By MINDY POEHL | Central Texas Edition

Rita and Jim Bitz of Oasis Emu Oil in Georgetown, raise emus to make soothing products from the emu’s oil. It can help cure everything from arthritis pain to chapped skin. — Photo by Mindy Poehl

March 23, 2006 - Emu oil is known to cure just about anything from arthritis pain, sore muscles, to acne, burns, bug bites and chapped, dry skin. Oasis Emu Oil is a company owned by Jim and Rita Bitz of Georgetown that is capitalizing on the benefits of emu oil and other emu products.

The Bitz’s began their business 16 years ago on Father’s Day of 1990. 

“We researched the oil and knew it was a good prospect for small acreage,” Rita said. “We’ve both lived on farms, so we knew what it would be like.”

Jim is vice president of the Texas Emu Association, which has around 100 members, and the Bitz’s are also members of the American Emu Association.

The Bitz’s have 14 birds - seven pairs of breeders. The bird pairs are kept in separate areas on only five acres of land.

“We’ve had as many as 300 birds at one time, but we don’t need that many now,” explained Rita.

The Bitz’s have a bank of oil supply in Marlow, Okla., where the oil is processed.

“I probably have enough oil in the bank supply to last a life time,” Rita laughed. “That is why we are so small now.”

The emus usually begin laying eggs at 2 years of age. The large, greenish blackish eggs are laid in October and “they just quit laying,” Rita said. “I get 25 to 30 eggs per bird per year. They lay eggs every three days and the eggs are incubated for 52 days.”

The Bitz’s currently have one male emu sitting on around seven eggs.

“He’ll sit on the eggs for 52 days and he won’t budge,” Rita said. “I’ll even bring him water, but he won’t eat or drink anything.”

Emus are a docile bird, Jim explained. Many people think emus are rough and friendly, but that is a misconception. The birds usually run up to people and grab for their jewelry when they are hungry, Rita explained.

“Our birds won’t run up to you because they are not hungry. We keep food in front of them at all times. They are calm,” Rita said.

The birds are “really not a lot of work,” Rita said. Jim empties 200 pounds of food in each bin for each pair of emus every two weeks. And they get their water from an automated feeder.

“They don’t eat much in the winter time,” Jim said. “But after they lay their eggs, they usually gorge themselves. They also nibble on ryegrass and bugs.”

The Bitz’s use every part of the emus. Their feathers can be used as decorations; they have tasty, healthy meat (around 18-25 pounds per bird); their leather is soft and sturdy; their eggs can be painted; and of course, their oil is the most widely used.

“You do have to slaughter the birds to get the oil,” Rita said. “You get the oil from a layer of fat between the meat and skin across their back.”

Then, that is shipped frozen to be processed in Oklahoma and is used in such creation as soaps, oils, lotion, suntan lotion, shampoos, capsules and “fast pain relievers are the biggest seller besides the oil,” said Rita.

The properties of the oil are 42 percent anti-inflammatory, so it is useful to rub on rashes, inflammations, arthritis  pain , shingles and burns.

“We use it on everything,” Rita said. “We sell it for $7.50 per ounce and it lasts a long time because you just use a little. We also give a lot of it away.”

Jim explained how at a tradeshow in Wichita Falls, they came across a  fireman who was burned while fighting grassfires. 

“He had skin grafts and we gave him 4 ounces of oil to use,” Jim said. “It helps in scarring. We haven’t heard back from him yet, but we are really looking forward to what he has to say about the oil.”

Rita mentioned a story about her brother becoming an emu oil believer. Her brother had a wart that hurt so badly he could not move his finger. He got it burned off several times, and it kept growing back. As he was about to have the wart surgically removed, Rita sent him some emu oil and told him to rub it on his finger several times a day. He later sent her a letter and a picture saying how the wart disappeared and he is now a believer in the oil.

While the Bitz’s have yet to sell their products through the internet, they are busy attending trade shows throughout Texas and surrounding states and Rita said she receives orders through the mail every day. Their products are sold in several pharmacies and feed stores and they have a store on their property that is open by appointment.

“We enjoy this because it’s something you can do at retirement and we get to travel and meet a lot of people,” Rita said. “It’s a natural product and we enjoy helping people.”

For more information, call Rita or Jim at 512-818-4977.