%0 Journal Article
%T Understanding the Behavior of Domestic Emus: A Means to Improve Their Management and Welfare¡ªMajor Behaviors and Activity Time Budgets of Adult Emus
%A Deepa G. Menon
%A Darin C. Bennett
%A Kimberly M. Cheng
%J Journal of Animals
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/938327
%X Information on domestic emu behavior is sparse and hence a study was undertaken to identify and describe the behavior of domestic emus in a farm setting. The behavioral repertoires, activity time budgets, effect of time of the day, sex, weather, and relative humidity on activities of adult emus were investigated. Eight randomly selected emus were observed using one-zero sampling method for 12 days, each period of observation lasting 30 minutes. The major behavioral categories identified were ingestive drinking, standing, locomotion, grooming, socialization, vocalization, and resting. The emus spent most of their time walking, standing, and eating. Immediately after moving to a new pen, emus were found to huddle together to keep away from emus already resident in the pen. The time spent on each activity was not significantly different between the sexes. The findings from this study provided important information on the behavior and activities of emus. The observed behaviors need to be further examined to assess their relations to the birds¡¯ welfare. 1. Introduction Emus are native to Australia and are farmed worldwide for fat (emu oil), meat, and leather. Despite a long history of use of emu oil for wound healing by the aborigines, it was only in the 1970s that the Australian Government gave permission to capture 300 wild emus to establish a primary breeding stock for domestication. The commercial farming of emu began only in the late 1980s and then the industry spread to Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa [1]. Current popularity of emu farming in the USA [2] and India [3] warrants the need to understand the behavior of these birds. It also becomes increasingly important to understand behavior repertoires for improving husbandry practices and interpreting welfare implications [4]. Understanding the feelings in animals through behavioral observations is a vital step in improving their welfare [5]. An animal¡¯s welfare is compromised when it is having difficulty in coping with its environment [6], when in pain, when feeling fear, or when being unable to control its interactions [7]. Animals respond to stress through a variety of coping mechanisms involving the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) and SA (sympathoadrenal) axis, leading to physiological and behavioral changes [8]. Hence, changes in the repertoire and time budgets of poultry could indicate welfare issues [9, 10]. Behavioral changes would encompass unusual, repetitive (stereotypic) actions as well as the absence of normal behavior of the species. Among ratites (emu, ostrich, kiwi, rhea,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jani/2014/938327/