Emus are large, flightless birds native to Australia that are known for their long necks and powerful legs, which allow them to run at speeds of up to 5050 km/h. They are the largest native bird in Australia and are omnivorous, eating a diet of plants and insects. The male emu incubates the eggs and cares for the young, while the female may mate with other males.

Our RATITES (Emu, Rhea, Ostrich and Cassowary) are treated with care and respect while prioritizing their well being. 

As a private aviary, we focus on the quality of our birds. We are not a hatchery, we rather emphasize on quality not quantity. Our facility is located in Mancos Colorado

(HATCHING EGGS AVAILABLE NOW)
Chicks will be available from the first batch of incubation.
All chicks sold are sexed before placed as available. we don't sell unsexed chicks.
We ship eggs locally by USPS express mail.

Shipping fee __ $20 an egg. +$5 any addition egg 

(1egg=$20 // 2eggs=$25 etc)

Our Ratittes birds roam free in lush, green, rotational grazed paddocks and are ethically handled in every part of the process. We do not use intensive farming practices, growth promoters, hormones or pesticides.
We pride ourselves on ensuring animal stress is minimized at all stages by training our skilled and dedicated staff on animal handling, removing stressful transportation, allowing natural breeding and all following strict biosecurity protocols

Emus are large flightless birds native to Australia,known for their long necks and legs, and ability to run up to 50 km/h They are the second-largest birds in the world after ostriches and are Australia's national bird. Emus are omnivores that eat a variety of plants and insects and are a vital part of their ecosystem. The male incubates the eggs and raises the young, which stay with him for up to two years

Appearance and characteristics

• Size: Up to 1.9 meters (6.2 ft) tall and can weigh up to 60 kg (132 lbs).

• Feathers: Soft, brown feathers that can fade to lighter colors and resemble coarse hair. Young emus have stripes.

• Legs: Powerful legs with three toes, allowing them to run at speeds up to 50 km/h (30 mph).

• Neck and head: Long necks and small heads.

• Wings: Tiny, reduced wings

Habitat and diet

• Habitat: They are found across Australia in various habitats, including scrub, woodland, and heath, but avoid areas that have been cleared for agriculture.

• Diet: Omnivorous, eating a variety of plants, insects, fruits, and small animals.

• Water: They can go for weeks without eating but drink large amounts of water when available

Behavior and reproduction

• Social structure: Live in pairs or small family groups. Females can be more dominant and may fight with each other for a mate.

• Reproduction: The female lays a clutch of eggs, which the male then incubates alone for about 8 weeks.

• Parenting: The male raises the chicks on his own, and the young stay with him for up to 2 years.

• Communication: Males emit grunting sounds, while females make booming sounds.

Emu farming

• Products: Emus are farmed for their meat, oil, eggs, skin, and feathers.

• Meat: Emu meat is considered red meat because its pH is similar to beef, and it is a good source of protein.

• Health: Chicks and juveniles are most vulnerable to health problems like starvation, malnutrition, and various infections

RHEA

Rheas are large, flightless birds native to South America, resembling a smaller ostrich, and are known in different regions as ñandus, ema, suri, or choique. Two main species are recognized: the greater (Rhea americana) and the lesser or Darwin's rhea (Rhea pennata), with the IUCN additionally listing the puna rhea as a separate species. They are characterized by gray-brown plumage, long legs, and an ability to run swiftly with wings outstretched acting as sails; they also uniquely store urine separately in their cloacas.

These birds are found across a variety of South American habitats, from grasslands to shrubland, with the greater rhea preferring regions up to 1,500 meters, and the lesser rhea higher altitudes up to 4,500 meters. Rheas have a diet mainly consisting of plants but also include insects, small reptiles, and rodents. Breeding involves a polygamous system where males incubate and protect eggs laid by multiple females.The greater and puna rheas are considered near-threatened, whereas the Darwin's rhea is of least concern. Additionally, feral populations have arisen in Germany and the UK after escapes from captivity. Rheas have cultural and practical significance in South America, being used for their feathers, skin, and meat, and historically were hunted by gauchos with bolas. Their images have also been featured on currency in Argentina and Uruguay.

OSTRICH

Ostriches cannot fly, but don't feel too sorry for them. The ostrich is the fastest bipedal runner in the world, capable of reaching speeds up to 45 miles per hour--about twice what the fastest human can achieve. What's more, an ostrich can maintain this speed for up to half an hour. 

• Ostriches are the largest birds in the world, standing up to 9 feet (2.8 meters) tall and weighing as much as 320 pounds (145 kg).

• They are flightless but can run at speeds up to 45 mph (72 km/h), using their powerful legs to escape predators.

• Ostriches lay the largest eggs of any living land animal, with each egg weighing about 3 pounds (1.4 kg).

The ancient Roman encyclopedist and philosopher Pliny the Elder once wrote that the ostrich, being profoundly stupid, sticks its head into a bush at the first sign of danger and considers itself invisible. Here's the truth about this magnificent, maligned bird.To dispel the ancient libel, ostriches do not bury their heads when faced with danger--a species that did so would hardly be able to survive for more than 120 million years. They do, however, stretch their long necks flat on the ground when they sleep; from a distance, it can look as though their heads are buried.Of the three main varieties of ostriches, only the African black ostrich (Struthio camelus domesticus) is found in captivity. They are farmed for meat, leather, and feathers in at least 50 countries and just about all climatic conditions, from Alaska to equatorial Africa. Ostriches have the best feed-to-weight ratio gain of any farmed land animal in the world and produce the strongest commercially available leather.The ostrich's eyes are about the size of billiard balls.

They take up so much room in the skull that the ostrich's brain is actually smaller than either one of its eyeballs. This may be why the ostrich, despite its tremendous running speed, is not very good at eluding predators: It tends to run in circles.ostrich's intestines are 46 feet long--about twice as long as those of a human. This enables the bird to get the most out of the tough plants it eats. To help with digestion, it also swallows sand and small stones to break down food in its gizzard. Ostriches in captivity have been known to swallow just about anything that can fit down their gullet, including bicycle valves, alarm clocks, and even small bottle.The ostrich is the largest living bird in the world. An ostrich chick grows one foot taller each month until it is seven or eight months old. Adult ostrich roosters are six to ten feet in height and can weigh as much as 340 pounds. Because of their prodigious size, ostriches were occasionally used for riding or pulling chariots in ancient Egypt; the practice never really took off, because the ostrich has a nasty temper.This great bird has only two toes; all other birds have three or four. Ostriches kick forward, not backward, because that's the direction in which their knees bend. Ostriches never need to drink water--some of it they make internally, and the rest is derived from the vegetation they eat.

Although the ostrich egg is the largest of all eggs, it is the smallest egg in relation to the size of the bird. A three-pound egg is only about 1 percent as heavy as the ostrich hen; by contrast, a kiwi's egg--the largest in comparison to the mother--is 15 to 20 percent of the mother bird's mass. An ostrich egg is equivalent in volume to two dozen chicken eggs.

Physiologus, an early Christian text compiled around the second century A.D. and a popular read in the Middle Ages, asserts that the ostrich incubates its eggs by staring at them. It was widely held at the time that vision was the effect of special "seeing" rays emanating from one's eyes; thus, the heat in the gaze of the ostrich hatched its chicks. The author of Physiologus presents this as an allegory to inspire worshippers to keep their eyes on Christ.

CASSOWARY

Where does the name cassowary come from?Cassowary’ originates from two Papuan words: ‘kasu’ (meaning horned) and ‘wari’ (meaning head). The name refers to the cassowary’s casque, a hollow structure made of keratin (similar to that making our hair and nails), found on the bird’s head.The southern cassowary is also known as the double-watted cassowary.

How many species of cassowary are there?           

There are three extant (living) species of cassowary:

• southern, Casuarius casuarius 

• northern, C. unappendiculatus

• dwarf, C. bennetti

Where are southern cassowaries found?         

Compared to the other extant species of cassowary, the southern cassowary is found in the southernmost parts of the genus’ range: northeastern Australia and south Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The habitat of southern cassowaries is dense tropical rainforest.

What do southern cassowaries look like?       

Southern cassowaries are prehistoric-looking birds with deep blue heads and necks, two bright red wattles (flaps of skin), a casque, and dense, long, black feathers. Reaching up to six feet tall, southern cassowaries are the third-tallest birds on Earth, after ostriches and emus of which they are related, and the second heaviest after ostriches. Females can weigh up to 76kg and are larger than the males who can weigh up to 55kg.

What do cassowaries eat?        

Cassowaries are predominantly frugivorous, feeding on fruits that have fallen to the forest floor, but will predate on small vertebrates where available. The seeds of digested fruits are passed in the cassowary’s faeces and so cassowaries play an important role in seed dispersal.

Are cassowaries dangerous?         

A typically shy and reclusive bird, cassowaries will, like most animals, become aggressive when threatened. They possess a sharp claw, up to 12cm in length, on the inner toe of each foot. When threatened, cassowaries will jump and strike with this claw, potentially resulting in lethal lacerations.

Can cassowaries fly?        

Like ostriches, emus, rheas, and kiwis, cassowaries are ratites, flightless birds that possess a flat breastbone that is unable to support the muscles required for flight.

How do cassowaries communicate?        

Cassowaries are typically solitary animals, but during the breeding season communicate through infrasonic booms (low frequency sounds below the range of human hearing). When in close proximity, cassowaries also communicate through subtle courtship behaviours, such as strutting in a circle, head shaking, throat and neck swelling, and high stepping to attract a mate.

Why are southern cassowary eggs green?       

The greenish colour of southern cassowary eggs comes from biliverdin, a common pigment found in bird eggshells. As cassowaries are ground-nesting birds, the green colour of their eggs is used for camouflage against the surrounding vegetation in tropical forests to protect the eggs from potential predators.

Contact: (970)602-7110
Email: palmfarmsteads@gmail.com
Website: www.palmfarmsteads.com
Address: 40510 J Rd Mancos, Colorado(CO), 81328