Pet emus

Forrestdale, Western Australia

06.11.2011

 

Broody male emu

This pet male emu somehow went broody and has been sitting on an empty nest. Alas, he has no partner.

The incubation period takes 8 weeks during which the male does not feed or drink. Then, they also look after the chicks. But being a pet has its advantages, he is being fed by David James, pictured above, its owner’s brother.

The female lays up to 15 eggs in about 2-3 weeks and after that has to recover from the mammoth task. Emu eggs are lovely dark green, but go blackish with age - over several years.
They are much smaller than ostrich eggs.

Old ostrich, left, and emu, right, eggs

David James and Bryony Fremlin, our hosts, have a couple of pet emus themselves. Brother and sister now over 30 years old.   

Brother and sister emus

These two nest regularly, but because it is rather tricky to release emus into the wild the government advises pet owners to kill the eggs. And everybody gets upset.

Emus live forever, David said.