# are Cassowary's available in the uk?



## mcdougle

as the title says : victory:


----------



## mrcriss

Not really for the private collection. Apart from anything else, they can be bloody dangerous!
There are a few dotted about in zoos, but i doubt you'll get any to keep at home.


----------



## mcdougle

i know they are dangerous, but thought well you can buy reah for between 50-100 quid a chick, but the cassowarys blue head looks cooler. you say not for private collections but there really is no limit to what people can keep now days, it all just depends on how much space you have available


----------



## mrcriss

mcdougle said:


> i know they are dangerous, but thought well you can buy reah for between 50-100 quid a chick, but the cassowarys blue head looks cooler. you say not for private collections but there really is no limit to what people can keep now days, it all just depends on how much space you have available


No, it's mainly because they're very very rare. You'd stand naff all chance of getting even chicks or eggs imported legally from their native country, and zoos certainly wouldn't be willing to pass them around to private keepers.

Rheas are two a penny. Emus don't need a DWA, and are the most similar to cassowaries. If you like the danger however and have enough space, then get your self a license and properly kitted out (which will be VERY expensive), and have a couple of ostriches. They're fun to keep, but you need a lot of space, and the fencing etc will be expensive! The council will also be pretty strict with ostriches when it comes to public safety......the big males are not to be messed with!


----------



## mcdougle

well i saw them for sale on an american site for £10'000 a pair but all i could find available for shipping to the uk were blown eggs, space shouldn't be a problem as i have two 1 an a half acre fields available to me 1 of them already planted up as a woodland, and when i start my new job should only take about 2 years saving for the birds them selves taking into account all my bills on top of that, although i'm more likely to go for for something i can keep at home first like golden conures/queen of baveria conures. cassowarys would be an amazing animal to have some prospect of keeping in the future


----------



## mrcriss

mcdougle said:


> well i saw them for sale on an american site for £10'000 a pair but all i could find available for shipping to the uk were blown eggs, space shouldn't be a problem as i have two 1 an a half acre fields available to me 1 of them already planted up as a woodland, and when i start my new job should only take about 2 years saving for the birds them selves taking into account all my bills on top of that, although i'm more likely to go for for something i can keep at home first like golden conures/queen of baveria conures. cassowarys would be an amazing animal to have some prospect of keeping in the future


Bit of a difference between conures and cassowaries!:whistling2:


----------



## mcdougle

mrcriss said:


> Bit of a difference between conures and cassowaries!:whistling2:


 
:lol2: yh i know its just another bird i want hahaha i have experience working with ostrich, emu and reah already, and in the near future my dad will be getting some reah for his small holding so experience with big birds is something i already have (some experience with big birds in the bed room too :roll2 but cassowarys will be an interesting next step, and the acre and a half planted up as woodland would be an ideal environment for them just as long as that disease thats killing all the ash trees doesn't get too bad


----------



## SilverSky

you're a fool if you think you're going to keep these like a group of rheas in a paddock, they would kill you! 
not to mention the expense on high fencing, some sort of very thick cover eg bushes for the whole paddock as they are very secretive and the gaps in the trees might be too much, and i don't think anyone in your town would be very happy!


----------



## mrcriss

Possibly a little dramatic! Our ostriches and emus were the talk of the county and people came from miles around to see them.

All the pairs of cassowaries I have ever seen have been kept separately from each other anyway....only put in the same paddock for the occasional hour or so for breeding. But you're correct in that plenty of cover is needed. They wouldn't do well in open enclosures.


----------



## SilverSky

i meant more if he tried to treat them like rhea, which he compared them to.


----------



## mrcriss

ahhh, ok. Yep....rheas are just big chickens. Ratites on the DWA list are like these in comparison!


----------



## Zoo-Man

I have a breeding pair of Terror Birds, you want them Chris?  :lol2:


----------



## mrcriss

Zoo-Man said:


> I have a breeding pair of Terror Birds, you want them Chris?  :lol2:


Send 'em over mate. There's a few vile kids round here, so they wouldn't go short on food!


----------



## mcdougle

SilverSky said:


> you're a fool if you think you're going to keep these like a group of rheas in a paddock, they would kill you!
> not to mention the expense on high fencing, some sort of very thick cover eg bushes for the whole paddock as they are very secretive and the gaps in the trees might be too much, and i don't think anyone in your town would be very happy!


 
i did say the land was planted up as woodland, with over a thousand ash trees spaced about 4ft gaps over 2 1/2 acres of land and the land is quite secluded, if you have ever heard of "the wrangaton lion", its where that sighting happened so quite out of the way haha i realise they are more dangerous that reah but they would have alot of cover in a 2 1/2 acre woodland plus the local camping/outdoor shop also sell stab proof vests for security guards for about 90 quid each so one of those would be an essential piece of equipment i would make anyone entering the enclosure wear fence would have to be doubled and electrified and cctv camera traps and security lighting as there are quite a few gypsies that were living in that area not long ago but i know all the preperations i would have to make its just getting the money together and finding where the birds are available


----------



## TurtleGuy

mrcriss said:


> Possibly a little dramatic! Our ostriches and emus were the talk of the county and people came from miles around to see them.
> 
> All the pairs of cassowaries I have ever seen have been kept separately from each other anyway....only put in the same paddock for the occasional hour or so for breeding. But you're correct in that plenty of cover is needed. They wouldn't do well in open enclosures.


You are quite right, Cassowary are kept separate in zoos. They are very territorial and will kill each other if not in "the mood"

2 1/2 acres would be enough space if you could provide heated houses for them (unlike Rhea and Emu that dont mind the cold) They require a specialist diet of ripe fruit along with a special pellet food made by mazuri.

They are indeed beautiful birds but I think they are the most dangerous birds in the world. A stab vest might protect your heart and chest but these birds have a middle toe designed to disembowel! You would need more than a stab vest! Try a riot shield?

Experience with Rhea or Emu or even Ostriches is of no asset. A bit like saying Ive kept domestic moggies all my life so now I can get a tiger!

If you want experience with a bird like this I suggest you go work in a collection that keeps them, if you have the money to provide suitable accommodation and a few years working under supervision with them in a zoo then you could consider getting a pair.

Finding a pair is another story, I'd say you would have severe difficulty.

Personally if I was in the happy position to be able to get a pair of cassowary I think I would go for the single wattled, just to be different! 

Good luck!


----------



## mrcriss

TurtleGuy said:


> Experience with Ostriches is of no asset. A bit like saying Ive kept domestic moggies all my life so now I can get a tiger!


If you think ostriches are a walk in the park, then you're bloody crazy and have obviously never encountered a big male in full breeding mode! I had 4 males servicing our ladies, 2 of which (our best breeders) were insanely mental! They would charge the fence at you and if they got you on the ground, would easily finish you off. Both my grandfather and I have received kicks to the chest from Samson (our large blue), and my grandad was even thrown over a 6' fence....nearly finished him off.


----------



## mcdougle

mrcriss said:


> If you think ostriches are a walk in the park, then you're bloody crazy and have obviously never encountered a big male in full breeding mode! I had 4 males servicing our ladies, 2 of which (our best breeders) were insanely mental! They would charge the fence at you and if they got you on the ground, would easily finish you off. Both my grandfather and I have received kicks to the chest from Samson (our large blue), and my grandad was even thrown over a 6' fence....nearly finished him off.


 
can't you ride ostriches?


----------



## mrcriss

Some do in Africa, but they'd be either females or males out of breeding season. It's cruel though, because apart from the stress factor (and ostriches stress very easily), 2 legged animals shouldn't be ridden because it's harder for them to balance.


----------



## mcdougle

mrcriss said:


> Some do in Africa, but they'd be either females or males out of breeding season. It's cruel though, because apart from the stress factor (and ostriches stress very easily), 2 legged animals shouldn't be ridden because it's harder for them to balance.


 
fair enough just thought how cool would it be to ride your ostrich to the shops and back lol could have a whole tv show based around it "pimp my ostrich" lmao


----------



## mrcriss

It'd be about as possible as riding a pet crocodile to the shops.....they're both DWA


----------



## mcdougle

mrcriss said:


> It'd be about as possible as riding a pet crocodile to the shops.....they're both DWA


 
yh but come on how you ment to ride a crocodile? you'd have to put a cushion on it and cross ya legs and it'd be slow as hell if it even bothered to move at all lol and you end up with dead feet all the time hahaha


----------



## TurtleGuy

mrcriss said:


> If you think ostriches are a walk in the park, then you're bloody crazy and have obviously never encountered a big male in full breeding mode! I had 4 males servicing our ladies, 2 of which (our best breeders) were insanely mental! They would charge the fence at you and if they got you on the ground, would easily finish you off. Both my grandfather and I have received kicks to the chest from Samson (our large blue), and my grandad was even thrown over a 6' fence....nearly finished him off.


Obviously? How so? 

I have worked with all the ratite species. Even the rare Darwins Rhea. I never said Ostrich were a walk in the park. But I can tell you that if you or your Grandfather had of been kicked by a cassowary not only would he have been knocked over the fence but his bowels would be lying on the floor. Good luck with your quest


----------



## mrcriss

TurtleGuy said:


> Obviously? How so?
> 
> I have worked with all the ratite species. Even the rare Darwins Rhea. I never said Ostrich were a walk in the park. But I can tell you that if you or your Grandfather had of been kicked by a cassowary not only would he have been knocked over the fence but his bowels would be lying on the floor. Good luck with your quest


"My quest"???? Try reading the thread again, this time with your eyes open


----------



## mrcriss

TurtleGuy said:


> Obviously? How so?
> 
> I have worked with all the ratite species.


All of them? Even kiwi?


----------



## mcdougle

TurtleGuy said:


> his bowels would be lying on the floor.


 
well that completely depends where your kicked doesn't it! lol and like i said before if i ever had a cassowary, or an ostrich for that matter, stab proof vests would be standard equipment when entering an enclosure/pen, so you may end up with some cracked or broken ribs from a kick but disembowelment wouldn't really be a factor. when i worked with the ostriches at dartmoor zoo we used to just throw the food from the back of the van, there was no way in hell i would have walked around that field with trevor on my heels lol


----------



## mrcriss

mcdougle said:


> well that completely depends where your kicked doesn't it! lol and like i said before if i ever had a cassowary, or an ostrich for that matter, stab proof vests would be standard equipment when entering an enclosure/pen, so you may end up with some cracked or broken ribs from a kick but disembowelment wouldn't really be a factor. when i worked with the ostriches at dartmoor zoo we used to just throw the food from the back of the van, there was no way in hell i would have walked around that field with *trevor* on my heels lol


hahahaha....we had one called Trevor too! He wasn't a breeder 'cos he had a wonky leg. Must be a common ostrich name!:2thumb:


----------

