Tony Citryhn, left, watches as his wife, Janean Parker, holds a 2-week-old emu at their ranch, 3 Feathers Emu Ranch and Farm near Adna on Friday.
An adult emu sticks its head out of the fence toward two other emus at 3 Feathers Emu Ranch and Farm near Adna on Friday.
Two young emus are seen through a fence at 3 Feathers Emu Ranch and Farm near Adna on Friday.
Janean Parker, one of the owners of 3 Feathers Emu Ranch and Farm, pets and adult emu Friday.
An emu looks through a fence at 3 Feathers Emu Ranch and Farm near Adna on Friday.
An incubator with large blue eggs is due to hatch June 1 at 3 Feathers Emu Ranch and Farm in Adna.
But if guests are lucky, some of the eggs might hatch a couple days early on the farm’s first Spring Visit Day.
While Janean Parker and Tony Citryhn have in the past hosted farm tours by request, the Spring Visit Day on May 30 is their first big public event since they started their emu farm in 2009.
Even if the chicks due on June 1 don’t begin hatching early, there will still be chicks as young at 2 weeks old at the farm on Spring Visit Day.
Each year, they try to expand their offerings, Parker said. The event will include a craft table in addition to the tours, and the owners will have products available to test and purchase.
Along with seeing emu chicks, visitors will be able to walk between the pens of mature emus.
Each pen is home to two mature, breeding emus — a male and a female. The birds, which weigh around 100 pounds and grow to about 5 feet tall, typically mate for life, Parker said.
Along with chicks and adult breeder birds, the farm also has 1-year-old emus, or “teens,” Parker said.
A common misconception is that emus are aggressive, when they are actually shy and curious birds, Citryhn said. However, its relative the ostrich is an aggressive bird, which is often why people think emus have similar dispositions.
For those who can’t make the event, 3 Feathers Emu Ranch will be open for regular hours for visitors Fridays and Saturdays from June to August for the first time.
The couple decided to start raising emus after getting married and moving to their 9-acre ranch located outside Adna. They now have about 50 emus, some chickens, goats, sheep and a cow.
The emus are raised for their meat and their fat, which is turned into oil, soap, lotion, lip balm and other skin products.
The oil, which has Omegas 3, 6 and 9, is an anti-inflammatory and is transdermal. It can be used to sooth and relieve irritated skin, Citryhn said.
Products from 3 Feathers Emu Ranch and Farm meet American Emu Association requirements for certification.
The meat tastes like corn fed elk or lean beef, Citryhn said. Emu hides can also be used for leather.
“All parts of the bird are usable and valuable,” Parker said.
They sell their products online at threefeathersemus.com, at farmers markets and local fairs and events. They work to expand their product line each year and hope to start selling in local stores soon.
