
- Insects. Protein is required for emus to be strong, and they get their usual dose of this nutrient from insects like grasshoppers and beetles.
- Arthropods. Emus like to feed on arthropods, and they also eat fish that belong to this classification. They catch centipedes, spiders, scorpions, shellfish, and millipedes for their meals.
- Plants. The main diet of emus consists of plants. Like other birds, emus favor seeds, fruits, vegetables, and leaves from plants, young shoots, and fresh herbs.
- Grass. This huge Australian bird species loves to eat grass. Emus prefer juicy instead of dry grasses though.
- Reptiles & Mammals. Baby reptiles and mammals such as lizards and rodents are sometimes eaten by emus when they’re available.
What animal eats EMUs?
Their claws are beastly, and their legs are seriously strong and muscular, which, combined with their speed, makes them a challenging animal for other predators to take on. Emus may rarely be eaten by packs of wild dogs, crocodiles and dingoes. Wedge-tailed eagles have been known to target emu chicks.
What do emus eat for food?
What Do Emus Entertaining in the Circuses Eat?
- Fruits and vegetables. The Emus entertaining in the circuses eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. ...
- Grains. Since Emu’s have a high demanding job at the circuses, their diet is comprised of a variety of food.
- Bone meal and grasses. The Emus surviving in the circuses also derives the nutrients from bone meal and grasses. ...
- Insect and arthropods. ...
How do emus eat their food?
They have also been known to eat animal dung. Though they are mostly solitary, emus often forage for food together. Unlike other birds, the emu lacks a crop. This is a structure in the gullet, the tube that goes from the throat to the stomach, that both stores and grinds up the bird's food by way of small stones that the bird swallows. Instead, an emu has a modification in its throat that can hold its food for up to a half an hour before it's released into its stomach.
Are EMUs good to eat?
Many people that have eaten emu meat praise it as one of the best tasting birds. Chicken often gets praised for being a low-fat meat. However, emu meat takes that to the next level. It has a wonderful taste, and it is packed to the brim with nutrients. Obviously, since the emu is such a big bird, you are going to be getting a whole lot of it too.

What do wild emus eat?
Emus eat the parts of plants that have the most concentrated nutrients: seeds, fruits, flowers and young shoots. They also eat insects and small vertebrates when they are easily available. They will not eat dry grasses or mature leaves.
What veg can emus eat?
These plant-eaters enjoy eating a huge variety of healthy fruits and veggies. They enjoy carrots, cake, cabbage, beets, onions, potatoes, apples and practically any other type of fruits and veggies that humans love to eat.
Are grapes good for emus?
Emus love fruit, especially during the long hot summer months. A whole watermelon doesn't last long with our flock! Emus like all kinds of fruits: apples, kiwis, grapes, melons, berries of all kinds. Try them all to find our your Emu's favorite.
Can emus eat romaine lettuce?
Romaine is a lettuce that can be recognized by the sturdy dark green leaves with firm ribs down the center. Emus get to eat romaine in zoos to fulfill the calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, vitamin A, and K needs.
Can emus eat apples?
In captivity, emus are fed all manner of fruits, including berries, apples, citrus fruits, melons, grapes and kiwis.
How often do emus eat?
An adult emu will eat an average of 1 1/2 pounds of ground or pelleted feed per day. They will eat less if they are allowed to "graze" all day long with feed available to them at all times. It is not advised to keep emus with other poultry.
What do emus drink?
They also swallow large pebbles to help their gizzard grind up their food. Emus drink infrequently but consume copious amounts of water when the opportunity arises, drinking between 9 to 18 litres daily.
What do emus like?
Emus are omnivorous, but eat mainly vegetation. This varies with the season, and includes a wide variety of leaves, grasses, seeds and native flowers. When available, they also like water plants, such as duckweed and filamentous algae.
Are emus friendly?
Compared to ostriches, emus are more docile, but caution must always be taken when dealing with larger birds as not all emu are friendly. Emus are ratites and the closest relatives are to that of the Cretaceous-period dinosaur Dromiceiomimus, which means “emu-mimic.”
How long can emus live?
In the wild emus live 5-10 years, but in captivity they may live 35 years.
How do you take care of an emu?
Provide necessary food, water and care to protect the health and well being of animals. Provide pens and housing of quality and size to keep the emus safe, while allowing them adequate exercise. Provide disease prevention practices to protect the health of their birds – including access to veterinary care.
What do you raise emus for?
Although the main uses for emus are for meat, eggs, and egg art, many are considering emus as pets. As a breeder, I see them more as livestock, but I can understand why many see them as pets. They're a very inquisitive breed of bird and, if raised from the beginning, quite friendly.
Do emus eat fish?
Diet of the Emu Emus are omnivores, which means that they feed on both plant and animal matter.
What do emus drink?
They also swallow large pebbles to help their gizzard grind up their food. Emus drink infrequently but consume copious amounts of water when the opportunity arises, drinking between 9 to 18 litres daily.
What small animals do emus eat?
Think You Can? Emus eat seeds, grass, and insects for most of their diet. Emus are omnivores, but they tend to be more herbivorous than carnivorous. These large birds are very opportunistic since they live in Oceania, a somewhat inhospitable natural environment.
How long do emus live in captivity?
35 yearsIn the wild emus live 5-10 years, but in captivity they may live 35 years.
How Do Emus Forage?
Emus have a high protein requirement that’s between 15% and 20% of their calories.
What Are the Emus’ Predators?
Emus are very large birds, with only the ostrich standing taller than them. They can reach heights of between 59 and 75 inches. That makes them about as tall as most people, but much of that is their neck and legs. They use their size, speed, and claws that reach 4 inches in length to fend off predators. Needless to say, these birds can tear some animals to shreds.
Are Emus Dangerous to People?
Emus are not overly aggressive and hostile towards human beings, but there have been cases where emus have attacked and hurt humans. Often, people are only attacked by emus when they get too close or when approaching a nesting parent. Emus have a strong response to apparent threats that get close to their young.
How do emus get their food?
Adult emus in the wild, also get all their nutritional needs by feeding off pasture grass, seeds, natural fruits, greens, insects and even small animals they happen to find in their natural habitat. They will also swallow small stones to help digest many of these tougher or harder food types.
How Much Do Emus Eat?
These huge birds do have quite a healthy appetite but the good thing is that they will consume just about any type of food which makes them fairly easy and often affordable to keep.
Why is it important for emus to keep their enclosures litter free?
Because they are such curious creatures and love to consume such a variety of odd objects, it is important to keep their enclosures litter-free. Emus can and will swallow odd pollutants like plastics which can have a very bad effect on their digestive system.
How old do emu chicks need to be to eat?
Emu chicks aged 0 – 8 weeks should be offered as much feed as they want to consume.
How much water should an emu drink?
Emus require lots of water to help them stay hydrated and to help them process foods. An adult emu can easily drink 9 – 18 liters of water every day. They will drink infrequently but will consume large quantities at a time. It is important to offer your emu lots of fresh and clean water every day.
Why do emus eat less?
If they are allowed to graze natural fields all they, they will consume much less of these foods because they will source many foods from pastures and insects. During the breeding season, adult emus will consume significantly less food. Their daily food intake can decline to 1 pound of feed per day.
What do squid eat?
They love to eat fresh herbs and they also consume many fruit and vegetable foods. They are not shy at all to munch on green grass, grains, crops, hay and they will munch on leafy greens if they find something that seems tasty.
What can you feed to your Emu chicks?
Emus chicks tend to consume a variety of insects and plants. In fact, you can call them omnivorous animals. Due to the same reason, you will have numerous options to feed the emu chicks. However, it is still important to pick the most appropriate and nutritious foods out there. That’s where you can take a look at the following options.
What variations to diet are possible?
It is also important to understand how you can change the diet of emus chicks. As mentioned earlier, emus chicks are notorious peckers and omnivorous. Therefore, you can expect them to consume numerous odd objects and food items.
Final words
Now you know how to feed emus chicks. Make sure that you pick the healthiest foods available to emus chicks and start feeding them. Then you can raise your emu chicks healthily.