An emu in the farm. Picture by Priya Abraham

Bhubaneswar, March 3: Beyond chickens and turkeys there’s the mini ostrich or the emu for meat lovers.

Emu, a large, ratite, flight-less bird is slowly gaining popularity across the world as a poultry bird. Emu farming recently was initiated in Orissa and enthusiasts seem keen on trying out their fortune in what is now being talked as an alternative to cash crops.

The Australian bird’s 100 per cent utility in terms of market value has been one reason that has attracted novices to this alternative.

“Emu’s meat, skin and oil command a high value in the market,” said 47-year-old D. Mohan Reddy, who took up farming near his village Chikiti, 200km from Bhubaneswar.

The medical practitioner (vaidya) has 40 emus in his 2.5-acre farm. Reddy has also installed a fully automatic incubator and a hatchery for the birds.

Reddy’s interest was ignited when in 2005 he travelled to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to visit a friend. “He had just started farming then and he asked me to do the same. He, in fact, told me that emus were like gold,” recalls Reddy. Convinced, Reddy tried his hand in his hometown with an initial investment of Rs 3 lakh. For the initial cost, he applied for a loan (of Rs 20 lakh) from the Gramya Bank followed by a Nabard loan. Nabard has been backing him ever since.

Reddy’s Mahalaxmi Emu and Agro Farms now has 40 emus, 35 chicks and 110 eggs. “Every day eager visitors throng my farm to ask about the project,” said Reddy.

“More than 140 people have shown interest in the trade and I have agreed to impart training, an idea backed by Nabard, too,” he said. He is so happy with the farm that from next year, Reddy plans to set up another in Bhubaneswar, besides an emu-oil centre.

As of now, he has already recovered his initial loan amount by selling the birds. “I sell the birds to agents in Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, too, have a good market,” he adds. Reddy has advance bookings for his chicks, which command a price of Rs 5,000 each in the market.

“The best thing about this farming is its low maintenance and low cost factors. I spend around Rs 14 a day on each bird,” said Reddy.

Survival rate of the birds is also higher since there are no specific diseases that plague the species.

From being 10-inches at the time of birth, a fully-grown emu stands some 6ft and weighs between 45 and 50 kg. It can adapt well to different temperatures and lives on a simple diet but requires plenty of water.

The bird’s life span is 40-odd years. An emu starts laying eggs as early as 18 months. The process normally begins at two to three years and continues till 26 to 35 years. An emu egg takes 49-54 days to incubate.

Emu meat is considered cholesterol-free, while its oil is considered to be effective in arthritis, muscle and joint pain and injuries.