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Emu's failed romance leads to massive egg dilemma

Connor Bennett,in Crowfieldand
Alice Cunningham,Suffolk
News imageJamie Niblock/BBC The head of an emu. It has black feathers around the top of its head and beak as well as down its neck. It also has a large amount of white feathers down its neck. It is in an outdoor enclosure with grass.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Dexy the emu has seemingly been unimpressed romantically with his partner

A farm has been left with more than a dozen emu eggs after a failed romance between their birds meant none of them had been fertilised.

Dexy the male emu was seemingly unimpressed romantically after he failed to fertilise any of the 14 eggs laid by his companion Eyeleen, at Cloverfield Farm in Crowfield, Suffolk, in recent weeks.

Farm co-owner Jo Saberton said Dexy had been good at helping incubate the eggs, but he perhaps did not "fancy Eyeleen enough" as no chicks emerged.

The unfertilised eggs, each equivalent to about 12 chicken eggs in volume and weight, can instead be eaten and Saberton said one could be scrambled to feed four people.

News imageJamie Niblock/BBC A person holds a large emu egg in both their hands. The egg is a vibrant emerald green colour.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Emu eggs are large and a dark emerald colour

The farm bought Eyeleen four years ago and decided to bring in Dexy shortly afterwards for some company.

Eyeleen got her name after losing one of her eyes, and Dexy was named after Dexys Midnight Runners - the band behind the song Come On Eileen.

In the UK emus typically lay their eggs during the winter and it is the job of the males to incubate them.

News imageJamie Niblock/BBC A woman and man lean against an outdoor fence. They are smiling at the camera. They are wearing matching red hoodies. The woman has short blonde hair and glasses. The man has short grey hair.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Jo and Nick Saberton said Dexy sometimes got distracted while incubating the eggs, but generally he put in a good effort

"They get on OK, but I'm not quite sure we're ever going to have the patter of little emu feet," Saberton said.

She added: "I think he's just very young, maybe he doesn't fancy Eyeleen enough."

Saberton's husband Nick, who she runs the farm with, said perhaps it was Eyeleen's one eye that had caused Dexy to be "a bit more fussy", despite her "long legs".

News imageJamie Niblock/BBC A cracked emu egg where the egg and egg white have spilled on to the ground. The cracked egg shell is a dark green colour.Jamie Niblock/BBC
The eggs can be scrambled and one produces enough for four people

Initially, they had stepped in and taken some of the eggs away to be placed in an incubator, but still no chicks arrived, making the farm owners believe Dexy had been able to fertilise them.

While the farm did nothing with the 28 emu eggs last year, Saberton said they were keen not to waste them this year.

Their grandsons had experimented with using one for boiled egg and soldiers, and it took 35 minutes to boil it.

"They gave it the thumbs up and then a friend of mine scrambled it and she sent me a picture," Saberton continued.

"We're probably going to try it [ourselves] now.

"They do look so lovely, you don't really want to break them because they look like an ornament."

News imageJamie Niblock/BBC An emu walks through an outdoor enclosure. Its body is largely covered in long feathers of different shades of brown. Along its neck and on its head it has black and white feathers.Jamie Niblock/BBC
Eyeleen had done her job producing the eggs, only to find her companion had been unable to fertilise them

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