These grand,imposing, flightless birdsare probably as tall or taller than you. Some folks consider them pets, some consider them products. Whichever, we'llstart with a brief description, then recommendthe right fence,followed by explainingthis bird's unique nesting habits.

How big is big?

Obviously, if you're choosing an emu as a pet, your taste issomewhat extravagant and you no doubt realize that an appropriate space for this very large bird should be one of your first concerns. Here are some considerations:

• They range from 5 to 6 feet tall
• weighingup to 130 lbs
• They can run up to 30 miles per hour
• Imagine these big birds traveling hundreds of miles for food and water in the Australian outback.They need spaceand for healthy birds, you must provide an opportunity for exercise. A long pen is recommended so they can run--at least acre to 2 acres in size.
• Audible--their grunts and squawks can be heard up to 2 miles away. You might want to think about your neighbors as you plan your emu enclave.
• Emus are especially docile toward humans especially if they are handled from birth. If an emu feels threatened, its claws can do real damage. Other small animals in the yard, such as chickens, can be trampled.
• They like baths and enjoyan occasional dip. In a pinch, a child's paddling pool can suffice.

Now, about that fence...

Your emu will benefit from a2" x 4" woven, non-climbablemesh fence that is five to six feet high. It is attractive, has a long lifetime, and makes a safe and secure fence for emus. The strong 10, 12 or14 gauge steel wires (depending on style) are treatedfor maximum rust and corrosion protection. The heavier wires used on the top and bottom edges givethis fence additional strength. Stiff "square" knots, formed by a third piece of wire woven around each intersection, hold the horizontal and vertical wires securely. The meshoffers flexibility,allowing forits construction onuneven terrain. The woven knots are rust-resistant and will not hold water. This fence features knots that are smooth,which protectboth animals and people from injury.

The Broody Male

Females are larger than males andcan exhibit aggressive behavior, especially during breeding season. They lay their eggs and wander off, leaving the malesin charge of the nursery.The males build their nests in a shallow hole in the ground using grasses, leaves, and sticks. After the female lays her eggs, the male steps in. He becomes broody and takes control, remaining onthe nest for 8 weeks untilthe emuchickshatch.

Generally, the males may seem friendlier,being the nest tenders--yet much more defensive of the newly hatched chicksthan of the eggs which can be removed from the nest without much upset. The maledoesn't leave the nest, his sole activity (no eating, drinking or even defecating!) is to turnthe eggs a couple of times a day and understandably,during this stretch of time, he loses a third of his body weight. Once hatched, they willremain with their father up to a year and a half andare ready for breedingbetweentwo and three years of age.

Whilethe female usually abandons this domestic scene, she goeson to mate with other males and will produce up tothree clutches (between 5 and 15 eggs in a season.) In her wandering, the female may deposit eggs in the nests of males with whom she hasn't bred. The large eggs weigh about a pound, are teal in color, and measure about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long. Thinking culinarily, a single egg contains the equivalent of 10-12 chicken eggswith a richness similar to duck eggs.

Assorted Emu Facts

• Emus are in the family of originally southern hemisphere flightless birds known as ratites which include ostriches, kiwis, rheas, and the cassowary.
• They are omnivores.
• Their diet consists ofnuts,seeds, fruit, bark, stems, insects, small reptiles, amphibians, and small animals.
• One mature emu containsthree gallons of oil, which is prized for its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties.
• They spend a good amount of their days pecking at things, quite indiscriminately; so an environment that provides foraging possibilities, with plenty of shrubs, dirt (they extract minerals),pebbles(used for digestion), and insects, will keep them occupied, reduce boredom and may decrease pecking of the fence.
• Pens must be kept clear of any trash, wires, nails, etc,to avoid trips to the vet.
• Pacingcan be a sign of stress due to being confined.
• In thebush of Australia, the usual predators of emus are dingos, the native wild dogs. Eagles can also attack from above. The eggs and smaller chicks aresoughtby a number of animals and reptiles, but the ever-vigilant male rarely allows opportunity.
• Life expectancy of an emu is 10 to 20 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity.

The Australian Coat of Arms

Note: if you're interested in keeping ostriches, fence-wise, much of what applies to emus applies to them. And know that a2" x 4" woven, non-climbablemesh fenceis alsoused for:

? Garden fence

? Horse paddock fence

? Parks and public areas

? Dog kennels and containment

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Mesh: a centerpiece of the game

The screens that surround your Platform Tennis (or paddle tennis if you prefer) court are relied upon unceasingly as the ball remains in play. These walls of mesh can take a beating during play, also from the elements, and from ordinary wear and tear. Now there is a superior mesh on the market all over the U.S. (and indeed, internationally) that sets the bar high for the overall resiliency and longevity of a platform tennis court.

Cause for concern

However, products are flooding the market, in particular, the mass-produced Chinese sources that may be adequate in the short run, but may not stand up in the long haul. Proper galvanization, the tensile strength of the wire and its accurate diameter, and specification of the mesh size are all essential for optimal performance of the game. As the ball hits and bounces off the screen in umpteen directions, the reliability of mesh is key in the moment-to-moment strategizing of the game.

And here we have answers

It is vital that as a court ages, that the durability of the mesh can stand the test of time as the court is exposed to the elements and daily use. In the past, the galvanized wire cloth used for the screens of our courts were machined by Gilbert & Bennett from Georgetown, Connecticut, a company that had made all the wire cloth in the country. The company's closing in 1989 left a void in sourcing mesh for the paddle tennis industry and thus the search was on for an equivalent manufacturer. Regrettably, this is when poultry netting produced in China appeared on the scene as the worldwide hunt for a source ensued. Thankfully, a steel wire company in Belgium named Betafence emerged and became the manufacturer until a few years ago.

From Belgium to Bogota

With map in hand, we now travel to a small town near Bogota, Colombia named Cajica, where a factory exists that carries on this tradition of creating the finest platform tennis mesh. The identical state-of-the-art machinery, that Betafence has maintained for 28 years, has made the voyage to Cajica and the company Andimallas y Andimetales S.A. has now been established, producing a mesh of that same high quality.

It's in the details...

The installation of these machines was carried out by the same technicians that had been involved in Belgium for generations so that the quality, standards, and specifications have been maintained scrupulously.There are huge advantages of working with this type of mesh: it is smoother, easier to install and it can also be tensioned to have exactly the same rigidity as the galvanized after weave mesh, and the galvanization is stronger than the other galvanization system--240 grms-zinc/m2. Rolls are 16 gauge, 1? mesh, 72? x 157.5? and weigh 296 lbs.

Winning Team

The mesh is known as "Hexa Sport" and Louis Page has exclusive rights to supply and distribute this mesh for the American market. Louis Page is excited to be teamed with the international company Andimallas y Andimetales S.A., a specialist in the production of hexagonal mesh and we endeavor to supply and rejuvenate Platform Tennis courts across the nation. With 125 years in the business, Louis Page stands front and center in its commitment to delivering the finest in mesh and fence products available. With your game hanging in the balance, here is a resilient mesh that will keep that ball in play.

Rolls are in stock and large orders (40 rolls/container) are made to order.

We?ve always been transparent about our love for Brevard County. Which is why we?re so proud to announce we?re donating materials and services to the Port St. John Little League football team!

You may recall in February we got together with parents of little league players to install windscreens and bleacher covers to their stadium. This time around we?ll be doing a lot more.

First we?ll be donating some screen covers for the concession stand and installing a gate to close off the football field. We have a feeling there?s going to be a lot of mini-Montana?s coming out of Brevard in the future and we want their field to set them up for success. We?re also going to be adding more space to their scoreboard, so there?s more room for sponsors to contribute to this fantastic community activity.

It?s so important for us to give back to our community. We?re happy to be meeting the goal we set last year to provide safe place for kids to play and have fun. So, when you see us hard at work at the Space Coast Community Sports Complex off Canaveral Groves Boulevard, come say, ?Hi,? and check out our progress.

The Wonders of Automation

Have you ever considered how wires are welded into a mesh? What kind of machine can do that? What does it look like? How fast is the process? How can individual wire be fastened together securely and turned into the mesh we know and love? Here you go!

• The inventor of the fence cannot be pinpointed but the use of this technology to keep things out, and make flourish what lies within is certainly a major milestone in the early stages of human civilization.
• Jean-Jacques Rousseau said of the inventor of the fence, ? The first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said ? This is mine,? and found people nave enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society.?
• Stone fences built in the Bronze Age indicate that the fence builders did not plan on going anywhere anytime soon.
• The second king of Rome, Numa, declared that all landowning men should outline their land with stones in honor of one of their gods,Terminalia, to celebrate their conquest.
• Ancient Greeks and Romans would build fences around land they had conquered in foreign lands to claim it as their own.
• Anglo-Saxons were notorious for growing hedgesasfences that were very beneficial to the ecosystems, including crops, soil and wildlife, that lived and grew inside.
• Early American settlers began making the iconic Virginia Worm Fences to stake their claim. The sturdy, zigzagging fences were easy and cheap to make, and did not require any posts to be placed.
• Native Americans in the eastern United States used high stockades to enclose their villages.
• In the 1880s barbed wire was invented and used by ranchers in the Wild West to keep new settlers from encroaching on pasture land.

So next time you look outside to bask in the glory of your new wood, vinyl or aluminum fence, think about how far we?ve come as a civilization. Instead of piling up a bunch of rocks to keep invaders at bay, we?re putting up puppy pickets to keep the likes of Jelly and her four-legged posse from escaping.