Scientific name: Rhea americana
Other common names: Common Rhea
Rheas represent South America's answer to Africa's Ostrich or Australia's Emu – a tall, flightless bird found on the open plains and scrub, a category of birds also known as the ratites. The Greater Rhea, as its name suggests, is the largest bird in South America, although it's both smaller and less popular in aviculture than Ostriches and Emus. As South America is currently undergoing a rapid period of growth and development, the Greater Rhea is losing habitat to agriculture, causing the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) to list this species as, “Near Threatened.” There's also a concern that the true population of wild Greater Rheas has collapsed unseen, because observers still see plenty of feral domestic-bred Rheas roaming around.
At around 4 to 5 feet tall in adulthood, the Greater Rhea is noticeably smaller than both the Ostrich and the Emu. There's a decent amount of individual and subspecific variation in the gray and brown plumage, but take note of the black on the lower neck and sides of the breasts. Lesser Rhea lacks this black on the neck, making it easy to distinguish the two species even at a distance. The male Greater Rheas are considerably blacker in this area than the females, but they are all blacker than Lesser's.
23 - 32 kilograms (50 - 70 lbs.)
15 - 20 years
Like other birds that spend a lot of time on the ground, Greater Rheas may need a de-worming schedule. You will want an experienced veterinarian who is capable of handling a large bird capable of giving a hard kick. Get a referral from other ratite breeders. The chicks have sometimes been reported to be difficult to rear in captivity. Make sure the incubator area, if you are using one, is absolutely clean and dry to prevent mold or respiratory infections.
Behavior / temperament:
As with most other ratites, adult male Greater Rheas become extremely territorial during the breeding season. Their aggression may be quite understandable, since multiple females will dump as many as 80 eggs in the nest for him to incubate, hatch, raise, and defend, causing all of his paternal instincts to be fully engaged. Be aware that you will be able to have only one adult male on the territory and that he may be quite difficult for the keeper to handle. Even though Emus are larger, some people say that Greater Rheas can be more irascible. On the upside, outside of breeding seasons, these birds do recognize their keeper and they can learn to come running for treats from your hand.
Adult male Greater Rheas are extremely aggressive and territorial birds who are also dedicated fathers. In nature, multiple females might dump eggs in the same nest for the male to raise. Ranchers have discovered that the same set-up works well in captivity – one adult male for a harem of several females is the way to go to avoid aggression, fighting, and territorial conflicts between males. Each harem should offer at least 2,500 square feet of territory for the birds to roam, and you should supply a shelter against bad weather as well as a generous dust pit for bathing. Like Emus, they may also appreciate a clean, shallow pond. The fence should be at least five feet high, with secure gates to prevent these well-known escape artists from being lost.
Greater Rheas are grazing animals that have no crop, so they swallow small stones to help grind up the grains they eat. Unfortunately, they also have an attraction to shiny objects and may try to swallow your jewelry or other metal items, so be cautious. Their wild diet is tough and high in fiber. A good captive diet is a ratite or Ostrich pellet, supplemented with alfalfa or other browse, and treats like broccoli, carrot, or even grapes. Always have plenty of clean water available.
Written by Elaine Radford
flightless bird, gentle bird, jumbo sized eggs, Rhea beef
shoulder height, predation, multipurpose pellet feed, Predators, Good livestock animal
less intimidating than an emu
Before we got ours, I had never even heard of a rhea. She came to us as a package deal when we bought three emus from an ad in the paper. Our rhea stood at about shoulder height on the emus and was a bright white. It was like a strange, gentle miniaturization of the larger birds.
I only have experience with the one bird, so I don't really know if my experience is typical of the species. Our rhea was very clean and quiet, exactly the sort of flightless bird you'd like to have as a house guest. She would allow herself to be petted, but only occasionally. She preferred to be left alone. Even though she'd spent her whole life with the emus, she stayed clear of them. She spent her days meandering around the yard, not doing much of anything.
The Greater Rhea is a “near endangered” animal. I feel like we were lucky to get the opportunity to be around one. Watching her was like watching a creature out of time, like some feathered dinosaur. She looked so much more fragile than the emus and was much less volatile. When spooked, the emus would fight as often as they'd run, but not the rhea. She'd just run away. She never bit or kicked, no matter what sort of danger she faced.
I wouldn't advise getting a rhea unless you're an expert. For one, there's no telling where it's coming from. You could actively be contributing to its extinction. It's a gentle bird that needs a space relatively free from excitement, as its primary instincts tell it to flee from predation. It needs lots of room to move and a special kind of person willing to allow it to exist as it would in the wild..
From carisomalley Sep 12 2013 9:21PM
Raising Rhea- South America's Ostrich
The Rhea is an animal of deep folkloric significance to the people of South America. It is mentioned heavily in Gaucho epics and a common sight of country life in Uruguay and Argentina. A more docile cousin of the emu, the 5 foot tall Rhea is on the verge of bursting into the market, when you raise them yourself it quickly becomes evident why.
The most important thing you need to know about the Rhea is that it needs secure fencing. Some choose to use dog-wire with boards, but my family had them corralled with standard straight wire which successfully kept them in. It is vital that whatever type of wire you use to keep these animals in, you maintain it. A portion of the wiring I used had come loose and one of our birds escaped, with Rheas being able to run up to 40 miles an hour, you will never be able to catch up to it. They take up about 1/3 or 1/2 of the acreage that an equal amount of most other types of livestock would take up, but make sure you have lots of bushes and trees where you keep them.
These animals require less maintenance than typical livestock. They are simple creatures who enjoy foraging for insects and will eat anything from bird feed to dog food. A simple structure with a roof to protect them from the elements will go a long way in keeping them healthy, but most of the time they don't really need it (depending where you live). They are also prolific egg-layers: my Rheas were able to lay around 50-60 of their jumbo sized eggs a year, but I've known folks who were able to get up to 100 out of them. These eggs are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, and don't really taste nearly as 'gamey' as you'd expect.
Incubating the eggs can be done with specific Rhea ones, or a customized chicken egg incubator. It is important that contamination be kept to the greatest minimum possible during the incubation and birth stages, lack of sanitation can lead to an out of control mortality rate. Make sure when you're introducing chicks that you pair them up with a male or an older animal, who act as "tutors". The males brood with them. The chicks need space to exercise and forage and should be encouraged to do so. Generally speaking these animals are docile and even affectionate, but within limits as they are not very intelligent. They're also good at warding off predators if you choose to keep them near cattle or sheep.
Rhea beef and leather are hot commodities. The meat produced by Rhea has been compared to red meat, but has far less fat and cholesterol. The feathers and leather produced by Rheas are also popular in everything from fashion to car painting. When I raised them there was a massive demand for this type of exotic meat, which went down for a few years but is today on the rise once again. This animal is capable of turning over your investment in a wide variety of ways, as virtually every part of it can be used. In Argentina, they have even started importing the Rhea's feet, which are eaten in soup in Asia for medicinal purposes.
There are some downsides to these animals and things to look out for. First of all, do not go near their legs unless you know what you're doing. Their claws are extremely sharp, capable of doing critical damage to humans including disembowelment. Rheas won't attack without good reason, people that have tried to taunt them or harass them have been known to especially deal with the vicious side of the bird.
Raising Rhea can have high start up costs and requires patience, so those looking for a quick buck should not raise these birds. The meat is exotic and expensive at the moment, due to a global shortage of Ostrich meat, and the various other uses of the animal can bring a big pay day that you will not regret. Rhea also love to test boundaries. Make sure to teach them not to press up or push against the fence..
From JoeyGibson May 12 2014 11:32PM
Aztec & Inca
I looked after 2 Rhea for a couple of years. I found them very easy to look after, in the vein of most livestock; straw in a stable for night time, and a bit of paddock for grazing during the day. They were easy to feed, seeming to enjoy a multi-purpose pellet feed, they were very good at foraging for any extras as well, and they are incredibly hardy. They seem to be suited to adapting to the British weather. They are also happy to be in with other livestock animals (goats and sheep were fine, although I would imagine something bigger than that might unsettle them). The only issue I found with them was their aggression. They were easy to herd, but if you got close enough, they pecked at you constantly - which was incredibly painful! Good livestock animal, but keep an eye on where their beaks are!.
From JenniMcCarthy Mar 14 2014 4:55AM