• What is an Emu?
An Emu is a flightless bird and originates from Australia. It is part of the ratite family. It looks like an ostrich, but is smaller.
• Give us some background on the Emu?
Research done in the early 1980’s showed that Emu Meat and Emu Oil has a lot of health benefits. This resulted in Emu’s being farmed commercially. The United States is the largest emu farming country in the world, followed by Australia. The birds are also farmed in Europe, China and many other countries.
Emus were first imported into South Africa in 1994. Since then farmers have been selling their live off-spring and/or breeding birds to other farmers. There are currently +60 commercial farmers in the country.
• Why would you farm with Emus?
Emus are farmed for their meat, oil, skin and feathers. The meat is 97% fat free and very rich in iron and potassium.
A 14 month old bird, that has been fed correctly, will yield approximately 10 - 14 kgs of fat which is found predominantly on their back.
The oil is rich in Vitamin E and Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 and has many therapeutic and cosmetic benefits.
The skin is soft and supple when tanned and are used in leather purses, handbags and clothes.
A market for the feathers in the fashion industry is slowly starting to develop. The feather has one quill and two feathers.
An untouched part of the market is the tourist aspect. We have started to cater for tourists, church groups etc. We give a guided tour with an information talk about Emu Farming and the benefits of Emu Oil. We also provide a menu with light meals to eat and have a shop selling Emu Oil Products on the farm.
The industry is still in its initial 'live' phase but we are preparing for the 'feedlot' or slaughter stage. An oil processing plant, where the oil can be rendered, has been build outside of Johannesburg. At the moment Emu oil is imported and is supplied upon demand.
• Where is Emu Farming in South Africa at the moment?
Any stock/feedlot producing industry starts with a breeding phase where the breeding population has to grow to a size to produce enough offspring for slaughter. The next phase is the slaughter or production phase.
South Africa is still in the in the breeding phase or live market phase where most commercial emu farmers make their money from selling live birds – from week old chicks and older. The price of a bird is determined by its age. There is a shortage of birds in SA and therefore prices of birds have tripled in the past few years.
The demand for live stock will determine when the transition to a slaughter market will occur.
• Is it difficult to farm with Emus?
The birds are easy to farm and have a high hatchability and survival rate. They are very hardy animals and we are lucky to say that we have not had any outbreaks of diseases in SA.
An EU approved abattoir close to Johannesburg is prepared to slaughter emus. As soon as we move into a slaughter faze, a slaughter protocol will be made available, which will have to be taken to abattoirs willing to slaughter Emu birds. There is a lot of interest for the meat from countries like Germany and the East.
• What do you need in order to farm with Emus?
A farmer needs about 2 to 3 hectares to keep 10 breeding pairs and have enough space left to raise plus minus 200 chicks for slaughter.
At the moment one of the biggest problems in Emu Farming is that we do not have enough birds in SA to supply the demand. We have long waiting lists and prices for birds have tripled in the past few years.
To start farming with Emu’s you will also need breeding camps, an incubator and hatcher, a generator, rearing facilities and grow-out camps. Camps have to be fenced with 1,8m diamond mesh or bonnox game fence.
• What is an incubator?
An incubator is a machine that incubates bird eggs artificially.
• What happens after the egg is collected/laid?
The birds start laying eggs in April through to October of each year. The eggs are laid at sunset and are collected within an hour thereafter. The female Emu lays an egg every 3rd day. The eggs must be stored in a cool place to stop any possibility of growth of the embryo.
Emu eggs should be stored between 5oc to 15oc.
The eggs are put into the incubator every week for incubation.
• Describe the infrastructure needed for the rearing facility?
The chicks are reared on concrete floors, as it is a lot easier to keep clean and hygienic. The runs are cleaned each day and with a strong disinfectant to kill bacteria and other microbes.
The chicks enjoy the sunlight and are put into heated rooms at night as the cold (winter months) can become severe.
• What happens when chicks leave the rearing facilities?
Chicks are moved to grow-out camps from 2-3months up to 14 months when they are ready to be slaughtered. If they are raised as breeding stock they will start fighting after 14 months and have to be moved to breeding camps as they pair off.
These camps should be as large as possible. Twenty birds for example should be in a camp that is no smaller than 40m by 60m. Fences should be 1.8m high and constructed of either Bonnox game fencing or diamond mesh.
Open camps can have some sort of shade and protection to protect food from rain.
• What is the life-cycle of an Emu bird?
Emu’s start mating from January and will start laying the first eggs from April. Eggs takes 53 days to hatch. The lifespan of a bird is 40 years of which 25 can be good productive years.
• How does the breeding process works?
Emu’s must be allowed to choose their own mates, otherwise they can kill each other. They will pair off into pairs or trios with either one female and male or two females and one male.
At the age of 18 months onwards (starting in April or May) the birds will start breeding. The female lays an egg (dark green) every third day. If left in the camp in a nest, the male will eventually do the incubation. In breeding season birds tend to eat a lot less than normal. The length of incubation is about 50 to 53 days and the male raises the chicks. Most commercial farmers incubate their eggs artificially.
• Explain the chic rearing process?
Chicks should be housed at night with a heater during winter. A room that is 3m by 3m will comfortably house 25 chicks. They should have an outside run that is at least 20m long. The rooms should have some sort of floor covering – ideally rubber mats that can be easily removed and cleaned daily.
Protection from predators is a consideration depending on where your farm is located.
• What should you feed an Emu?
Ostrich feed is currently used for emus. An Emu Breeder Ration is currently being tested in and around Potchefstroom. Results will be known after the breeding season. A starter crumble/mash is used until they are about 8 weeks old; and then they are gradually switched to a grower pellet.
Breeding birds are switched to a breeder ration and extra vitamins and minerals from the beginning of March until the end of the breeding season.
• General information on Emus?
The emu are generally very docile. They tend to be intensely curious creatures. Emu chicks hatch from eggs ranging in size from 400 to 700 grams in weight.
Within 6 months, the chick will attain the black, tan and brown feather coloring of the adult. They begin to fill out in height.
Emus generally lay between 20 and 40 eggs per season.
The female emu will make a tympani drum-like sound and the male makes a grunting sound similar to that of a wild boar.
Commercial incubation time is 50 to 53 days and the percentage of eggs hatched is usually between 70 to 80% in normal sanitation and handling care situations.
• How far are we with using the skin to make products in South Africa?
We have already started making products from the leather, but as we are not yet in a slaughter faze, skins are very hard to come by.
• If you have to compare the skin to another bird (eg ostrich), how does it compare/differ?
The skin looks a lot like the skin of a young ostrich.
• Describe the feathers of an Emu?
The emu feather is a unique feather with a double plume from a single shaft. The feathers can range from 10mm to 450 mm in length. The shorter the feather is the softer it is.
• What products can be made from the feathers?
Emu feathers are used in many different crafts, such as fishing flies, feather dusters, feather masks, dream catchers and fashion dress accessories.
• How far are we with slaughtering Emus for meat products in South Africa?
We hope to move into a slaughter phase within the next year or two, but this will depend on the demand for live birds..
• Describe the properties of Emu oil.
Emu Oil is a natural product with strong Anti-Inflammatory properties.
It is rich in Vit E, Omega 3, 6, 7 and 9 Essencial Fatty Acids
The anti-oxidants and high content of essential fatty acids
helps to lower cholesterol and LDL fat levels in the blood,
as well as blood pressure and blood sugar levels.
The anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants in the oil also
reduces inflammation and boost the immune system.
Emu Oil can be used to help with arthritis,
muscle pain,
inflammation,
lowering of cholesterol, blood-sugar and blood-pressure
as well in cosmetics due to it's moisturizing, penetrating and healing qualities.
Emu Oil is unique as the properties of the oil is very close to our skin's natural oil
and it therefore penetrates through 7 layers of skin.
• How long did it take before your business took off?
Emu Farming is a long term investment, it takes at least 5 years before you can be into production and start to make a profit.
• Why should you farm with Emus?
Emu farming can be highly profitable and it gives us the opportunity to supply the personal care and well-being industry with Emu Meat and Oil Products of the highest quality and composition, in order to improve the day-to-day quality of life of users.
• What makes Emu Farming ideal for the Emerging Farmer?
It is a new and exciting industry, not labor intensive and profitable on a smaller piece of land.
• If you decide to farm with Emus, where would you go to get information and “stock”? (Talk about the SA Emu Association)
A few years ago a SA Emu Association was established to assist farmers with information and expert knowledge. Membership fees are used for research and development of the SA Emu Industry. The Association can be contacted at 018 298 1306.
• How can farmers help establishing and creating a market and an interest in the product?
Every person involved in the Emu Industry have to market and educate people about Emu Oil and the miracle thereof with every opportunity that they get. We cannot afford to have hundreds of litres of oil in 5 years time with no market for it.
• What advice would you give the emerging farmer who is interested in starting an Emu farm?
Do your homework before you start. Realise that it is a long term investment. It will take at least 5 years before you can start to make a profit. Realise that it is a new industry and more than just farming will be expected of you.
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