FARMINGTON — Rita and Richard Merrow do.

In fact, at Birds of a Feather Emu Farm on the Savage Road in Farmington, they currently have 11 adults, including two breeding pairs, several recently hatched chicks kept in two different pens upstairs in the loft of their home, and a few eggs still in the hatchers, also located in the loft.

The hatchlings, bearing black stripes along the length of their little bodies from stem to stern, have been placed in two separate, but adjacent, areas upstairs according to which hen’s clutch, or nest of eggs, they belong. These young ones are very wobbly at first, struggling to gain their balance as they try to stand and walk. Rita and Richard closely observe their actions. The chicks’ legs may need to be hobbled with tape at the ankles to ensure they grow straight and strong.

“Their legs are everything,” Richard noted, explaining that he and Rita also keep an eye on the little ones’ feet, watching to make sure their toes spread out properly. Emus may be flightless, but because of their strong legs, they are extremely speedy. Their legs are also important as a defense mechanism.

“He’ll flop around for awhile,” Richard continued, speaking of the newest emu about to join his clutch-mates, “his legs will get stronger, he’ll learn to balance, his toes will spread out…He’ll figure it out, the tape will break off…He’ll be up walking in a few days.”

The reproductive cycle of these amazing birds begins in November and continues through April. Cold does affect production, so Maine’s climate often causes a shorter season, though Richard mentioned that last year his hens laid into May. Once a hen begins to lay, she may lay an egg every three to five days, producing as many as 30 or 40 eggs in a season. This year’s total was 41, which sets a new record at Birds of a Feather, well over the previous high of 32.

When it comes to pairing the birds, Richard said, “You can’t just put any two together. As they’re growing, you watch to see who’s hanging out with who…sometimes a male and a female will lay side by side one another on either side of the fence…(then you know) love is in the air.”

Once a female emu chooses her mate, they remain together for life. Emus tend to live between ten and twenty years in the wild. It would not be uncommon for a domestic emu to live up to thirty years.

When the male’s hen has laid a clutch of six or eight eggs, he will be the one to set on the nest. The hen is out of the picture once she’s done laying, leaving the male to carry on. Similar to penguins, Richard commented.

On the farm, the Merrows collect the newly-laid eggs until they have a clutch of at least 12 to fill an incubator. Each egg is weighed and numbered. Meticulous records are kept in order to track any weight loss and maintain proper humidity. If too much weight is lost, the egg is determined to be infertile.

Fertility may also be determined by “sounding the shell”, Rita explained. This is done by tapping the shell, hoping not to hear “a tinny sound”, like tapping on porcelain. That would indicate infertility and the shell would be “blown out”, or emptied. Rita sterilizes and keeps these empty shells. They are a commodity coveted by some crafters, who create amazing works of art by etching, carving, painting, or otherwise creatively working these porcelain-like emerald green three-layered shells. Shells are just one of several products Rita sells at craft fairs around the state – and, for the first time this year, in New Hampshire. More about this shortly.

Fifty-two days from the time the eggs were placed in the incubator, hatching will begin. In the meantime, the incubators electronically have been giving the eggs a partial turn every three to four hours and, twice a day, morning and evening, Rita and Richard have turned each one manually 180 degrees, to promote a better hatch rate.

About a week before hatching begins, sounds from inside the shell will be heard. Within four days, the babies inside the eggs will begin chirping. Then it’s time to move them to the hatcher, which has the same humidity and warmth as the incubator, but a bigger space for each individual egg. Now, no more turning is required.

Finally, it’s time for the little emu to emerge. It will make small cracks in the shell with its beak, then push against it with its feet to crack it open. Human assistance with the hatch is absolutely prohibited! If movement within the egg stops, it is only because the baby bird is resting, regaining its strength before continuing its breakout. The longer this takes, the stronger the chick will be when it does present itself to the world. Though rare, Richard said, it has been known to take up to three days for a baby emu to make its debut.

Once it has made its entrance, it will join its fellow hatchlings in the appropriate pen. While inside its egg, the growing bird was nourished from the yolk. Now, it will be fed on finely chopped carrots and kale for a week or two until it transitions to a diet of pellets made from special grains.

The young emus, with their tiny wings no bigger than your thumb and poofy little bellies, will lose their stripes at about five months and will start “building” their real feathers. Unlike most birds, emus have two feathers per quill, or shaft. These unique feathers are yet another valuable resource used by crafters for everything from fishing lures and flower arrangements to fans, wall hangings, and accents on hats and other pieces of clothing. A desk in the Merrows’ home even sports a lamp fashioned atop a single emu leg!

That brings the story back to the multitude of by-products to be garnered from this unusual source. For one thing, emu eggs are touted as “delicious and nutritious” in the informational pamphlet, titled “The Emulicious Emu Egg”, provided by the Merrows. One egg is equivalent to ten or twelve chicken eggs! And don’t forget. If you extract the contents of the egg by blowing it out rather than cracking the shell, you have the added bonus of a new medium from which you may create an exceptional piece of art.

Most of the adult birds raised on Birds of a Feather Farm, are meat birds. Emu meat, which is technically poultry, is not like chicken. It is red meat, similar to beef, but higher in protein, 98% fat free, and low in cholesterol and calories.

“It has its own unique taste,” Richard says, “Like beef. Not gamey like venison.”

The Merrows sell USDA-inspected emu steak and ground emu on site at the farm or online at http://www.birdsofafeatheremufarm.com/. Birds of a Feather Farm is also a familiar presence at various fairs and craft venues around the state. In fact, next month, on May 4, they will be at the 8th Annual Maine Fiddlehead Festival and Local Food Day held at the University of Maine Farmington.

Still another major product line featured at Birds of a Feather Farm, and on its sister website earth-alternatives.com, is a collection of CBD-infused emu oil products. Rendered from the emu’s fat, an especially valuable byproduct is the emu oil. According to the Earth’s Alternatives website, this oil is rich in Omega 3, 6, and 9 and vitamins A & E and “has been used for centuries for many different conditions and ailments”, including scarring of all kinds, the itch and flakiness of dandruff or psoriasis, the itching or stinging of insect bites, chapped or burnt skin, even hemorrhoids. It’s safe for use on children (diaper rash, fever blisters, chapped lips) and pets (hot spot itching, eye irritations, ear mites, sores or wounds), as well.

All the Earth’s Alternatives products are infused with locally grown industrial hemp CBD oil, extracted into coconut oil, thus combining “the amazing healing properties of both the emu bird and hemp CBD to deliver to you incredible natural pain relief.” All of the products use only natural healing oils and ingredients and no fillers or chemicals. Products include pain salve, skin balm, massage oil, and lotions, among others.

An interesting side note, Birds of a Feather also supplies emu chicks to York Wild Animal Kingdom. The chicks go to the zoo when they are three months old, spend the summer season there, then are sent to another facility out west.

Richard and Rita began farming about eight years ago in Monmouth. They raised the usual cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys. After a few years, Richard started thinking about adding something more, something with which to fill the down time between processing the livestock for sale over the holidays and the beginning of a new season come spring. An article in Mother Earth News about “alternative livestock” piqued his interest. As his quest for more information began, Richard was fortunate to make a connection with an emu farmer in Chesterville. He also struck up a correspondence with another from Pennsylvania whom he met at a convention. The more he learned from these mentors, the more he came to believe emus were the perfect solution.

“I bought my first three,” he said, “and the rest is history.”

“We do miss raising the pigs,” Richard admitted, “But there’s only so much time in any given day. You’ve got to use your time wisely to give the animals you are raising the time and care they need and deserve.”

Time management is one of the biggest life lessons farming in general has taught the Merrows and they continue to learn more and more about their emus all the time.

“The best thing about emu farming,” Richard shared, “is learning from them. Just when you think you’ve seen everything about them, they surprise you with something new.”

On the other side of the coin, the worst thing about the business is when one of the big birds dies unexpectedly and a reason cannot be determined.

“That happens from time to time,” Richard sighed.

As their new enterprise took hold, the couple sought to purchase a larger property, eventually finding the perfect location on Mosher Hill. You are invited to go see for yourself what emu farming is all about when Birds of a Feather is open to the public on Maine Open Farm Day, July 28. It’s the perfect opportunity to meet the Merrows and their unique alternative livestock.

In addition to promoting their own farm, Richard and Rita see this event as the perfect means of introducing others to the benefits of emu farming with the hope of increasing the number of emu farms in Maine from the current half-dozen or less to a much broader venue.

“There aren’t enough (emu) farmers in New England in general,” Richard stated, also pointing out that there are no processing operations at all in Maine, another niche in the state that he believes needs filling. Currently, the Merrows have to transport their birds by trailer to Goffstown, NH for this stage of their operation.

Richard takes spreading the word about emu farming very seriously. Besides all he and Rita do through their own farm work and web presence, Richard also serves as the President of the New England Emu Association, an affiliate of the American Emu Association.

“I use this position to help other farmers in whatever issues may come up,” Richard stated, “and more importantly, in promoting emu farming within New England and beyond.”

He concluded, “Educating the general public of the value of this unusual animal is the primary goal of all emu farmers.”

In so doing, Richard Merrow is the personification of the organization’s mission statement:  “dedicated to developing structural support and visionary leadership for the emu industry” – beginning right here at home in Franklin County.

 

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