Emus have a life expectancy of about 10-20 years in the wild and 35+ years in captivity. The oldest emu in the world was claimed to be 58 in 2020.
Emu are livestock, you do not need a special license to own them in Arkansas.
In our experience, our emu are curious, docile, non-aggressive birds with a range of personalities that range from very affectionate to shy or stand-offish. We spend a lot of time with our birds and know their individual personalities very well and they are very used to us interacting with them. That is not to say that an emu will not test you, so it is important to establish dominance by always being the tallest "emu" on the farm by holding your hand straight up in the air to mimic a tall emu and standing your ground. Remember, you are the mob boss.
It is important to remember that emus are large, powerful animals with very sharp toenails. Use common sense. Accidents can happen when birds fight with one another or human error (when people try to move them into trailers, corner them, or pick them up). Any animal that is in fear can become dangerous and not every emu is going to get along. Always have a way to separate. Females, in particular, can become aggressive with each other when choosing mates or with males if they just don't like them.
Our emus eat between 1-2+ lbs a day, depending on the season. Towards the end of and when laying season is over, appetites will soar and level back out.
We can tell our emu apart by their personalities and how they look but it can be tricky if you have several or haven't had them long. If you know your chicks' gender you can easily put a leg band on them when they are really little. But, as we've mentioned before emu chicks grow extremely fast and it's very important that you not let it get too tight. Another way of marking on an adolescent or adult would be safe Cattle paint. You can lift them where their feathers are lighter in color and apply paint there. This will deter others from pecking at colored feathers as well. Just reapply as needed.
We have never fed Ratite feed because it has been recognized for having higher fiber, iron, copper, and zinc than emus require (because it was originally formulated for ostriches). If you choose to feed Ratite feed, it is recommended to add an extruded alfalfa-based rabbit pellet to aid in digestion.
We could write a book on this but to keep it simple, emu are just special! They are hardy and easy keepers. Emus are curious, quirky, unique, and docile. Not only have they completely stolen our hearts but they are a species that offer many benefits to their environment! They help spread seeds, promote the germination of new plants, and keep large amounts of pesky insects away.
Getting your chick home safely is the first very important step in your chicks care. Chicks can be anywhere from (around) 1 lb and 10" tall at hatch. They grow fast and can be 1.5-2.5 lbs and around 15-20" tall at 3 weeks old. Make sure you have something tall enough so they can stand if they want to and of course, don't forget the floor needs to be non-slip. Wire cages can be dangerous if they stick their necks or legs through. An enclosed med-large animal carrier is best with a non-slip rug, carpet, or mat cut to fit the bottom. Cardboard boxes (tall enough) with proper ventilation and flooring work just fine as well. Food/water while en route is not recommended if only traveling for a few hours.
Emu eggs are not hard to hatch but they do require special incubating conditions compared to other eggs. Optimal temperature and humidity must be respected and followed along with adequate ventilation. Mishandling of eggs (contamination/improper turning), temperature spikes (high or low), or inadequate airflow can all result in eggs not hatching. The fact of the matter is there is always a risk when hatching eggs of any kind; you can do everything correctly and still won't have every single egg result in a viable chick. This is simply Mother Nature.
You can choose to weigh your hatching eggs to make sure they are losing weight appropriately. An emu egg should lose 13%-17% of its weight over the entire incubation period. If you notice that your egg weight loss is too much then you may need to increase humidity; or vice versa. If the weight loss measures are erratic then it may be because your humidity level has been fluctuating and need to be monitored closely. Smoother eggs may lose less weight than more dimpled eggs, which are more porous. You can apply tape to help those eggs that might be losing too quickly. Unfortunately, weight loss is not an indicator of viability because even "quitters" will lose weight. But, by weighing eggs and hatching at the required temp and humidity to lose the appropriate amount of weight you are giving it the best chance to hatch a healthy chick. If optimal conditions are not provided, including proper turning and adequate ventilation, there is a much greater chance for chick malpositioning, abnormalities, deformities, leg splay, slipped tendons, rotational disorders, or death.
First off, emus are not native here and were actually not brought into the US until the late 30s-40s, and due to a strict exportation ban since 1960, they can no longer be exported at all.
You have to consider demographics, availability, and how much time and money it takes before emu keepers even see their first egg.
Emu are livestock, not poultry, and should not be considered as such. Their needs are completely different. It takes 2-3 years before a breeding pair of emu will even lay.
For us, it has taken years of hard work, hundreds of miles of travel to acquire un-related chicks and hatching eggs, time and physical labor hatching and caring for chicks, and money to have the necessary equipment for hatching, adequate enclosures for multiple colonies and appropriate feed for chicks-adults.
So yes, emu eggs and chicks are expensive, and rightfully so. The good thing is, they are totally worth it!