Emus

A ratite species from Australia

Sandy Cooper feeding the emus at her Akatarawa farm in 1999.
(Upper Hutt Leader Collection and Mahara Upper Hutt Community Archive.)

Emus were being imported into New Zealand from Australia as early as the late 1850s, though these were mostly just as novelty items rather than for any serious purpose, and some of our local acclimatisation societies got into the act in subsequent decades, importing numerous species without much consideration for the consequences. Sir George Grey, one time Governor of New Zealand, is credited with being the only person to seriously attempt acclimatising emus in New Zealand. He imported a variety of animals to Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf Island, but most of his importations were subsequently considered as pests.

Until the 1990s the few emus in New Zealand were mostly in zoos or parks, but then there was suddenly considerable interest in farming them commercially for meat and to a lesser extent for their skins and oil. For a few years there was a boom in farming both emus and ostriches – an official report noted that the national flock of emus in New Zealand totalled 15,000 spread over 150 farms in 1999. By 2022 however, it was reported that the total number of emus and ostriches combined had dwindled to 289 for the whole of New Zealand, 80% of which were in the Manawatu-Whanganui region.

The emu, which is native to Australia, is the second tallest bird living (being exceeded only by the ostrich). Their average height is about 1.75 metres (5 feet 9 inches) with a maximum of about 1.9 metres, and they can weigh up to 60 kilograms (132 pounds). They have soft brown feathers, long necks, and long legs, with three toes on each foot (no hind toe), and they can run at nearly 50 kilometres an hour.

Emus are nearly fully grown at one year though they don’t begin breeding until they are 18 to 20 months old. In the wild generally live for ten to twenty years but in captivity can live much longer. Egg laying takes place in the cooler months, generally April to September in New Zealand. The nest will usually contain between 15 and 25 eggs and the male does the incubation, with the eggs hatching after 52 to 56 days; during this time he hardly eats or drinks and loses a significant amount of weight. When hatched the young are looked after by the father. (In New Zealand it is usual for the eggs to be collected and incubated artificially.)

Newly hatched emu chick at Tree Range Farms.
(Danielle Lane photo)

Adult emu at Tree Range Farms, Otago.
(Danielle Lane photo)
 

•   Breeders Directory   •