Emu farming in India is a popular and lucrative business model. Emu farming is very popular in some states of India like Andhra Pradess, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. Emus are large sized poultry birds of ratite group and have high economic value.
They produce valuable eggs, meat, oil, skin and feathers. They can adopt themselves with almost all types of agro climatic conditions.
They can be raised in both extensive and semi intensive farming systems. USA, AUS and China are the leading countries in emu farming.
Indian climate is very suitable for commercial emu farming. So, we can start commercial emu farming business and earn profit highly.
Starting emu farming in India is easy and anyone can start emu farming who has his/her own land.
But you must have to learn the basics of emu farming. Emu farming basic includes feeding, housing, breeding, care, diseases and nature of this birds.
You also have to gain a proper idea about total investment and profit from emu farming business. I am describing shortly the step by step process of starting commercial emu farming in India.
Benefits of Emu Farming in India
Emu farming is gaining popularity gradually in India. Emu farming business has numerous advantages. The main benefits of commercial emu farming in India are listed below.
- Emu meat is very healthy and tasty. It is lower in fat and cholesterol and higher in protein and energy.
- Emu products like eggs, meat, skin, oil and features have a high value in the market.
- Emus take less food and convert them to various types of valuable products. They can even survive by eating cost saving foods.
- You can easily raise some emus in your farm with your other livestock animals and poultry birds.
- Diseases are less in emus and they can survive in almost all types of agro climatic conditions. Indian climate is also very suitable for commercial emu farming business.
- Emu farming business is very profitable and it can be a great source of income and employment for the unemployed people of India.
- You can also apply bank loan for setting up commercial emu farming in India.
- Emu farming doesn’t require high technical and management knowledge. You can easily raise emus if you learn the basics of emu farming in India.
Starting Emu Farming in India
If you have land for setting up farm then you can easily setup commercial emu farming business. I have described the step by step process below for setting up commercial emu farming in India.
Farm Location
Select a suitable land/location for setting up commercial emu farming in India. It would be better if you have a plot of land of your own. While selecting land for emu farming in India, consider some important factors.
Considerable factors for starting emu farming business includes availability of fresh and clean water, good and nutritious food source, availability of cheap labor, medication facilities, transportation system, suitable market near the place etc. Be very careful about this factors during selecting the land.
Chick Management
A newly born emu chick weights around 370 to 450 grams which is about 67% of total egg weight. Although the exact weight of chicks depend on the size of eggs. Keep the chick inside the incubator for their first 2 to 3 days.
This will help to proper drying and for quick absorption of the yolk. After that keep them in deep litter floor house. You can make the litter with paddy husk and cover new gunny bags or burlap over the litter.
You can also set brooder of around 25 to 40 chicks and 4 square feet space is required per chick for their first 3 weeks. Keep the brooding temperature of 900F for the first 10 days and reduce to 850F till their 3-4 weeks of age.
Proper temperature management play a very important role for rearing emu chicks. Under the brooder, keep sufficient number of feeder and water pots.
To avoid straying and jumping of chicks make a chick guard of at least 2.5 feet height. Keep a bulb inside the brooder shed burning all time. A 40 watt bulb is sufficient for covering 100 square feet area.
Extend the brooder area of chicks after their 3 weeks of age by widening the chick guard circle. Feed the chick starter mash for about 14 weeks or until they reach about 10 kg body weight.
Emu chick require sufficient run space for proper growth and healthy life. So, ensure sufficient floor space and run space for the birds for better production.
Generally, 30*40 square feet floor space is suitable for raising about 40 chicks. The floor must have to be free from dampness and easily drained. Always be very careful and never over crowd the pen.
Grower Management
Emus are big sized bird. They need big sized waterers, feeders and large floor space. Keeping male and female birds is a good idea. So, identify sexes and keep them separately from each other.
Make a good litter inside the house to manage a fresh and dry condition. You can use paddy husk for making litter. Feed the birds grower mash for their 34 weeks of age or until they reach 25 kg body weight.
Along with grower mash add about 10% of greens. Provide them sufficient amount of food and fresh water according to their demand. In grower stage, providing 40*100 squire feet space for 40 birds will be enough.
The floor must have to be free from dampness with easy drainage facility. Never keep the chicks or grower with adult emus.<
Breeder Management
Generally, emu birds become mature at their 18 to 24 months of age. For proper breeding purpose keep the male and female ratio as 1:1. 2500 square feet floor space is required for every pair during mating.
For inducing mating and privacy purpose you can provide trees and shrubs. Add more vitamins and minerals in their food and feed them before 3-4 weeks of breeding campaign.
This will ensure better fertility and hatch ability in birds. Generally an adult bird eat about 1 kg food daily. But during mating period food taking rate get reduced drastically.
A female emu lays about 15 eggs during first year and this number gradually increase from the next year. They lay eggs for the first time at their one and half years of age.
An egg weights around 475 grams to 650 grams. The eggs are like tough marble and are of greenish colored. Normally an emu egg take about 52 days incubation period for producing a chick.
Proper temperature and moisture control management is very important for hatching emu eggs. However, proper care and management ensure good and healthy emu chicks. So, be very careful during the total emu breeding process.
Feeding
Like other birds and animals emus also need nutritious and balanced diet for their proper growth and reproduction. Good and high quality foods also keep the bird healthy and diseases free.
So, for profitable emu farming in India you must have to feed your birds high quality and nutritious food according to their demand. Along with good and nutritious food provide them sufficient amount of clean and fresh water regularly.
Emu Nutrient Requirement
Emu Feed Ingredients
Care & Management
Emus are very strong and live for long time. Mortality rate and other health problems are less in emus. Chicks and juveniles sometimes suffer by some health problems. They may suffer by coli infections, clostridial infections, intestinal obstruction, leg abnormalities, malnutrition and starvation.
The main causes of this types of health problems are genetic disorders, improper handling, improper brooding or nutrition and stress.
Emus also get infected by some other health problems and diseases like aspergillosis, ascarid infestations, candidiasis, coccidiosis, lice, rhinitis and salmonella.
You can apply ivermectin for preventing internal and external worms. Vaccinate the birds timely for R.D at the age of 1 (lasota), 4 (lasota booster) weeks; 8, 15 and 40 weeks by mukteswar strain gave better immunity. And always try to take good care of your birds.
Marketing
Sell your emu products when they reach marketing age. Along with emu meat, skin, oil, feather you can also sell eggs, day old chicks, growing birds.
Normally you can sell every chick at the rate of 4000 to 5000 INR and 15 month aged growing emu at 20000 to 25000 INR. First of all try your local market. You can also sell emu products in international market.
Emu farming is absolutely a very profitable business. Indian weather and climate is also very suitable for commercial emu farming business. Visit some emu farm practically and finally start emu farming in India.
Dear Sir,
I want to buy Emu and Ostrich fertile eggs for hatching to start the business from minimum investment in Lucknow, India. Please guide.