4 D Acres

February is American Heart Month, and not in the Valentine’s Day sense. Certainly it capitalizes on the festivities surrounding cupid’s designated day, but organizations like the American Heart Association and the CDC want to remind us that heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the United States.

At the top of the list for heart disease prevention is diet and exercise. While movement is important, and most Americans have access to outdoor parks and walkways where they can raise their heart rate with a brisk walk or jog, it is becoming increasingly harder to obtain the essential nutrients we need in the staples of the American diet.

In spite of faddish low-fat diets, studies have shown that our bodies need to ingest healthy fats. Once thought to increase cholesterol, healthy fats have been proven to actually reduce bad cholesterol and contribute to the overall health of the body. Unsaturated and monounsaturated fats are those most recommended for healthy human consumption.

Emu oil, processed from the fatty stores of the emu bird, has been found to have dietary benefits in addition to the curative benefits of topical applications. Auburn University did a study on emu oil to determine the fatty composition of emu oil in order to help explain the properties and therefore the benefits of emu oil.

They found that 70% of the fatty acids in emu oil were unsaturated, which is in line with current recommendations for a “heart healthy” diet. Having been found to contain Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, the oil of the emu is gaining stature in the market of health supplements. While the emu oil does not support high heats, and is therefore not recommended for use as cooking oil, it can be used cold in a salad dressing or added to a smoothie. Emu oil dietary supplements in gel caps are also widely available for convenience.

 Emuversatile, Emutasty, Emulicious,

These are just a few words, albeit made up, to describe the versatility of emu meat. Here at 4 D Acres, we have found that emu is such a mild tasting meat that it can easily be adapted to a variety of recipes that call for beef, pork, chicken or turkey. Without a heavy gamey taste that you might expect, the emu meat’s mildness allows it to work well with a large variety of seasonings and ingredients. Here is our adaptation of a chorizo recipe that we found on the internet. It originally called for ground pork, so we substitute ground emu meat for the pork. It is a snap to mix together, and just takes minutes to cook through. Lower heats are recommended to avoid a tough chew.  

Homemade Emu Chorizo  

This is great in a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs and salsa in a flour or corn tortilla.  

1 lb ground emu
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. red Chile powder (cayenne)
1 lg clove garlic (mashed)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar  

Mix all ingredients together then add to the emu meat, blend with fork. To cook: Use either a non stick skillet or a fry pan lightly coated with vegetable oil spray. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until lightly browned. Drain off liquid. (We put the cooked meat mixture in a bowl, cover it, then refrigerate and eat the next day. This gives the flavors time to meld.)

For scrambled eggs and chorizo: Add 2 tbsp. meat mixture per each beaten egg and scramble. Remaining mixture can be used in a salad, taco, meat/bean/cheese burrito, etc.
Vinegar and cayenne can be adjusted according to taste. The vinegar counters the effects of the heat, so adjust vinegar down and cayenne up for spicier sausage. Enjoy!

  Here's a quote from a family friend after she tried our homemade emu chorizo:

“This is good and I don’t have to add my hot sauce.” Becky Gomez

We are certain that you’ll find this recipe a welcome addition to your healthy lifestyle, especially if you love chorizo but don’t like the heavy oil content of pork chorizo. Emu meat is classified as poultry and is lower in fat and cholesterol than chicken and even turkey. It has a flavor similar to beef and can be used in any dishes that call for beef.

For more recipes, check out the Official Cookbook of the American Emu Association available on our website.

 

So, what's cooking in your kitchen?

While there is no snow currently on the ground at 4 D Acres, and there has only been a light dusting of snow earlier this winter, we wanted to share the answer to what is a common question in the winter.The question is regarding emus in the snow, although often phrased in terms of comfort, behavior, or special needs.

The snow does not actually bother the birds. If it has not snowed in a while, they are leery to walk in it at first, but soon make their way to the open air of their outdoor pens, and are thereafter not affected. We make sure they have adequate shelter available that they can access at will. We have noticed that they will seek shelter when the temperatures are below freezing and there is a strong wind. The emu will often stand, unbothered, under a snowfall until they have a couple of inches on their backs. While their feathers are not waterproof, they do have a layer of fat just under their hides that insulates them and keeps them warm.

One might think that the emu, originating in Australia, might be accustomed to only warm temperatures. It does get quite cold and even snows in Australia. Their seasons just mirror ours. The emu acclimates itself as the temperature changes, but a sudden long-distance transfer of location might disturb them, because of temperature, humidity, air density and air quality factors.

Even when the weather is quite cold, the birds love to be hosed down with water. They are also quite unaffected by any ice accumulation on their feathers. The emus walk carefully when there is ice on the ground. The emu could slip and fall and potentially break a leg if there is ice on the ground, but they seem to manage, walking carefully so as not to slip and slide.

If you were to have a dog and pony show – a travelling circus in the late 19^th, early 20^thcenturies – you’d want your dogs and ponies to be in tip top shape! 4 D Acres can help! It’s no dog trick that you can keep your pet’s coat shiny and healthy by adding emu oil to their diet with just a few drops in their food. The rich emollients in the emu oil also help restore the beauty to their hair when added to your favorite pet shampoo. If your pet has had a real dog day and injured itself, the transdermal properties of the emu oil speed healing and aids in reduced scarring. See what this dog lover has to say about Rusty's Refined Emu Oil.

Our dog ZAPATO is a large black and silver German Shepherd and Lab mix. We were told she was allergic to the saliva in flea bites, so every time she was bitten it caused a large red bump. Her vet put her on medication for 2 months and finally the bumps were gone. But then we had another problem, the medication had left her skin dry as toast, and she had huge white flakes in her fur. It looked like a very bad case of dandruff. What her vet sold me didn't work, and the biting and scratching got worst. Then I remembered buying Rusty's Refined Emu Oil and started using it on her problem areas. It calmed her skin down immediately and gave her much needed relief. Now after 3 weeks here dry skin condition is gone and so are the white flakes. ZAPATO's coat feel like silk and is in beautiful condition. I used a small amount of oil and rubbed it in with my fingers by giving her a puppy massage. Thank you Rusty and Mike - CL & ZAPATO TOO Merriam KS

We’re not horsing around with your ponies either. Does your equine have cracked hooves or open wounds from fences or equipment? Equine Aid is a deep penetrating, non-irritating, highly moisturizing, all natural nutritional supplement to the skin. Keep one in your first aid kit. Don’t take it from us. Check out this reviews by some of our faithful customers.

At the Farm and Ranch Show this week I learned for the first time of emu oil, and the benefits it can have for cuts on horses. I decided to buy some to have on hand, just in case. Unbelievably enough this very Friday our 8 month old filly didn't like that we moved her mother to another location. One of the benefits for doing this was to try to wean the filly. But she panicked tonight and jumped the neighbor's fence that is chain link with a hot wire and barbed wire on top. She received about 6 different very large gashes across her chest and above her leg. I called our vet but could not get a hold of anyone. I thought of the emu oil that I had just purchased. I applied it with a Q-tip, but I wanted to confirm are we supposed to do anything else besides apply it twice a day? How much of it are we supposed to try and get into or onto the cuts? The timing of all this I whole heart believe it's nothing short of a miracle. The Lord's guidance was definitely involved in the decision to purchase the Equine Aide. Thank You, - I. B. Wichita, Kansas

  Just when you thought the show was over:  

I want to thank you for letting me know that the Emu Oil would be safe in treating my cat (Angel's) wound. She was hurt and I found out late in the evening. I noticed she had a lump on her side, when I went to investigate the wound erupted. I cleaned her up and she was not happy. After calling you I put Emu Oil on the wound and the next morning it was healed. What a miracle. I was already convinced you have a great product, but after this it was confirmed beyond belief. I saved a lot of money and worry by using the (Emu) oil and it was easier on Angel. She is not fond of the ride to the vet. Thank you! so so much! - S.T. Shawnee, KS

  So whether you have dogs or ponies or a herd of cats, consider 4 D Acres Emu Oil Products for your pets. Rusty's Refined Emu Oil and Equine Aid are grade B oil, which means that it is refined but does not meet the international trade rules for a grade A oil. Perfect for animal use.

As a small business owner, I do not take for granted that I owe much of my success to other people and small businesses. One particular business comes to mind: The Louisburg Cider Mill, owned by Tom and Shelly Schierman. They were one of my first distributor to carry the 4 D Acres Emu Oil products, and that was fourteen years ago.

Quite the success story themselves, they started the Louisburg Cider Mill in the Fall of 1977 in a restored 120 year old barn. Experiencing what some would call “overnight success” after a Kansas City Star article, they are no strangers to hard work. Known especially for their apple cider (of course!), apple cider donuts (oh so delicious, especially when fresh and hot), Lost Trail sodas, and fruit butters, they are a growing operation as they have added products and attractions through the years. In spite of their growth, their customer service is second to none.

Pick your own pumpkins and watch fresh apple cider being made in the fall, enjoy a cold Lost Trail root beer in the summer, and enjoy shopping in their country store year round for gift baskets, food items, souvenirs, cookware, and of course 4 D Acres Emu Oil products!!

My favorite product is the Refined Emu Oil. I use it on little scaly areas of dry skin that lotion just can't help. One of my employees is certain that the Refined Emu Oil kept her from having a big crater scar after being bit by a brown recluse spider.
~Shelly Schierman

I have found the Louisburg Cider Mill to be huge supporters of other local small businesses. 4 D Acres has participated in their Fall Cider Fest with a display of our products as well as a live emu for the public to see. We have participated with them and other local farms on the Miami County Farm Tour as well. I consider Tom and Shelly to be valuable business friends and community members. They ship anywhere in the US and abroad through their online store or mail order catalog, but if you are ever in the Kansas City area, it is worth it to put the Louisburg Cider Mill on your itinerary.

“We continue today as we began. All of our food products are produced from the finest ingredients available. We guarantee every item in this catalog to you 100% satisfaction. If you are ever not satisfied, just call us and we’ll make it right.”

- Tom & Shelly Schierman

Here is a great video from YouTube from a FoodNetwork special done on the Cider Mill.

Interested in becoming a 4 D Acres Emu Oil distributor? Email me at mike@4dacres.com or call 877.837.4119.

I’m not talking about product delivery with Priority or Express Mail. I’m not talking about the fact that the emu bird can easily run 35 to 40 miles per hour.  I am talking about the transdermal qualities of the emu oil.

Transdermal is a term that is used throughout my website, catalog, brochures and blog, and I thought it might be a good idea to explain just what that means to you as a consumer. Transdermal means that it quickly penetrates into the deeper layers of your skin instead of remaining strictly on the surface. The highly transdermal properties of emu oil contribute to the quick delivery of healing components.

According to an article by Dr. Frank Orthoefer, called “Looking Into Emu Oil”, the beneficial biological properties of emu oil were substantiated by the research of noted scientist and investigator, Dr. Robert Nicolosi of the University of Massachusetts. Emu oil was found to have significant  cholesterol lowering, anti-inflammatory and transdermal characteristics. These findings were pivotal because until then, the qualities of emu oil were based largely on testimonials and anecdotal evidence and not cold hard scientific facts.

Our skin consists of 3 primary layers, the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Both the epidermis and dermis have several layers themselves which provide different functions. One of the primary functions of the epidermis is to protect your body from bacteria and infection. For this reason, it does not easily absorb just any liquid. Think about when you wash your hands. Your hands are not absorbing water while you wash.

For this reason, many lotions on the market today are more topical, meaning they remain in the outermost layers of the skin. Lotions and otherremedies containing emu oil penetrate deeper into your skin to provide longer lasting moisture and healing. Emu oil alone is a fantastic remedy for cuts and burns because of its anti-inflammatory and transdermal properties.

One of the most amazing findings in recent years has been the treatment of non-healing wounds such as bed sores, burns, and diabetes related ulcers, among others. Because of the transdermal properties of the emu oil, it can be added to other applications to deliver vitamins, anti-oxidants and antibiotics to the wound, while reducing inflammation.  According to an EMAILWIRE.COM article from July of 2008, Dr. Robert Winston is excited about how emu oil has changed treatment options for his patients, saying, “using a transdermal delivery system allows antibiotic dosage 40 to 60 times greater than achieved by IV administration, without the danger of liver or kidney damage.” He is a Board Certified Practitioner of Internal Medicine and has practiced medicine for over 25 years.

For more information on emu oil products and their beneficial properties visit the 4 D Acres Emu Oil and Emu Factswebsites.

Christmas always brings back memories of a day in the life of an Emu Farmer. It was an early, early Sunday morning, about a week before Christmas. Temperatures were in the mid 20’s as I woke at 2:00 am and headed into the other room to wake one of my sons. It was time to get dressed and ready to take a trip to North Central Kansas where we would be picking up some birds from a farmer who had decided that he was ready to retire from emu farming.

After meeting another emu farm couple who would also be getting some birds, picking up my other son, and stopping to have breakfast, we pulled into our destination about an hour after sunrise. Maneuvered into is more accurate as the roads were heavily rutted and the farm road was tight for 2 trucks and trailers.

After the sun rose, the air and ground temperatures started to rise quickly into the upper 40’s, so the once frozen ground now became a mud pit. After slipping on a fence panel buried in the mud, I fell and twisted my knee, while a fugitive emu escaped from the trailer back into the pen, using me as a launch pad.  We slipped and slid as we corralled and wrangled the rest of the emu into the two trailers. While this would have been a YouTube video sure to go viral, no cameras were present to capture the chaos.

While we should have been done by 9:00 am, by 11:00 we had loaded all the emu and were headed out the way we came in, but the roads had gone from frozen ruts to a slimy, muddy slip-n-slide. We were glad that we had 4 x 4’s or we certainly wouldn’t have made it off the country roads. We were now well on our way to the processing plant in Central Kansas, and little did we know that we were in for more fun.

Emu are funny birds. As hard as they are to load onto a trailer, they often don’t want to get off once safely aboard. (Never mind the one that mistook me for a diving board.) While unloading all but two pairs of breeders into pens, one emu decided after he was off the trailer, that he would march right back up the ramp to the trailer again.

We finally finished at 2:00 pm, and famished, headed to a burger joint for a well deserved meal. We said goodbye to my youngest son, and the eldest and I headed back to 4 D Acres, completing our 450 mile round trip, only to arrive after dark. Because earlier attempts to unload the birds in the dark had failed, we decided to leave them safely on the trailer until morning.

My wife, waking early at 4 am to handle some of the feeding and farm chores, saw that it was beginning to rain. Knowing that my son and I were still sleeping off our long day, she decided to see if she could unload one of the breeder pairs by herself. Because each pair was in a separate compartment, it seemed that unloading just two at a time might be easier. As it was still dark, she had a flashlight with her, and when she shined it into the trailer to check on the birds, they started to follow the beam of light, right off the trailer. Might as well try it with the second pair as well. They seemingly unloaded themselves, mesmerized by the light. After my son and I heard the story of her super powers, we had to give her a good-natured ribbing, asking her where she was when we were loading the birds. We might just have to call her the Emu Whisperer.

Just hearing those first four words brings the popular children’s  jingle to my mind and makes me want to move, touching my hands to my head, then onto my shoulders, bending to the knees and all the way to my toes.

Sometimes that is easier said than done. If those same muscles and joints that allow us to move are suffering from pain and inflammation, we might only be able to sing along. Naturally, we want to have relief from our aches and pains, but the challenge is determining what remedy will work for us, while preferably being natural and having a minimum or absolutely no unfavorable side effects.

Consider 4 D Acres Muscle-Joint Plus. This powerful cream is highly effective, odorless, and deep penetrating, but without the potentially bothersome heat effect in so many topical muscle creams.

Muscle-Joint Plus is different from other types of remedies on the market because it starts with 20% Ultra™ Emu Oil. Emu oil has transdermal properties, which means that it penetrates quickly into the deepest layers of your skin, serving as a transport method for other topical remedies. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, and when combined with the naturally therapeutic benefits of Glucosamine Sulfate, Pregnenelone, MSM (Menthyl Sulfonyl Methane) and Natural Vitamin E, it makes Muscle-Joint Plus a powerhouse aid for your muscle and joint pain.

When using the highly concentrated and fast penetrating Muscle-Joint Plus, only a small amount is needed and relief can be felt in as little as 10 minutes.

You’ll soon be touching your toes and dancing a jig, or at the very least going about your daily activities with less pain, reduced inflammation and more freedom of movement.

Do you prefer a topical pain cream with or without heat effects?

While winter weather offers a respite from the heat of the summer months, and allows for colorful, if not all white, seasonal landscapes, it also brings with it a host of concerns including dry skin. Heated homes and biting wind can dry our skin, while our multiple winter layers keep us from applying moisturizer as often as we should.

Perhaps you have used lotions with minimal results because of irritating additives and fragrances, and you are looking for an all natural option that will deliver the moisture your skin craves. You may have even tried a prescription steroid cream for your dry skin condition, but found it to be expensive and full of side effects.

Emu oil and moisturizers containing emu oil can be lifesavers for your dry, itchy skin. Because of the Emu oil’s amazing transdermal properties, it quickly penetrates to the third layer of the derma, rushing its relieving components to the dehydrated skin cells. Emu oil has a complex structure that mimics your skin’s own oils and rebalances the lipid fatty acid composition in your skin to ensure a softer, well hydrated skin. Emu oil is all-natural and safe for everyone in your family, from the youngest to the oldest.  There are no chemicals, fillers, or pore clogging ingredients to further irritate your skin’s already delicate state.

Here are 2 more tips:

1. Consider an Emu Oil dietary supplement in addition to your topical moisturizer. Dry, cracked skin can be a sign that your diet is lacking in essential fats. Just 30 days of ingesting 3 emu oil gel-caps daily provides ample time for you to see a difference in your skin’s texture and moisture levels due to the Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids naturally found in emu oil.
2. Drink plenty of water to hydrate!

 

100% Pure Emu Oil

 

 

 

 

 

4 D ACRES 100% Pure Refined Emu Oil is refined in a FDA/USDA inspected food grade refinery making our oil safe for anywhere on your body.

 

 

4 D Acres

 

100% Pure Refined Emu Oil

 

Has Been Used For:

 

 

Burns, Insect Bites, Bruises, Abrasions, Cuts, Diaper Rash, Dry Flaky Skin, Itching, Sore Muscles, Sore Joints, Massage Therapy, Natural Moisturizer, Scrapes, Wrinkles, Sexual Lubricant, Hemorrhoids, And More…….

 

Researchers and medical specialists have recognized the benefits of emu oil and are adapting it into their treatments for a wide variety of maladies.

 

 

• Emu oil lowers LDL (bad) Cholesterol while raising HDL (good) Cholesterol.

• Emu oil contains anti-inflammatory properties reducing swelling which in turn, manages your pain.

• A small amount of emu oil goes a long way - just a drop is all you need for most applications.

   

 

4 D ACRES 100% Pure Refined Emu Oil is an all natural, odorless, deep penetrating, highly moisturizing, nutritional supplement for your skin.

 

It contains Omega 3, 6, and 9 that are essential fatty acids which your body can not produce yet are needed for good, healthy skin.

 

 

Emu oil is a natural emollient that thickens the skin thus reducing the appearance of aging. 

 

Care of Emu Oil

How best to care for my emu oil is a question I receive a lot of time while selling at shows. 4 D Acres Pure Refined Emu Oil has a shelf life of 2 - 3 years from the date of refining at normal room temperature. We keep records of when each batch is refined and a batch number is printed on each bottle. Also when we receive a batch of emu oil in from our refinery we refrigerate it, thus extending the life of the oil. We also only keep about a 30 day supply of emu oil on our shelves for retail sale. Refrigeration slows down the natural process of the oil turning rancid. All emu oil will eventually turn rancid and this is detectable by the odor it will have upon opening the bottle. We also do not fragrance our oil as we want you to know when it is turning rancid. Emu oil should not have an odor unless a fragrance is added.
So how can you best take care of your bottle of emu oil. Here are a few suggestions:

Keep out of direct sunlight

Store your oil away from heat sources

If you buy a large quantity, transfer a small amount into a smaller size bottle for daily use and place the remainder under refrigeration - to reliquefy, just warm the large bottle under warm tap water and it will become fluid again allowing you to refill the smaller bottle.

Buy your oil from a reputable source and know what you are buying. There are currently three grades of emu oil on the market today. Grade A - fully refined and meets the international trade rules for Grade A oil; Grade B - this oil is refined but does not meet all of the international trade rules; Grade C - crude emu oil unrefined (usually used in the making of homemade soap).

4 D Acres Fully Refined Emu Oil is refined in an edible oil, food grade refinery so it is safe to use anywhere on your body. This is Grade A emu oil.

Rusty's Refined Emu Oil and Equine Aide are Grade B emu oil and are for animal use.

Our handmade bar soap is made with Grade C emu oil and is sold for home soapmaker.

4 D Acres would like to wish you a Happy New Year and the BEST in 2009.

Life on the farm sure has had its ups and downs - weather wise.  It will be in the 60’s one day and down around zero a couple days later.  Just before Christmas we had a thunderstorm with high winds (lucky - no damage) that gave us about an inch of rain, the temperatures dropped then came the sleet and by nightfall it started snowing.  I have heard all my life “If you don’t like the weather - wait a day, it will change”.  Seems lately all we have to do is wait a couple of hours.  With all this change the birds are doing just fine as they are spending time more inside their building on those cold windy days.  Our breeders are in the process producing eggs which means that we are looking at February to prepare the incubators for this years hatch.  In January we start by storing eggs so that we can do what we call batch hatching.  What this means, we load the incubator up one day then wait about 52 days for the chicks to hatch.

 

We are now shipping emu meat as well as our emu oil to customers in the continental United States.  We ship all emu oil packages if under 13oz total weight by USPS First Class Mail and if over 13oz then the package is shipped by USPS Priority Mail.  If interested in emu meat please call for meat price and shipping & handling costs.  This amount varies as to the distance and the weight of the package.  We ship with dry ice in insulated shipping boxes normally by UPS ground.  It is important that it arrive still frozen thus we ship meat orders only on Monday and Tuesday.  Holidays do play a factor in this as we do not want your shipment waiting in a warehouse thawing.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Mike

 

 

 

Winter Time Laying Season

Winter time here at 4 D Acres is laying season.  Emu lay their eggs in the winter time.   As summer approches in Australia the laying season for the emu comes to a close but it is just starting here in the northern hemisphere.  Once a hen starts laying it is usually on a three day cycle whereas we can check that pen every third day at about the same time to find a fresh egg has been laid.  This really helps once freezing weather sets in so we can be ready to pick up the egg so that it does not freeze.  Daily we have the task to check for eggs in the pens as all hens do not lay on the same day.  Great care is given to make sure that they are carefully collected, dusted off, weighed, recorded and then placed in a holding refrigerator for later batch hatching.  We can successfully hold eggs at a cool temperature for approximately 45 days prior to placing them in an incubator to begin the hatching process. 

Also at this time some eggs are selected for sale as fresh eggs.  A great omlet they make with one emu egg equaling about 10 - 12 chicken eggs.  Milder tasting than a chicken egg they are fluffier when cooked making the emu egg an excellent choice for baking.  When we empty an egg we drill a small 1/8 inch hold in the shell, break the yolk up with a skewer, then with a 60cc syringe we pull a portion of the egg out and place in a bowl.  From that point on we force air in with the syringe and hold the egg over the bowl as the air displaces the egg.  This is repeated until the egg is empty.  At that point we measure the egg into 1/4 cup portions, add a small amount of salt, freeze in a zip lock bag and we have fresh egg for later use.