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Indigenous to the desert climate of Central Australia, Emu lay
their eggs in the cool, rainy season of winter. Breeding
activity has become keyed to shortened daylight hours. Here in
New England our shorter fall days cause the males to begin
strutting with neck feathers displayed, while the female drops
an air-sack on her chest. By vibrating air through the sack she
"booms" or "drums" out her location and mood to males.
The deep drumming sound is at a very low frequency, and like
whale sound can travel for miles. This comes in handy when the
odd family dynamics of these birds come into play.
As
the birds start their courtship they both begin strutting and
circling; fluffing out all of their feathers and cocking their
heads in a coy fashion. The male begins a slow, snake-like and
hypnotic swinging of his head - back and forth - as he circles
behind the female. He gently pulls at her neck feathers and she
signals a yes by raising her tail feathers or a no by snapping
her beak or even kicking. It can take a lot of patient
persuasion on the male’s part.
Once the breeding activity starts the birds become very close,
tending to walk side by side and sleep with their necks
entwined. They lay off their food reducing their daily intake
by about 75%. In past years we've received our first eggs in
December, with the hen eventually getting on a schedule of one
egg every 3 to 4 days; laying a total of 30-45 eggs. However,
this year we have one hen who began to lay in October.
On
the farm we pick the eggs up and store them at 45 degrees to
inhibit growth until we are ready to incubate. In the wild as
the female lays her eggs the male would roll them into a nest of
straw and leaves which he’s built and cover them. When he has 6
to 8 eggs he sits on the nest and goes into a semi-hibernative
state. He broods without eating, drinking or defecating for 50
days, living off the thick fat layer on his back (the source of
emu oil).
While he is sitting, the female goes off and uses her deep
“drumming” to call in another male – so that she can produce a
second clutch. That is why the low frequency, long distance
call of the female is so important.
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