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IlaWampa
7 Posts |
 Posted - 03/09/2012 : 4:18:34 PM
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Hi! My husband & I just bought a herd of alpacas (7 females, 6 males) and will be moving them to our farm by the end of the month. In addition, a friend has given us 2 emus that she had to give up since they are moving off their farm. We are planning to put the emus in with the male alpacas to act as guard animals (we hope). The emus have been raised around llamas, but our alpacas have never seen an emu.
Any thoughts on this odd combination???
www.wampastomp.com
www.facebook.com/WoollyHillsFarm
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rgoss1
663 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2012 : 4:55:03 PM
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Welcome to the world of alpaca ownership. You'll find this forum to be very helpful.
Unfortunately, I don't know anything about emus so I'll wait and see what other breeders have to say.
Good Luck!
Roxanne Goss
Lands End Alpacas LLC
Vermilion, Ohio
440-225-4138
e-mail:gossr@roadrunner.com
website: www.landsendalpacafarm.com |
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jillmcm
3166 Posts |
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Judith
3843 Posts |
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bobvicki
2837 Posts |
Posted - 03/09/2012 : 6:34:36 PM
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You should really be able to have some fun with this combo because when we were going to our 1st Midwest Alpaca Jamboree show back in 2003 we stopped for gas in Omaha and the people getting gas next to us saw the alpacas and asked "are those emus?" LOL
Bob
Bob & Vicki Blodgett
Suri Land Alpaca Ranch
10371 N 2210 Road
Clinton, Oklahoma 73601
641-831-3576
alpaca@htswireless.com
www.alpacanation.com/suriland.asp |
Edited by - bobvicki on 03/09/2012 6:36:24 PM |
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KT
611 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2012 : 1:01:58 PM
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I'm not so sure that many of us know much about emus, but if they were in with the llama without ill consequences, I suppose it is worth a try! How big are they? I guess I would be curious about the fed for them versus the grain for the alpacas; you may need to be careful about not wanting the 'pacas to get into the emu food.
Good luck!
Kate
Beech Springs Alpacas
126 Arthur Majette Rd
Aulander, NC 27805
252-332-5642
252-333-9457 (c) |
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lhmaggie
297 Posts |
Posted - 03/10/2012 : 7:24:26 PM
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We once had some people ask us how we hatched the alpaca eggs. I told them they laid live babies.
I know nothing about emus but I do know ostrich are mean and kick. Emus are smaller.
Good luck on your venture.
Margaret Laird
Lighthouse Alpacas
Jamestown, Pa 16134
lapaca@windstream.net |
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IlaWampa
7 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2012 : 10:45:52 AM
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Alpaca eggs! Ha! Well, the emus arrived... they are adjusting. They aren't very big until they stretch their head up and then they are very tall! Their claws are pretty vicious as my husband found out when one freaked out as he was loading it in the trailer.
They are pretty friendly and will let us pet them. One dog has adjusted well, the other is a little barking madman.
I think they will be fine but you might be right... the male alpacas might be more aggressive than the emus!
Right now they are eating turkey feed ... they mainly forage and are omnivores, so they'll eat small critters and bugs and worms and also grass & hay. The feed is mainly a supplement. I'm planning not to "free feed" them their mix but give it once a day. They don't like going into structures, so I will feed the alpacas inside the loafing shed, and again, not free feed except for minerals if necessary. Don't think the emus would be interested in minerals. And from what I've read nothing the alpacas eat should hurt the emus. I'll be giving the emus some ivermectin paste ASAP.
www.wampastomp.com
www.facebook.com/WoollyHillsFarm |
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mariesa.crow
13 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2012 : 11:48:36 PM
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I don't know about emus, but I have a couple of wild Canada geese that have been trying settle in our stock pond. My boys will leave them alone while they are on the water, but will chase them if they get out on land. It is pretty funny to watch, but I feel sorry for the geese - they just want a home to raise their babies.
MLC - Southview Alpacas |
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TheAlpacaRosa
571 Posts |
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IlaWampa
7 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2012 : 2:11:22 PM
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Well, the alpaca boys are in with the emus and everybody seems happy! Although I think the question of "who's guarding who" is completely valid... the emus aren't doing much guarding.
The first introduction was quite funny ... one alpaca and one emu approached each other, stretched their necks up to their highest point and and stared at each other for a minute! Then they turned around and walked away... no harm, no foul!
www.wampastomp.com
www.facebook.com/WoollyHillsFarm |
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Judith
3843 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2012 : 3:20:17 PM
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I'm sure the next question you get from a visitor will be "Do the emus spit?" :-)
Judith Korff
AlpacaNation Forum Co-Moderator
LadySong Farm Bolivian Suri Alpacas
Randolph, NY 14772
Cell: (716) 499-0383
www.alpacanation.com/ladysong.asp |
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maryk
34 Posts |
Posted - 03/28/2012 : 6:28:38 PM
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| you'll have to excuse me,I have no idea what an emu. Can you post a picture? |
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IlaWampa
7 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2012 : 4:13:53 PM
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Hmm, I'll have to figure out how to do that when I get home, but an emu is like an ostrich, only smaller.
And, they don't really spit but I have had one make a kind of "raspberry" noise at me when I offered it a date and it spit it out!
And, as an update, they do a pretty good job of deterring our little dog from getting into the pasture!
www.wampastomp.com
www.facebook.com/WoollyHillsFarm |
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maryk
34 Posts |
Posted - 04/22/2012 : 12:06:26 PM
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| Pretty neat!! I'll have to tell my friend who raises alpacas for the fiber. Thanks. |
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Pepperina
776 Posts |
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IlaWampa
7 Posts |
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GreyBellAlpacas
43 Posts |
Posted - 05/08/2012 : 6:32:04 PM
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Emus & alpacas - hmm
I raised emus for several years in the early 90's. My lasting impression was there is a good reason the phrase bird brain has the connotation that it does.
I would not expect the emus to be of any value in protecting against predators. They will fight like crazy when cornered but otherwise will try to escape from danger by running.
Emus are also quite group oriented. Adding a strange animal to the group often got them beat up and in an extreme case killed. It would hard to predict how emus would react to a cria being born into the group.
Bill Davis
Grey Bell Alpaca Farm
Rosharon, Texas 77583
281-595-2272
www.AlpacaNation.com/greybell.asp
Greybellalpacas@yahoo.com
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maryk
34 Posts |
Posted - 05/09/2012 : 09:15:31 AM
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| Took a look at the pictures, really nice. Thanks for sharing. |
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IlaWampa
7 Posts |
Posted - 05/23/2012 : 1:06:54 PM
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The emus are getting along fine with the alpacas. We have them in with the males, so they will not be around crias at any time. The emus were also raised on a farm with llamas, pigs, goats, dogs and other animals, so a few alpacas were no big deal to them. And, no, they aren't being very good protectors - our little dog seems to chase them as much as they chase him. But the emus are quite friendly - they like to be petted and fed grapes!
www.wampastomp.com
www.facebook.com/WoollyHillsFarm |
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maryk
34 Posts |
Posted - 05/24/2012 : 10:23:03 AM
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| Glad to hear they are all getting alone. Sounds like the dog and the emus are playing tag. |
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alpacas & emus?
