Diana and Fred Beuchert are putting all their eggs in one basket -- emu eggs, that is.
The Mount Airy couple have invested $30,000 in their flock of 44 emus, large flightless birds native to Australia and similar in appearance to the ostrich.
The Beucherts are convinced that the emu is the next big moneymaker in the livestock industry. If all goes according to plan, emu farmers say, within 10 years Americans will be able to buy low-fat, low-cholesterol emu meat at the grocery store.
"We're right on the crest of this wave," said Mrs. Beuchert. "Twenty years from now I have no doubt that a large percentage of farmers will be raising emus."
For the past month the Beucherts have been hovering over their three mature female emus, waiting patiently. They breathed a sigh of relief when one of them, named Jezebel, laid her first softball-sized egg Dec. 3.
"It's beautiful, just gorgeous," Mrs. Beuchert said of the emerald green emu egg with light green flecks. "We're in business."
Emu farming is in its beginning stages in this country, but awareness of the strutting 6-foot, 150-pound bird is increasing.
In five years, the membership of the American Emu Association has grown from 50 to 5,500, with chapters throughout the country. Mrs. Beuchert estimates there are about 50 emu farmers in Maryland.
Emu meat, and products from the bird's feathers, oil and skin, are beginning to gain recognition in the marketplace.
But right now, emu farming is a breeder's industry in the United States and emu products are generally imported from Australia.
"It's comparable to the early stages of the turkey industry in the late '20s," said Pierce Allman, executive director of the Dallas-based American Emu Association.
"There is a vigorous breeders' market," Mr. Allman said. "And it probably will continue in an effort to build a sufficient national flock to supply a domestic market."
Emu farmers, hoping to get in on the ground floor of a lucrative business, have paid as much as $18,000 for a pair of emus.
The Beucherts bought their first emu pair, Big Bird and Elvira, a year ago for $11,000 after researching the emu industry. Their 14-acre horse farm is now home to three more emu breeder pairs -- Jacques and Jill, Jezebel and Houdini and an unnamed couple -- as well as 36 younger birds.
Mrs. Beuchert has noticed some displays of mating behavior between Elvira and Big Bird, and she's hoping to see some results soon.
"They're starting to act very amorous toward each other," she said.
Big Bird grunts a lot and puffs up his feathers, and Elvira makes a drumming sound with an air sac hanging from her chest.
Emus can lay 30 to 40 eggs a year, and the Beucherts are counting on the eggs from their breeding pairs and the sale of emu chicks to generate between $90,000 and $140,000 next year.
They plan to take the young birds to market next spring in Tennessee, where emu chicks are selling for $1,000 apiece. A pair of 6-month-old chicks is going for about $3,000.
"A lot of small farmers see it [the emu] as possible salvation," Mr. Allman said. "It's a good livestock for people with a little land who want to be able to make use of it."
As American emu farmers breed the birds to create a population large enough for slaughter, the bird is being introduced to consumers through imported emu products.
The bird's lint-free feathers are used as computer dusters, and professional sports teams are buying emu oil, at $20 for 2 ounces, to treat players' injuries.
Doug Atkinson, trainer for the Dallas Mavericks and an emu rancher, said most NBA teams use emu oil and seven NFL teams now use it.
"It's unbelieveable stuff," said Mr. Atkinson, who uses the oil to treat tendinitis, floor burns and joint pain.
"Some of the players are using it as a moisturizer," Mr. Atkinson said. "It's very penetrating and gives the skin a velvety feeling."
The emu hide is valued for its use in leather goods, and dishes made from emu meat are appearing on restaurant menus.
Chefs rave about the low-fat, red emu meat, comparing its taste to sirloin and veal. The meat currently sells for $7 to $10 a pound.
"We served it all last winter and people loved it," said Randy Stahl, an owner and executive chef at the Brass Elephant restaurant in Baltimore.
One of the most requested emu dishes was grilled emu with roasted pearl onions, wild mushrooms and soft polenta. The restaurant also served braised and sauteed emu and emu stew.
Matt Martinez has served emu for more than a year at his Dallas eatery, the No Place restaurant.
"I've had some people who have been a little squeamish about tasting it, but I haven't had anybody not like it, not one person," he said.
Mr. Martinez recently returned from Amarillo, where he made emu fajitas for a crowd of 2,000 at the "Taste of Amarillo," an event offering samples of dishes prepared by Texas chefs.
The response?
"Fabulous," he said. "They couldn't believe it was emu."
The United States Department of Agriculture is just beginning to look into the explosion of interest in emu farming.
"It is something the government is exploring," said Hedy Ohringer, a USDA spokesman. "People are interested in raising these animals; it's sort of like a new venture now."
In the meantime, small emu farmers like the Beucherts will continue to increase their flocks.
Mrs. Beuchert said they hope to have 12 breeding pairs in five years that will produce 100 to 200 chicks annually.
"This animal has amazing potential," Mrs. Beuchert said. "The oil is fabulous, it has lean red meat and the leather is beautiful. We're very excited."