Leah Mishka standing next to one of her emus.
Leah Mishka of Lenawee County in Michigan serves as the Michigan Region II vice president this year. She remembers attending a 4-H clinic and meeting an emu named Gust. Mishka completely fell in love with emus and, a year later, decided to buy a pair of her own named Sherman and Sharon. As the pair grew up, Mishka decided to start a small business called Emusing by Leah.
“Emus are different in many ways compared to livestock,” Mishka says. “When it comes to trying new foods, my emus will either love the food or express their disgust by hissing, coughing and promptly spitting the new food out. Emus also need tall fences; they can run very fast and jump high. When emus are younger, they need to be fed a high-protein diet of emu food, fruit, veggies and lots of supplements to support the fast rate at which their legs grow. Emus are also super curious. They try to eat anything shiny.”
Emu shells crushed up with moss make cool decor.
About once a month, Mishka collects emu feathers and cleans and sanitizes them. She then makes earrings with the feathers and dyes them in fun colors. She also sells feathers in bulk for those who want to create their own creations.
November to April is the emu laying season. During this time, Mishka collects eggs and creates egg displays (such as earrings), uses the normal eggs for cooking and collects eggs for those who want to hatch their own emus.
Mishka enjoys spending time with her emus every day!
