Mf628
Chillin' with the herd
About two and a half years ago, I hatched an emu from an egg. She was raised as a young chick with baby goats, and always played with them as if she was there mother, letting them climb on her and never letting them out of her sight. She has been raised with them ever since.
About a month ago, I took the 4 goats she was with to the state fair for a week. When I came home, she suddenly became aggressive towards them, kicking and beating on them constantly. She would even chase them around the pen until they became exhausted and would hide underneath the feeders. I ended up seperating her by herself again after she kicked my market wether, creating a huge gash on his side.
Two weeks after that, I tried reintroducing them again. I walked away for a few minutes, and when I came back there was blood everywhere and I learned that one of my doelings punctured the emu's chest with her horn while trying to defend herself. Long story short, they cannot be together without constantly fighting.
I also noted that around the time I first brought the goats back from the fair, the emu was making mating noises and walked around with a filled out chest.
Will the emu ever get over this aggression? I noticed her making a nest over the summer (she is a female) but I have no male for her to mate with (I heard emus are induced ovulators). I really cannot keep her seperated permanently or for much longer as I have kids due in February. She has not shown any aggression toward people but doesn't have a problem pushing me out of the way to get to the goats either.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
About a month ago, I took the 4 goats she was with to the state fair for a week. When I came home, she suddenly became aggressive towards them, kicking and beating on them constantly. She would even chase them around the pen until they became exhausted and would hide underneath the feeders. I ended up seperating her by herself again after she kicked my market wether, creating a huge gash on his side.
Two weeks after that, I tried reintroducing them again. I walked away for a few minutes, and when I came back there was blood everywhere and I learned that one of my doelings punctured the emu's chest with her horn while trying to defend herself. Long story short, they cannot be together without constantly fighting.
I also noted that around the time I first brought the goats back from the fair, the emu was making mating noises and walked around with a filled out chest.
Will the emu ever get over this aggression? I noticed her making a nest over the summer (she is a female) but I have no male for her to mate with (I heard emus are induced ovulators). I really cannot keep her seperated permanently or for much longer as I have kids due in February. She has not shown any aggression toward people but doesn't have a problem pushing me out of the way to get to the goats either.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
that this is the reason that she has been getting so anxious. I will keep her seperated in the pen where her nest is until the spring time when I need to put my milkers and dry yearlings in that pen with her. Now that she is away from the goats she has calmed down to her normal puppy-like disposition.
