that game - Chickens are pretty good for eggs and meat


As are turkeys, geese and ducks. I'll stick with them. Those big birds are too dangerous and not worth it to me. I know someone that has worked with them and he's not into them. I'll say that. 

But they are neat I will say that.


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## Bossroo

There were 2 emu farms that had around 500 +/- emus between them within 6 miles from my ranch in Cal. and 1 ostrich farm  with around 20 mature  ostriches about 19 miles away 4 years ago. There was a slaughter house for emu and ostrich  in Cal..  Today they are all out of business.   Check out the emu and ostrich situation in places like Texas where the turned loose birds now have gone wild.  Not a venture that I would recomend today.


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## Back to Nature

Nothing I raise is for commercial purposes... If I raised ostriches it would be so I can use the meat and eggs, and sell the feathers and hides to friends. And yes, any animal can be dangerous. I would learn to handle these properly, and would use caution, as I would with animals of any size.
For future reference, none of my animal-raising questions are on a commercial scale. I have to desire to provide for anyone other than friends and family.
Like I said I have worked with ostriches and think they're beautiful animals. I would only keep two or three at a time, excluding the ones being raised up for meat.


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## jodief100

Research the regulations in your state.  You may need specific housing, fencing or a license.  Here in KY you have to have 8' fences for them.


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## Back to Nature

I will. I just wanted to see if anyone had experience here.

I just realized that if I'm going to support my family with me being just a farmer, I need some sort of income. Would it be wise to choose one or two species to raise on a slightly larger scale to sell to a farmer's market? Then I still wouldn't be at the point of a factory farm, but I would be helping the community and supporting my income.


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## Bossroo

I would suggest that you put pen to paper and list ALL  of your  true costs ( not only the feed costs)   of production and what the market is for your produce and let us know IF you can possibly make a profit.


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## SheepGirl

If you need an income, farming is NOT it unless you do it on a large scale or charge an arm and a leg for your products. For me, I will only make about $30/head off my sheep this year. By 2016, I hope to increase that to about $120/hd or so. While it is income, it is nothing close to having a full time job (I work at McDonald's 30-40 hrs/wk) in addition to my sheep.


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## Back to Nature

I'm not trying to get rich off of this, guys. I think there's more to farming than money. And I _have _been researching. Evidently my request for tips from experienced raisers was pointless. Obviously I'm not going to get any animal unless I can afford it. I plan on having a job besides farming. When I say support myself by farming, I mean as a side thing, otherwise I wouldn't waste money studying theriogenology. So if anyone has any tips on raising ostriches, please let me know, since that is what I asked.


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## Royd Wood

An old boy was talking the other day and he said "there's lots of money in farming, I should know I put all mine in it"


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## Back to Nature

Who are you talking about, Royd Wood?


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## Pixie Dust

Off topic, perhaps, but has anyone considered Bison?  Its a shame about ostrich meat not being in demand.  Its so healthy.   Perhaps people are put off by it since they associate it with the beautiful birds at the zoo.  I wonder if you created a market for it, meaning, actively made contact with nutritionists for heart patients, retirement villages, athletic associations, etc.  Once you've tasted that meat, not much else compares.  The danger factor is certainly something to consider...  I can't believe that Texas now has wild ostrich.  Now there's a thought.  Turn it into a big game shoot.  Get 100 acres in the middle of nowhere and offer a hunting retreat.  You'd probably have to be a pretty good shot and where would you shoot?  Certainly not the head.  I don't even hunt.  I've fired a gun one time.  I am full of it this morning.  Shutting up now!


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## Back to Nature

Pixie Dust said:
			
		

> Off topic, perhaps, but has anyone considered Bison?  Its a shame about ostrich meat not being in demand.  Its so healthy.   Perhaps people are put off by it since they associate it with the beautiful birds at the zoo.  I wonder if you created a market for it, meaning, actively made contact with nutritionists for heart patients, retirement villages, athletic associations, etc.  Once you've tasted that meat, not much else compares.  The danger factor is certainly something to consider...  I can't believe that Texas now has wild ostrich.  Now there's a thought.  Turn it into a big game shoot.  Get 100 acres in the middle of nowhere and offer a hunting retreat.  You'd probably have to be a pretty good shot and where would you shoot?  Certainly not the head.  I don't even hunt.  I've fired a gun one time.  I am full of it this morning.  Shutting up now!


I've considered having a hunting type thing on my property, but I don't want to risk an animal getting shot and not killed. Then I'd either have to kill it or spend tons of money healing it. I also don't want to risk them accidentally shooting my valuable breeding animals. And you don't have to shut up. lol


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## BrownSheep

Bison are also highly aggressive and require special fencing.


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## bonbean01

Very true...fencing is a big deal with Bison...and you should see the kind of corrals and loading/treating chutes you have to build 

Someone I went to school with still lives in the area and my Dad took me out to see his Bison set up...whoa...at that time he was not breaking even yet...takes a ton of money to just contain them.  

They are aggressive...best be sure to have a great health insurance plan before getting into raising/breeding them....and perhaps good life insurance too if you have a family depending on you.

Think I'll stick to my very sweet natured sheepies


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## SheepGirl

The bison steer at the petting farm I worked at in October was contained with 4' (or maybe it was 5'?) woven wire fencing with a strand of electric at the top...except the electric was turned off during the day when the public was there. Kept him contained! But I do have to agree with bon...get GREAT insurance if you have bison! That bison, Cody, wanted to kill my co-worker after he trapped her in a big bale feeder and she was hitting him to get him away. He held a grudge and wanted to attack her every time she went into the paddock/field to feed him, the cattle, the donkeys, alpacas, llamas, and the ram. But Red Bull, the Brahma steer was nice enough to protect not only her, but me, from Cody when we went in there. He would always stand between us and Cody, and if Cody started coming towards us, Red Bull would go after him to get him away from us. He was so great!


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## Back to Nature

SheepGirl said:
			
		

> The bison steer at the petting farm I worked at in October was contained with 4' (or maybe it was 5'?) woven wire fencing with a strand of electric at the top...except the electric was turned off during the day when the public was there. Kept him contained! But I do have to agree with bon...get GREAT insurance if you have bison! That bison, Cody, wanted to kill my co-worker after he trapped her in a big bale feeder and she was hitting him to get him away. He held a grudge and wanted to attack her every time she went into the paddock/field to feed him, the cattle, the donkeys, alpacas, llamas, and the ram. But Red Bull, the Brahma steer was nice enough to protect not only her, but me, from Cody when we went in there. He would always stand between us and Cody, and if Cody started coming towards us, Red Bull would go after him to get him away from us. He was so great!


Sounds like Red Bull is safe from the freezer.  I thought about raising bison once. _Once_. It is too much work for a self-sufficient homestead. Maybe I'll get lucky and end up in a community where someone else raises bison and will trade some meat to me for something..


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## bonbean01

Yes...I'd think Red Bull would be a keeper!

This person I was talking about with Bison had them charge through fences many times...even the super duper fences...and the liability insurance he had to carry should they ever get out was very high.

I never see Buffalo burgers for sale around here, or when we lived in Florida.  In Saskatchewan they sell it beside the beef buger...it costs more per pound, but for many on heart healthy diets it is a better option.  I've had Bison burgers and Bison stew and the meat was a richer, sweeter flavour than beef.  Best meat I've had was Moose....better than beef any day.  No moose to hunt around here though...just deer and wild turkey.


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## Back to Nature

bonbean01 said:
			
		

> Yes...I'd think Red Bull would be a keeper!
> 
> This person I was talking about with Bison had them charge through fences many times...even the super duper fences...and the liability insurance he had to carry should they ever get out was very high.
> 
> I never see Buffalo burgers for sale around here, or when we lived in Florida.  In Saskatchewan they sell it beside the beef buger...it costs more per pound, but for many on heart healthy diets it is a better option.  I've had Bison burgers and Bison stew and the meat was a richer, sweeter flavour than beef.  Best meat I've had was Moose....better than beef any day.  No moose to hunt around here though...just deer and wild turkey.


There's a restaurant here that serves bison burgers. It was amazing. I liked the bison best, then the venison, then the beef. Also, "This one time at band camp", a herd of buffalo got loose from a nearby farm and charged through the camp. True story, although I wasn't there to see it.


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## TGreenhut

Just saw this post,
Back to Nature, are you still interested in getting ratites? I raise emus and could give you some tips.


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## Back to Nature

TGreenhut said:
			
		

> Just saw this post,
> Back to Nature, are you still interested in getting ratites? I raise emus and could give you some tips.


I'm still thinking about it and always welcome tips.


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## secuono

Natural Bridge drive through zoo in VA had buffalo, but no idea how they managed to keep them in w/o crazy fencing. 
I believe you need a permit and high fencing to keep those birds. People sell chicks for just $75 here, I don't think it's something worthwhile to try. 
Far safer, easier, friendlier and more fun birds out there to farm.


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## Back to Nature

secuono said:
			
		

> Natural Bridge drive through zoo in VA had buffalo, but no idea how they managed to keep them in w/o crazy fencing.
> I believe you need a permit and high fencing to keep those birds. People sell chicks for just $75 here, I don't think it's something worthwhile to try.
> Far safer, easier, friendlier and more fun birds out there to farm.


It's not for profit. I just like ratites. I worked with ostriches in the zoo, and other than them accidentally pecking you to see if your clothing is edible, they were fun to be around. And "fun" is subjective.  I probably won't get them, but it was an idea.


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## dasher

Hi, I just joined this forum to post about my sheep, but I came across this thread and wanted to share my love for ratites. Unfortunately, most people think ostriches and emu are aggressive and dangerous. Though it is true that a kick from an ostrich can break a bone, it's very unlikely one is actually going to kill you! Unless you are a small child or elderly and then you shouldn't be around them anyway. But female ostriches can be very nice if raised around people from a young age. I have experience with an ostrich and I loved her. She was a wonderful bird, very very sweet. Huge yes, but gentle and would never think about kicking anyone. I miss her very much and I'm looking forward to raising a few ostrich chicks this year. I do not think I would keep a male though, only because of my current setup. They are not really something that I would trust to interact with because of breeding behaviors. If you would like some nice pets stick with females, but if you don't mind a look, but don't touch animal, a male would be OK.

I also have experience with emu and they're great, too. Easier than an ostrich. The bad thing about both is they can be hard to get them into the "safety zone". They both have high chick mortality rates and are rather expensive as chicks. Around here you can get an emu for $50-$100 dollars a chick, but considering that it's relatively easy to lose one that is quite a lot. But nothing compared to the $150-$250 a chick an ostrich can be! I recommend buying the ratite encyclopedia book and reading through it before you make any decisions. 

Good luck! I love these birds, they are truly dinosaurs.


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## TGreenhut

dasher said:
			
		

> Hi, I just joined this forum to post about my sheep, but I came across this thread and wanted to share my love for ratites. Unfortunately, most people think ostriches and emu are aggressive and dangerous. Though it is true that a kick from an ostrich can break a bone, it's very unlikely one is actually going to kill you! Unless you are a small child or elderly and then you shouldn't be around them anyway. But female ostriches can be very nice if raised around people from a young age. I have experience with an ostrich and I loved her. She was a wonderful bird, very very sweet. Huge yes, but gentle and would never think about kicking anyone. I miss her very much and I'm looking forward to raising a few ostrich chicks this year. I do not think I would keep a male though, only because of my current setup. They are not really something that I would trust to interact with because of breeding behaviors. If you would like some nice pets stick with females, but if you don't mind a look, but don't touch animal, a male would be OK.
> 
> I also have experience with emu and they're great, too. Easier than an ostrich. The bad thing about both is they can be hard to get them into the "safety zone". They both have high chick mortality rates and are rather expensive as chicks. Around here you can get an emu for $50-$100 dollars a chick, but considering that it's relatively easy to lose one that is quite a lot. But nothing compared to the $150-$250 a chick an ostrich can be! I recommend buying the ratite encyclopedia book and reading through it before you make any decisions.
> 
> Good luck! I love these birds, they are truly dinosaurs.


I totally agree! I have three emus and right now they are pets as much as anything else. Males tend to be sweeter than females but females are still not _mean_. My 5 year old male follows me around and if I sit down he'll come sit ON MY LAP because he wants to be loved on.  I also have two females who will let me pet them but they don't come asking for it. They come for food and shiny things, though. 

Emu chicks tend to be $100 around here. 

My females just turned a year old so they should start laying eggs very soon. Like you were thinking, I don't raise emus for profit, but I have many friends who are interested in buying eggs once they start laying. I have emus mainly because I just think they're really cool  but I have found that  they are EXCELLENT livestock guardians and they don't let any predators in the pasture. As funny as it sounds, if they are raised correctly, they make good pets.

Emus LOVE to run! They will sprint and bolt around the pastures, chasing each other for fun, so space is a necessity. They also love water so on warm days I give them baths and leave the sprinkler on for them (or else they would sit in the water troughs!).

Emus eat a fairly large amount. For my 3 emus, we go through 1, maybe 1 1/2, 50lb bags of ratite feed a week. Bags of feed cost about $13-15.

Emus seem to be pretty weather resistant so a barn is not needed, maybe just a 3-sided shelter. I have never had a sick emu either so they tend to be healthy, sufficient birds.


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## dasher

Awww, I enjoyed reading your comments on Emus. I'm really looking forward to getting a few in the near future. They're such wonderful birds. And no you can't really "do anything" with them, but they're wonderful companion animals and enjoyable to just sit and watch. I love sitting outside and watching my animals and emus are always entertaining.


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## Walter Stupnik

hi I am new to this blog but have a question about emus, I recently aquired three one lone male and a pair when intorduced to each other everything was fine for a couple days then the female made friends whith her new male and tried to kill her old mate.  Since then she has gotten extremely aggresive and crazy when i go inside the pen. She has gotten to the point that she charges me and without my broom i would be in bad shape.  HELP


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## River Farm

I am also thinking about getting emus. How old should I get them so that they are unlikely to die on me. Also what kind of setup do they need?


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## Finnie

River Farm said:


> I am also thinking about getting emus. How old should I get them so that they are unlikely to die on me. Also what kind of setup do they need?


This is a really old thread. Check out the Ratite forum on BYC. There is a lot of emu information there. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/ostriches-emu-rheas.49/


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