The morning air is crisper, but still a bit hazy from smoke, and the leaves are starting to turn, both sure signs of Fall.  But for emu farmers, there is another sign -- the emus are getting a bit frisky, if you know what I mean. (#loveisintheair)  Yes, it is the start of the emu breeding season.  Lots of people assume that emus are like chickens and lay eggs year around.  But emus breed and lay eggs only in the late fall and winter.  We won't have any eggs for probably another 6 to 8 weeks.  Our girls tend to start laying eggs a bit later than is typical for emus, but they lay longer into the Spring, as well, to make up for it.  That doesn't mean we aren't getting excited now -- adjusting feed, prepping and testing incubators, getting hay into shelters for nesting, sanding and trenching the pens to keep muddy conditions at a minimum -- there is so much to do. (#farmingisfun)  Gathering, incubating, and hatching emu eggs are the highlight of the year for us and quite nerve-racking as there are so many things that can go wrong during a 52 day incubation period. But it is also very satisfying when all that work pays off and those first chicks break through the shells in the Spring.