Emus

Jack, and Barnabas

We have two emus, Jack and Barnabas. Jack and Barnabas were DNA tested and determined to be males a few weeks after hatching. However, we began to suspect something went wrong in the testing, and recently re-tested. Barnabas, it turns out, is actually a female. Both Jack and Barnabas are very cuddly animals, readily approaching people for pets and hugs, so it's very surprising to find that Barnabas is female, since females tend to be more aloof. For now, we have the two of them separated, as females can become aggressive during mating season. In emus, it's the males who make the nests, incubate the eggs, and raise the young - the females have no investment past laying the eggs. Barnabas has shown no interest in Jack, and he has shown no nesting behavior, so they will remain separated for this mating season and we'll see what happens next year!