Ostrich farming is exciting and profitable.

Ostrich is a beautiful giant bird. Now they are grown not only in Ukraine but even in Siberia. Helpful tips will help you fulfill your dream of breeding this bird abroad. Ostriches are giant birds.

There are several subspecies of this animal; this is an ostrich:

• Asian;
• Common or North Africa;
• Somali;
• Syrian;
• African.

The African ostrich is the largest.

These birds can reach up to 2 meters 70 cm and weigh up to 156 kg at height. The average life expectancy of ostriches is almost the same as that of humans – 75 years. But unlike humans, ostriches have tiny brains – the size of their eyes. However, this does not prevent them from fleeing in a moment of danger at a speed of 60–70 km/h, taking 3.5–4 m long steps, and fighting with strong legs even from a lion.

The small brain size and faithfulness of ostriches do not interfere. This bird has a gentle mental organization. A polygamous man usually has 3-4 wives, one of which is his favorite. If something happens to her or the birds are separated, there are cases where he dies after a few days without being able to bear the separation.

Ostriches have been raised as poultry for quite some time now. In our country, ostrich farms are only gaining popularity.

Why is it profitable to breed ostriches?

Of the several subspecies of the ostrich, we breed only one. African ostrich can withstand short-term frost and -38 ° C, so even poultry chickens in Siberia are interested in this bird abroad. In central America, Ukraine also has several farmers who have started to breed ostriches.

This business is very profitable, and this is how you can make money:

• Plan excursions to the ostrich town.
• Get very healthy and expensive meat.
• Chicken skin, especially leather, is also highly valued.
• Ostrich feathers are pretty costly.
• The fashionistas use eyelashes by gluing them on the upper eyelid.
• The clothes are also recycled.

As you can see, an ostrich farm is a virtually waste-free production. A useful ointment is made from ostrich fat, which has healing properties. Even the bird’s claws are used. They are sewn on fur as fasteners. Animal waste is used as a fertilizer in the soil. It is why keeping ostriches is beneficial. In addition, they make souvenirs from eggs. To do this, turn it upside down with a blunt end, bring the edge of a knife or a nail, hit it carefully with a hammer, free this small place from the shell, and mix the protein slightly with the yolk using a hollow tube. Then you need to blow on it and pour the egg’s contents into a replacement pan. It is enough to cook scrambled eggs for 8-10 people or an omelet for fifteen.

After that, the interior is thoroughly washed; after the shell is processed, it is painted, and a real work of art is obtained.

As for ostrich meat, the price is relatively high, 20$ per kg.

If you get a unique incubator, you can remove ostriches from the eggs for your farm or sale. Itis is also quite beneficial. Where they buy chickens for $100, and the cost of a tiny ostrich that hatches from an egg is about $30.

Experienced ostrich breeders recommend buying the first ostriches for breeding in a reliable, reputable farm or Agrosoyuz.

Here are the exact prices for ostrich products:

Baby ostrich (1 day) – 30$

Ostrich chicks up to 1 month – 60$

Ostriches 2 months – 100$

Ostriches 6 months old – 120$

Ostriches 10-12 months old – 150$

Mature ostriches (2 years) – 200$

Adult ostriches (3 years old) – 250$

Family of 4-5 years – 270$

Hatching Ostrich Egg – 10$

Ostrich egg – 7? 10$ (depending on weight)

Empty Ostrich Egg, Souvenir – 12$

Ostrich meat (in carcasses) 1kg – 15$

Ostrich meat (fillet) 1kg wholesale / retail – 15? 17$

Wet-salted ostrich skin 1, 2–1, 4 square meters. – 20$

Ostrich leather covered 1, 2 × 1, 4 sq. – 14$

Ostrich feathers – 3? 5$

Equipment for an ostrich farm, an ostrich farm (64? 128 eggs) 2000$-3000$.

How to keep ostriches

If you decide to breed these birds abroad, you need to think about where. The bird is significant and needs exercise, so the area to be preserved should be considerable. It consists of a hill and a hike. If possible, you can rent, for example, an abandoned pig house. This kind of room is excellent for this bird. The ceiling height must be at least three meters.

Ostriches live in families; there are 3-4 females per male. Therefore, families are usually separated from each other. Separation walls do not have to be solid. Usually, ostriches are kept in a room divided into several parts by transverse panels. How this is done, and how to keep ostriches.

The same fences are required in the walking area. It should be spacious here for the birds to walk and feel comfortable. The height of such a fence for adult ostriches is from 1 m 70 cm – up to two meters. As mentioned above, African ostriches are not afraid of frost, as they are perfectly adapted to extremes and lower temperatures. In its homeland, it can be + 50 ° C during the day, and at night the temperature can drop to + 5 ° C. Hence, ostriches of this subspecies perfectly adapt to weather conditions.

However, the room the bird will spend most of its time in should be well adapted. If the floor is concrete, you need to lay straw and hay on it in a large enough layer, so the bird is not cold. You can keep ostriches on a clayey wooden floor, then the hay and straw layer can be a little less. For 2 families consisting of two men and six to seven women, the indoor area should be approximately 150 m2, and the walking area – 5 thousand m2. Sand is poured on the floor of the part of the pen next to the room; this is necessary so that the ostriches take sand baths.

Rubber mats are placed on concrete floors for young animals up to one month old.

If you want to separate the walking area with metal mesh, it should either have a tiny mesh so the bird cannot stick its head in there or a large one. After all, ostriches are curious by nature. If the size of the mesh cells allows, will they poke their head into the hole to see what’s there? If the mesh cells are equal to the volume of the head, the bird can stick its head in there but not backward. Unfortunately, there were times when this ended sadly. Therefore, must take the size of the mesh or wooden panel fence into account.

Ostrich feeding

These birds are not picky at all. An adult ostrich eats 3 kg of food per day. They are given twice a day – in the morning and evening. Most of the feed should contain vegetable feed – 70%. The rest is a unique mineral supplement for ostriches and feed mixes.

Ostriches are very fond of cabbage; you can add fodder beets and carrots. Experienced farmers advise adding potatoes to the diet of this kingbird.

Vegetables are finely chopped, as ostriches have no teeth. Add chopped grass, alfalfa, turnips, and spinach if it’s summer outside. If this is the season when the ostrich does not lay an egg, you can add grain. Mixed feed is added to this mass; minerals are diverse. Food is poured into a unique wooden tray. You cannot place it on the floor or the ground.

Attention

Ostriches of any age should not be given parsley and should not provide chicks rye. To digest food better, sand and pebbles are poured in the vicinity, which the bird picks up as needed. It contributes to the better digestion of food. Small stones, and rocks, in this case, perform the role of teeth – they grind pieces of food.

Feeding the young is different.

After they hatch, they cannot be fed for 2-6 days, as the babies feed on the yolk sac during this time. It is in their umbilical cord for the first few days. However, they must have food. If an adult bird is allowed to eat according to the schedule – twice a day- then the chicks’ feed should always be filled.

They are prepared liquid mash of crushed alfalfa leaves, a concentrated feed. Up to four months of age, the fiber content of the meal is limited. Ostriches can be given chopped apples and carrots. They peep with eggs and small pebbles with pleasure.

Limestone and shell rock should be freely available to young animals, as they are necessary for young to form skeletons.

Every day, 5 grams of biotin and vitamins from group B are added to the feed for each ostrich chick. Also, young animals and adult birds should always have fresh water, although they should not drink for a long time.

What you need to pay special attention to

As mentioned above, should not give parsley to ostriches; small ostriches – categorically, potatoes – are undesirable. Animals can swallow things. Therefore, nails and pipes can’t lie where these birds are located. An ostrich can eat a hair clip or other similar object with dire consequences.

Breeding of ostriches

In Central Russia, depending on the weather, the nesting season of ostriches starts in March and lasts until October. Puberty in males and females occurs when they are 2-3 years old. During this period, the legs and neck of the male become bright; they emit various sounds – hissing and trumpeting.

Ostrich egg in the picture Although the male covers all females in the harem, he incubates eggs only in pairs with the dominant one. In the ground or sand, the male digs a 30 x 60 cm deep hole, where all the females lay their eggs. The weight of the eggs is 1.5 × 2 kg, and their length is 15 × 21 cm. The eggs can be a little lighter in captivity – 1.2 × 1.6 kg. The shell is quite dense – 0.6 cm thick. A 7-10-year-old child can easily stand on them.

A family of four birds will bring the owner 40-60 eggs annually. On ostrich farms, eggs are taken and transferred to a sterile box where an incubator is set up. After 42 days, young are born here. During this time, you must tirelessly watch whether the bird can break the shell to get out gradually. If not, the person carefully breaks the surface with a unique wooden hammer so that the ostrich can get rid of it more easily. Afterward, the ostriches are moved to a special box, where they dry out in the warmth.

Young animals are kept separately – according to age. At first, children weigh 1? 1, 2 kg, about 4 months they weigh 18? 19 kg.

Conclusion

Proper maintenance, adequate feeding, disease prevention, care, and care following important recommendations will help the little ostrich to become a significant and robust bird soon.