Males will court two to 12 females. The males will become territorial, evicting other males from the flock. Younger males leave the flock first, while the older males remain to fight using their heads and necks, until the dominant male emerges. The victorious male will choose territory near some water and scrub to make a nest. After mating, the females start depositing eggs in the male's nest. As soon as some eggs are laid, the male starts incubating them and becomes very broody and protective—sometimes to such an extent that females wishing to lay more eggs cannot get to the nest and must lay them nearby. Many eggs are lost this way. Once the male is firmly in place incubating 10 to 60 eggs, the females leave to mate with and lay eggs for another male. The eggs take 30-40 days to hatch, and again, like other ratites, the young are precocial and ready to leave the nest within hours. The males remain extremely protective of their chicks and will charge female Rheas or humans who come too close. They have even been known to attack small planes.