We are the foremost rhea research farm in North America and probably the world. We have solved ALL the rhea chick mortality and development problems. The rhea is now a rare bird in the US, a victim of a failed breeder's market, open hostility from cattlemen, and scientific disinterest. Now kept primarily as pets by egg crafters, we are the only farm actively working to develop and improve this species.

We are not NPIP (National Poultry Improvement Plan). APHIS recently published new guidelines in the National Poultry Improvement Plan. These guidelines may work for confinement-raised chickens, but I would have to re-title them "1001 ways to kill a baby rhea".

There is absolutely no scientific evidence rheas can be raised in confinement utilizing the hazardous biosecurity methods employed by large poultry farms, nor is there any evidence we pose a health risk to the poultry industry. These methods demanding use of dangerous chemicals will prevent any organic farm from becoming a member of the NPIP. This kind of biosecurity and commercial soy-based, vegetarian feed are death sentences to baby rheas.

Rhea Chicks

Updated 4/23/2003

ABOVE The male at the water tub is 11 weeks old. The white pipe above his back is 2 feet off the ground. This baby rhea is 3 feet tall before his 3 month birthday.

Weight Gain Chart 2001

More great photos that will help you identify healthy chicks

LEFT 21 day old male weighing 1271 grams or 2.8 pounds, 3x more than his hatch weight. Sleek bodies, strong straight legs, long necks, and smooth feathers that do not hang below the belly are the hallmarks of healthy rhea chicks.

These are fabulous chicks. Our 2001 chicks were 3/4 full height by Christmas, less than 6 months old! This was the first year the chicks slept outside through the entire winter, never using the calf hut and heat lamp that was available. They were all put in adult pens in January. In 2002 the chicks were placed in the adult pen in October surviving this long cold winter beautifully. By 8 months old we could not distinguish the chicks from the adults.

We are only raising birds that can double their weight in 14 days-twice as fast as what is considered normal. At 21 days some of them are 3.5 times their hatch weight! On commercial food the best one can hope for is a doubling by 21-30 days. The weight gain chart is for birds that have been fed home-cooked food, a practice I began in 1999. Hatching at less than 1 pound, some of the birds weigh more than 4 pounds by 30 days. These birds are the best I have ever produced, and probably the best in the United States. These chicks also dispel the myth that growth should be slow so they don't put on too much weight for their legs. Superb nutrition produces superb animals.

To my knowledge, we are the only ones in the US still working on our genetics and improving feed efficiency. When you purchase chicks from us, you are benefiting from our years of research with these incredible birds. Among our extensive list of accomplishments ensuring the survivability of the threatened rhea as a species includes:

We breed for temperament. The male's strong instinct to defend his territory is dangerous in a farm situation. Although we do not have breeding records since the birds are in community pens, we have selected the males for large size, manageable temperament, large eggs and chick viability. Since the white ones are harder to raise, we have not culled them as severely as the gray ones. Therefore, the gray ones have a more even temperament. The grays can be selected for recessive white genes by eye color if you want grays that can produce white chicks.

The chicks have to hatch on their own; we do not assist. This selects for only healthy, viable chicks. Nor do we coddle the chicks during their early days, further selecting for healthy, viable chicks. Chicks who cannot sustain the weight gain are culled although we could raise them with a lot of TLC.

We NEVER administer antibiotics, wormers or immunizations-nor do we need to. We do not compromise on the chicks' food and it shows.
The chicks are fed a premium home-cooked, high-protein diet rich in free-ranged eggs and home-grown pastured meat, organic grains, greens, fruit, and a proprietary supplement formula. Nothing is left to chance, we even use our own compost for their bedding to make sure it is free of any contaminants. If they choose to eat it - no harm done!