Emus as livestock gaurdians?

[chickenzoo]

I have several emu, a lone emu is not much against a predator, unless he is a very aggressive emu... but a bunch of them can put the fear into another animal if they are curious enough about it. Mine patrol the pasture with my GP. Many people think they don't do well with dogs... mine I've raised from babies and they sit with the dogs, play with the dogs and eat with the dogs. My GP will go running after something and there goes the emus right behind them..... If there is a dog on the other side of the fence, the emu's will hiss and strike out and my dogs will be barking and biting..... Kind of scares the @#$# out of a stray dog. My emu will chase off crows that land in the field... anything different. Love to chase stray cats..... In the field if something wanders in that the emu don't recognize..... and believe me, they notice, they will go investigate it and try and stomp it. They also do well for keeping people out, as many don't even try to go in with an adult emu there. My emu live in with my horses, mini horses, llama, alpaca, mini donkey, mini cattle, freerange turkey, geese, ducks, chickens my GP's and the like. They will chase the ducks sometimes..... they can't help themselves, but my turkeys and some of the roosters will put the emu in their place. It's funny to watch a full grown emu running from a fat, waddling Tom Turkey....... but it's only because the emu knows them.

Tame emu are fun and full of laughs. Yes they can kick, but mostly when being confined or held onto. Otherwise they are big babies. Mine give me hugs, follow me everywhere and steal anything I put down. They bring me much joy with there silly antics.

 

[dreamriver]

love the cochin ( think that's what it is ) on the emu, bet he enjoys the saddlepad. although the pony (mini?) seems to be saying "hey, that's my saddlepad" I worked with emu's for a few years at a zoo in AR, really enjoyed them

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Do you really ride that Emu?

 

[Beekissed]

Excellent info about emus! I'll try to keep that in my braincase....

 

[Mzyla]

Very interesting and informative posts! I learned something new.
Thanks for sharing the pictures, so cute!

 

[chickenzoo]

Do you really ride that Emu?

No, I don't ride them.... they are too small for that, only 125 lbs.
When they sit down, I have put my nephews on them, only my best behaved ones.... and they all get a giggle. Emu are very entertaining and fun to watch. Everything is new to them and they are interested in everything. I've never had an aggressive one, but none like to be grabbed and shoved in a trailer.
Emu are also good swimmers and love the water. Right now mine only have a small "lake" we made out of some billboard tarps..... but when we get a pond dug I have a feeling that their will be hillbilly reports of lockness monsters swimming in our pond.....

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

Do you really ride that Emu?

No, I don't ride them.... they are too small for that, only 125 lbs.
When they sit down, I have put my nephews on them, only my best behaved ones.... and they all get a giggle. Emu are very entertaining and fun to watch. Everything is new to them and they are interested in everything. I've never had an aggressive one, but none like to be grabbed and shoved in a trailer.
Emu are also good swimmers and love the water. Right now mine only have a small "lake" we made out of some billboard tarps..... but when we get a pond dug I have a feeling that their will be hillbilly reports of lockness monsters swimming in our pond.....

That could happen in our neck of the woods too!

Ah, thanks for the explannation on the saddlepad. I really wasn't sure. They sound cool to have.

 

[chickenzoo]

Yeah, the saddle pad was just us joking around. I was playing with the mini and the emus just get interested in everything. I threw it on his back.... Not a jump or worry.... So we took picks with the Silkie......