Ostriches, like any other poultry, require a mandatory daily supply of the necessary amount of minerals and vitamins. The condition of the bird and, ultimately, the quality of the meat or eggs of ostriches depends on how correctly and harmoniously the owner draws up the rules for feeding ostriches. Feeding ostriches whose diet should be varied is an important component of the success of any
Feeding ostriches Ostrich diet - more vitamins and microelements
All substances necessary for ostriches can be divided into several essential components:
- Squirrels: The ostrich can get them from various types of beans.
- Minerals: are extremely necessary for strengthening the skeletal system of the bird - they can be obtained from eggshells and bran.
- Vitamins: The nutrients ostriches need to boost their immunity can be found in green food and hay.
Food for ostriches Ostriches can be kept in different conditions, so the composition of the feed can differ significantly. However, there are requirements that must be met regardless of other conditions:
- It is important to ensure the necessary balance between the content of vitamins and nutrients; it is important to correctly combine proteins and carbohydrates; the ideal ratio is 1:4.
- An adult ostrich can eat about five kilograms of food per day, but this does not mean that all the food will be digested. It is important that some of the food is digested fairly easily.
- Ostriches are gourmets; for their proper development, it is important that the food is tasty. These birds especially love pumpkin, turnips, and green grass.
- Bran or flour are not suitable as food for adult ostriches. the best solution There will be food in the form of granules.
As for the frequency of feeding, adult birds eat no more than twice a day, and young birds three to four times.
Ostrich rearing systems that influence feeding principles:
Semi-intensive: They are additionally fed with mixtures containing useful substances, as well as with hay prepared in advance. With such a rearing system, it is important that the conditions for keeping the poultry are as close to natural as possible. During the breeding season, it is important to supplement their diet with useful substances.
Extensive: with this system, the ostrich receives most of its food while in an open space that the farmer fences on his territory. Only if the summer is dry or rainy, the owner should organize additional feeding for the birds.
During the period when the bird begins to actively reproduce, ostriches require additional feeding. Females require an increase in calcium in the feed, but males should not add calcium to the feed. Since, in this case, zinc is reduced in the bird’s body, which is extremely important for high-quality offspring. Overeating and excess nutrients lead to obesity in birds and do not at all contribute to increased fertility.
Ostrich chicks that have just hatched do not need to be fed immediately, because they have a so-called yolk sac, from which they are provided with food for a couple of days after birth. After a week, you can begin to feed the chicks with food containing special substances they need for growth and development. It is important not to feed chicks under four months of age with fiber.
Feeding ostriches, diet which must include all the necessary vitamins and microelements - the main component of any farmer. Do not forget about maintaining a drinking regime. Although ostriches tolerate prolonged absence of moisture well, they still drink water quite readily. That is why it is important to provide ostriches with a container of water on time, especially during meals.
Breeding the world's largest bird is suitable for those who, not wanting to waste time on trifles, want to get a lot of profit at once. Compared to raising other animals or birds, this type of business is the most profitable. After all, from one pair of ostriches per year you can get about 1.5 thousand kg of meat, 50 sq. m. of leather and more than 30 kg of feathers.
The only problem may be having enough space to contain them, but first things first.
What is attractive about the business of raising ostriches in Russia?
An ostrich farm can be called a waste-free production. The fat of these birds is used to make healing ointments that have bactericidal and healing properties. Souvenirs are made from eggshells and feathers. Buttons are made from claws. Even the long eyelashes of this overseas bird are used in cosmetology. But the main value of ostriches is, of course, meat, skin and eggs. You can make a good business with these products.
The meat of this exotic bird is highly valued. It is dietary and very tasty. It has virtually no cholesterol, but about 22% protein. And it is correspondingly expensive. These birds grow very quickly at home, so in a year you can already get about 50 kg of clean meat and almost 1 square meter from one individual. m of leather. However, chicks as young as 3 months old can be slaughtered for meat, which at this age usually weigh approximately 15 kg and have the most tender and juicy meat.
Their eggs are simply huge. The weight of one egg can reach 1.3 kg. You can feed 10 people with scrambled eggs. Moreover, such a dish will be much healthier than regular ones. chicken eggs. After all, it contains a lot of useful fatty acids, but low in bad cholesterol. Various decorative elements can be made from egg shells; its thickness reaches 1.5 cm. Therefore, it is difficult to call ostrich eggs fragile. The egg production of the female of this bird is very large and can reach 80 eggs per season, which usually lasts from March to October. Females begin to lay eggs at 1.5-2 years.
You can see the benefits of ostrich eggs and how to cook them in this video
Ostrich leather is no less valuable in Russia. It makes durable and beautiful leather products. In terms of quality, it is put on a par with elephant and even crocodile leather. It is very wear-resistant, as well as soft and flexible. Cost 1.5 sq. m. of skin obtained from one bird will fully compensate you for all the costs of its care and maintenance. This is already a strong argument for creating your own successful business in raising these birds.
What good can you get from an ostrich on a Russian farm can be seen in this video
Raising ostriches at home
There are many subspecies of ostriches in the world. But in central Russia and Ukraine, business is most often carried out by raising black African ostrich. This is the largest representative of its species. The height of an adult male ranges from 2.5 m, and weight is about 150 kg. Females are slightly smaller. Their height is approximately 2 m, and their weight is approximately 120 kg. This bird is completely unpretentious in care. It tolerates low temperatures well, which allows it to be kept even in the north of Russia.
Keeping ostriches for business is not particularly difficult, but it has its own nuances that you need to know about in advance. First of all, these include:
- Having a large meadow or even a grassy field where birds can roam. If you seriously decide to start a business with ostriches in Russia, you need to acquire a territory on which you will keep them. The fact is that in the wild, ostriches spend most of their time on pastures in search of food. They need a large area for walking so that they feel comfortable and do not get sick. To do this, it is best to create a pen on sandy soil, which should not contain trees and shrubs that could provide shade. These birds love to have a lot of sun. There should be another area nearby, but with green grass. If there is no such area, you will have to mow the grass yourself.
- The presence of large covered pavilions with good ventilation and heating. Although the black African ostrich is considered less picky about temperature indicators, which is why it has become so widespread in Russia, it is still better to keep it in a heated room in winter. Otherwise the bird may freeze. After all, its homeland is considered to be the African steppes, where the climate is much less harsh. Therefore, keeping ostriches at home is impossible without a stationary poultry house on a strong foundation. Be sure to ensure there are windows and hoods in the walls and ceiling for the winter period. It is best to coat the walls of the room with clay. You can use sawdust or hay as bedding.
- These birds are polygamous. In nature, they create a family consisting of one male and 3-4 females. Therefore, it is necessary to select pairs based on this calculation. When the male has decided on his choice of mates, he begins to dig holes in the ground. After which the females lay eggs in them. What is noteworthy is that both parents look after the eggs. Usually the female is during the day and the male is at night. Most often, these birds choose the most remote areas of the pasture to lay eggs, so during the mating season, it is best to limit their movement with special fences. Otherwise, you might just lose all your eggs.
Caring for this bird is quite simple. Ostriches have long adapted to the natural conditions of Russia, so the main thing when raising them is to follow the basic recommendations in order for your business to be successful.
You can watch this video on how to properly breed ostriches on a summer cottage in Russia.
Feeding ostriches at home
These birds are quite voracious. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the feeders. Their length must be at least 50 cm per chick and at least 150 cm per adult. Otherwise the birds may fight. It is advisable that they are deep so that you do not have to completely fill them with food. Also make sure that the feeders are stable. It is also advisable to acquire a manger for grass or hay. The ostrich is considered an omnivorous bird, but its main diet consists of:
The approximate amount of food per adult is three kg per day. You need to feed twice. You can also add cabbage, carrots, and beets as a treat. It is forbidden to give potatoes and parsley.
To properly digest food at home, these birds usually eat pebbles. It promotes the grinding of plant fibers and replaces teeth with them. Pebbles should always be available for these birds.
You can use a regular trough as a drinking bowl. They consume a lot of water. Approximately 10 liters per adult are consumed per day.
The poultry house must have artificial lighting. In nature, these birds are accustomed to long daylight hours. Therefore, at home in winter, they simply do not have time to eat the entire daily dose of food allotted to them. As a result, they may begin to get sick and be stunted in growth. Artificial lighting must be extended to 16 hours.
Air temperature also affects feed consumption. It is better that it is not lower than 15 degrees Celsius. Sudden changes in temperature are extremely undesirable.
Ostrich breeding
The male reaches sexual maturity at 3-4 years, the female at 2-3 years. It is not difficult to determine that a male has entered mating season. Usually at this time his legs, beak and around the eyes turn red.
These birds live up to 80 years, but their reproductive age does not exceed 35 years.
Special incubators are used to hatch chicks.
Newly born chicks reach a height of approximately 20 cm. However, ostrich chicks grow incredibly quickly, gaining a centimeter per day. In the first three days, it is better not to give them food and water so that the gall sac, which reaches 25% of the weight of the chick itself, can be absorbed. Then they can begin to be fed with alfalfa or clover leaves and feed for broiler chickens. It is also useful to add cottage cheese and a hard-boiled egg to their food. It is imperative to avoid low temperatures, drafts, dampness and unsanitary conditions. At three weeks old, ostrich chicks need to pour gravel into separate feeders and add ground corn, wheat, and various mineral supplements to their food. Chicks begin to actively feed at about 3 months of age.
You can also use the sale of ostrich chicks as one of the business lines. In Russia they are not cheap. And they can bring in additional income from the farm, in addition to selling meat, eggs and leather.
Despite the fact that ostrich farming in Russia is initial stage requires a lot of expenses, this business is very profitable. These exotic birds are a source of large quantities of valuable meat, skin and eggs. If a business is organized correctly, it will create no more difficulties for you than any other household, and the income from it will be significantly higher.
To learn where to start breeding ostriches and what pitfalls can await you along the way, watch this video.
Ostriches are beautiful giant birds. Now they are grown not only in Ukraine, but even in Siberia. Useful tips will help you realize your dream of breeding this overseas bird.
Ostriches are the largest birds. There are several subspecies of this animal, this is the ostrich:
- Asiatic;
- Common or North African;
- Somali;
- Syrian;
- African.
The small size of the brain and the fidelity of ostriches do not interfere. This bird has a gentle spiritual organization. A polygamous male usually has 3–4 females, but one of them is his favorite. If something happens to her or the birds are separated, there are known cases where after a few days the male died, unable to bear the separation.
Ostriches have been bred as poultry for quite some time. In our country, ostrich farms are only gaining popularity.
Why is it profitable to breed ostriches?
Of the several subspecies of ostrich, only one is bred in our country. The African ostrich can withstand short-term frost and -38°C, so even Siberian poultry farmers are interested in this overseas bird. In Central Russia and Ukraine there are also a number of farmers who have started breeding ostriches. This business is quite profitable, here’s how you can make a profit:
- Organize excursions to an ostrich farm.
- Get very healthy and expensive dietary meat.
- Poultry skin, especially tanned skin, is also very valuable.
- Ostrich feathers are quite expensive.
- Fashionistas use bird eyelashes by gluing them to their upper eyelid.
- The claws are also recycled.
As you can see, an ostrich farm is an almost 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 onto fur coats as a fastener. Animal droppings are used as soil fertilizer. Therefore, it is profitable to keep ostriches. Plus, souvenirs are made from eggs. To do this, you need to turn it over with the blunt end up, bring the tip of a knife or nail to it, carefully hit it with a hammer, free this small space from the shell, and slightly mix the white with the yolk using a hollow tube. Then you need to blow into it and the contents of the egg flow into the pan. It is enough to cook scrambled eggs for 8-10 people or an omelet for fifteen.
After this, the inside is carefully washed, after preparing the shell, it is painted, and the result is a real work of art.
As for ostrich meat, its price is quite high - 600–900 rubles per 1 kg.
If you get a special incubator, you can hatch ostrich eggs from eggs for your own farm or for sale. This is also quite profitable. Since they buy chicks for $100, and the cost of one small ostrich that hatches from an egg is about $30.
Here are the detailed prices for ostrich products (RUB):
- Ostrich chicks (1 day) - 7,000
- Ostrich chicks up to 1 month - 10,000
- Ostriches 2 months - 12,000
- Ostriches 6 months - 18,000
- Ostriches 10–12 months - 25,000
- Mature ostriches (2 years) - 45,000
- Adult ostriches (3 years) - 60,000
- Family 4-5 years - 200,000
- Ostrich egg hatching - 3,000
- Table ostrich egg - 800?1000 (depending on weight)
- Ostrich egg empty, souvenir - 400
- Ostrich meat (in carcasses) 1 kg - 250
- Ostrich meat (fillet) 1kg wholesale/retail - 650?850
- Ostrich skin wet salted 1.2–1.4 m2. - 3,000
- Tanned ostrich leather 1.2?1.4 sq. m. - 7 000
- Ostrich feathers - 50?350
- Equipment for an ostrich farm, ostrich incubator (64?128 eggs) 75,000? 120,000.
If you decide to breed these overseas birds, you need to think about where. The bird is large, and it also requires movement, so the area for keeping it must be large. It consists of a paddock and a paddock. If possible, you can rent, for example, an abandoned piglet. This type of housing is perfect for this bird. It is important that the ceiling height is at least three meters.
Ostriches live in families, with 3–4 females per male. Therefore, families are usually separated from one another. Dividing walls do not have to be solid. Usually ostriches are kept in a room that is divided into several sections using transverse slats. The video at the bottom of the article will tell you how this is done and how to keep ostriches.
As mentioned above, African ostriches are not afraid of frost, as they are perfectly adapted to changes and drops in temperature. In their homeland, it can be +50°C during the day, and at night the temperature can drop to +5°C, so ostriches of this subspecies adapt well to weather conditions.
However, the room in which the bird will spend most of its time must be well adapted to this. If the floor is concrete, you need to lay straw and hay on it in a sufficiently large layer so that the bird does not feel cold. You can keep ostriches on earth, wooden floor, then the layer of hay and straw may be slightly smaller.
For 2 families, consisting of two males and six to seven females area indoors should be approximately 150 m2, and walking areas - 5 thousand m2. Sand is poured onto the floor of the part of the pen adjacent to the room, this is necessary so that the ostriches take sand baths.
Rubber mats are laid on the concrete floor for young animals up to one month old.
If you want to separate the walking area with a metal mesh, it should have either a very small mesh so that the bird cannot stick its head there, or a large one. After all, ostriches are curious by nature. If the size of the mesh cells allows, they will stick their head into the hole to see what is there? If the mesh cells are equal to the volume of the head, the bird can stick its head there, but not back. Unfortunately, there have been cases when it ended sadly. Therefore, the size of the mesh must be taken into account or a fence made of wooden slats.
These birds are not at all picky. An adult ostrich eats 3 kg of food per day. They are fed twice a day - morning and evening. For the most part, the feed should contain plant matter - 70%. The rest is special mineral supplements for ostriches and mixed feed.
Ostriches love it very much, you can add fodder beets and carrots to it. Experienced farmers do not recommend introducing potatoes into the diet of this royal bird.
Vegetables are chopped finely, since ostriches do not have teeth. If it’s summer, add chopped grass, alfalfa, rapeseed, and spinach. If this is a period when the ostrich does not lay eggs, you can add. Compound feed is added to this mass and the minerals are mixed. Food is poured into special wooden trays. You can’t put it on the floor or the ground.
Attention! Ostriches of any age should not be given parsley, and chicks should not be given rye.
For better digestibility of food, sand and pebbles are poured nearby, which the bird pecks as needed. This promotes better digestion of food. Small stones and pebbles perform the function of teeth in this case - they crush pieces of food.
Feeding the chicks is different. After they hatch, they can not be fed for 2–6 days, since the babies feed from the yolk sac during this time. He
is in their umbilical cord for the first few days. However, they must have food. If an adult bird is given food on a schedule - twice a day, then the chicks' feeders should always be filled.
They prepare a liquid mixture from crushed alfalfa leaves and concentrated feed. Until the age of four months, the fiber content in the feed is limited. Ostrich chicks can be given chopped apples and carrots. They happily peck at eggshells and small pebbles.
The young should have free access to limestone and shell rock, as the chicks need them for the formation of the skeleton.
Every day, 5 grams of biotin and B vitamins are added to the food for each baby ostrich.
Also, young and adult birds should always have fresh water, although they may not drink for quite a long time.
What you need to pay special attention to
As mentioned above, parsley should not be given to ostriches, small ostrich chicks should absolutely not be given, and potatoes should not be given. Animals can swallow objects. Therefore, where these birds are located, it is forbidden for nails or pipes to lie. An ostrich can swallow a hairpin or other similar object, which leads to dire consequences.
Ostrich breeding
In Central Russia, depending on the weather, the breeding season of ostriches begins in March and lasts until October. Sex and age maturity in males and females occurs when they reach 2–3 years of age. During this period, the legs and neck of the male become bright, they make various sounds - hissing, trumpeting.
Ostrich eggs in the photo
Despite the fact that the male covers all the females in his harem, he incubates eggs in pairs only with the dominant one. In the ground or sand, the male digs a hole 30–60 cm deep, where all the females lay their eggs. The weight of the eggs is 1.5-2 kg, their length is 15-21 cm. In captivity, the eggs can weigh slightly less - 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 three birds will bring the owner 40–60 eggs per year.
At ostrich farms, the eggs are collected and taken to a sterile box where an incubator is set up. After 42 days, chicks are born here. At this time, you need to tirelessly watch whether the bird itself can break the shell in order to gradually get out. If not, the person carefully breaks the shell with a special wooden hammer to make it easier for the baby ostrich to free itself from it. After that, the ostrich chicks are transferred to special boxes, where they dry in the warmth.
In the photo, young ostriches eat food
Young animals are kept separately according to age. At first, babies weigh 1–1.2 kg, by 4 months they gain weight 18–19 kg.
Proper maintenance, adequate feeding, disease prevention, care, care, compliance important recommendations will help the little ostrich soon become a big and strong bird.
Many people think that keeping ostriches is a complicated procedure that requires effort and special knowledge. In fact, everything is much simpler. To raise these wonderful birds at home, you just need to follow some rules.
Proper keeping of ostriches
Ostriches are unique pets, which until recently were considered the rarest birds brought from Africa or Australia. However, every year the population of these amazingly massive individuals is growing, and many owners of farms and ranches have taken responsibility for maintaining and raising the birds. In fact, this is not a difficult task, although there are a number of rules that must be followed unquestioningly.
The weight of a domestic ostrich depends on the breed and can reach 200 kg.
In the course of evolution, ostriches have learned to adapt to almost all climate zones of the Earth. Their organisms are so resilient that they can withstand a very wide range of temperatures (from -25 0 C to +35 0 C). This ability helps them quickly adapt to different living conditions.
Concrete or asphalt should not be used when constructing the floor.
To develop young animals and maintain the comfort of adults, a special poultry house is built, which must be suitable for many parameters. In terms of dimensions, it must correspond to the number and size of adult birds. The ceiling should be 1 meter above the ostrich's head (that is, about 3 meters). Windows are made 80x80 in size. For sufficient sunlight, the height is 1 meter from the floor.
The doorway is needed for the free passage of birds, so it is better to make it wider (about 1 meter) and higher (at least 2 meters). These birds sleep on a straw bedding.
The standard must contain:
- A protected room where feed will be stored. It must be sealed and insulated from rodents.
- Feed containers located half a meter from the ground and two-thirds filled.
- Drinking bowls (water should be renewed every day).
- Device for mixing and supplying mineral additives.
- Radiators or other heating devices.
- Incubators (there should be several of them).
The walking area should be covered with sand or gravel, well lit, protected from cold, northern winds. The fence is installed 250-300 centimeters high from a fine (cell width up to 3 centimeters) metal mesh.
For each adult, it is necessary to allocate at least 5 m2 of free walking area. The optimal figures are 10 m2.
Features of the mating season
The mating season for these flightless birds begins in May and ends in October. During this time, each male provides several (up to 4) females. Each of them lays eggs once every 3-4 days.
Females are able to reproduce within 1.5-2 years after birth, but males reach reproductive age only after 2-2.5 years.
A male ostrich, when ready to breed, begins to attract potential mates by stretching its neck and fluffing its wings. Its legs and the area around its beak turn red, thereby signaling that it is already mature and can give birth. Fertilization can occur up to 35 years, then the period of reproductive activity decreases.
What to feed ostriches?
Of course, special birds require special nutrition. Monotonous feeding of ostriches day after day is not suitable if the plan is to raise healthy and strong livestock. Although the feeding process itself does not differ in unique techniques.
The ostrich's diet should include:
- hay and straw feed;
- fresh juicy grass (nettle or alfalfa);
- minerals, namely calcium, fluorine, phosphates, gravel and shell;
- vitamins (especially group B);
- fish and bone meal;
- fresh fruits, vegetables (pumpkin, potatoes, radishes, apples and others);
- cereals and grain crops;
- silage.
However, young animals are fed mixtures of grass, mixed feed, and protein, which should contain about 20%. Everything is crushed and mixed. You can add protein foods (boiled eggs or cottage cheese) to your diet.
Ostrich breeding
One ostrich egg reaches two kilograms. On average, a female can lay 60 eggs per year, but sometimes this figure rises to 80 eggs. A male in the first year of puberty is not able to produce a full-fledged brood. There will be no chick inside the shell. The most active reproduction is achieved in the second and third years of life.
If the male is older than the female, the number and frequency of eggs laid increases.
Breeding ostriches at home can be affected by:
- weather;
- food;
- the conditions in which birds live;
- availability of a platform and the possibility of independent walking.
The incubator has a temperature of 35 0 C, and a humidity of 30% during idle time and 70% during the incubation period (42 days). The chance of healthy, live chicks being born increases if the egg has a lot of pores. The more, the higher the hatchability will be. You should also remember that you can only place eggs of one size in one incubator chamber. This is an important condition that must be observed.
As for eggs for incubation, they need to be collected immediately after laying. To hatch healthy young animals, the device must be disinfected. The most effective way is to use a solution of hydrogen peroxide. You need to place a container with liquid on the floor and install a fan. After 2 hours, ventilate the incubator.
Ostrich chicks are very independent, because they do not need time to open their eyes or learn to walk. They are kept in a poultry house with a density of 1 chick per 1 square meter (over time, personal space increases to 10 m2). For the first 20 days, babies should be kept on a straw pillow.
For the first three days, they feed on the components that remain in the yolk sac. On the fourth day, you can already give chopped foods (fresh herbs, cottage cheese, eggs) and water.
Teaching little ostrich chicks to eat on their own requires a minimum of effort and time. It is enough to scatter food on a flat, smooth surface and pretend to peck at the food with your fingers. The kids will repeat the movements they see and learn to take food themselves.
In order for the chicks to get used to filling their stomachs with small stones, a container with coarse sand is placed separately for each one.
Chicks also need bacteria to produce healthy microflora in the body. In order to get what they need, small ostriches naturally eat their parents' droppings, but at home you can provide them with probiotics.
After a week, the chicks can already be fed. Must be present in the diet fresh herbs and chopped vegetables. After two months, ostrich chicks are fed rougher food containing certain minerals and vitamins. Compound feed is given in granules up to 8 millimeters. After another month, cake and yeast are added.
Up to six months, babies are fed 5 times a day, then 3 or 4. A year after birth, the bird is already considered an adult, so it is fed no more than twice a day.
It is imperative to provide ostriches with fresh food along with dry food. clean water. This will help digestion and normal development of the young. If everything is done correctly, then in a fairly short time it will be possible to grow an ostrich weighing about 200 kilograms.
What can harm your health?
On ostrich farms, diseases arise suddenly and disappear as epidemics. These are mainly diseases associated with the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract.
Workers who deal with the territory and directly with ostriches must undergo medical examinations. The farm must have a specially designated quarantine area for sick birds so that other healthy birds do not become infected during treatment.
By following all the rules given above, you can not only raise ostriches for your farm, but also ensure healthy and strong offspring for these birds for many generations to come.
Ostriches on a home farm - video
Many farmers who keep and breed different kinds poultry, they claim that keeping ostriches in a household is no more difficult than chickens or ducks. After all, each breed has its own characteristics. This exotic species can be bred for several purposes: to obtain delicious meat, beautiful feathers and eggs.
Most biologists classify birds as herbivores, however, in fact, they can easily be classified as omnivores. They eat well both food of plant and animal origin. With an abundance of greenery around, the basis of the bird's diet is grass, leaves of shrubs, seeds and roots of some savannah plants. African birds are also not averse to feasting on small insects and even reptiles. During drought they can easily cope without water.
What to feed at home
We suggest starting to consider the composition of the diet and feeding habits of ostriches from.
Newly hatched ostrich chicks do not need to be fed at all right away.. This is due to the fact that they feed from the yolk sac, which is located in the umbilical cord for the first few days. In the wild, they first peck the dung of adults, thanks to which they receive a set of microorganisms in their intestines, which further help them in breaking down and digesting in the intestines vegetable fiber, and also contribute to the development immune system baby. They start feeding ostrich chicks with crushed alfalfa, which contains a lot of easily digestible protein.
Experts recommend making a slide of sand or shell rock in powder form in an aviary with chicks. This will help improve the digestive processes of young animals. The feed also needs to be enriched with B vitamins and biotin. These elements are important for the proper formation of a healthy musculoskeletal system.
Adult ostriches can be raised in three ways: intensive, semi-intensive and extensive. The first method is very similar in essence to keeping cattle in a stall. The extensive system is based on housing exotic birds in conditions very similar to their natural habitat. The semi-intensive method is a compromise between the two methods described above. In each case, their own feeding habits of ostriches are revealed.
Ostrich nutrition under an intensive housing system
When birds are constantly in a limited space in an aviary, they should be provided with a sufficient amount of hay and green food. They must be given mixed with grain-based foods. One can eat up to 3 kg of this assortment per day.
The basis of the daily diet should be rich, juicy feed on chopped grass. The ideal solution here would be rapeseed, alfalfa or forbs. Do not forget to leave coarse river sand or fine expanded clay available to the ostriches.
When the female is preparing for pregnancy, the intensity of feeding should be increased for the entire period of “motherhood”. If you suddenly make adjustments to the existing diet or change the content of necessary elements in food (fats, proteins, carbohydrates and others), the ostrich may stop laying eggs.
What to feed in an extensive housing system
Feeding costs with this method are the lowest: the bird itself searches for food. To implement an extensive housing system, it is necessary to fence off a sufficient area of unplowed field where ostriches will graze, like other livestock. The disadvantage of this system is that success and effectiveness depend on climate, terrain and weather variability. In case of drought or, conversely, prolonged rains, the pasture may be unsuitable for walking and feeding ostriches.
Semi-intensive feeding
This is a combination of walking the ostrich in the field and feeding it with specialized feed mixtures. The ideal option here is to design and try to create conditions for ostriches close to their natural habitat. However, it is very important that they themselves produce their own food in sufficient quantities.
How to prepare food yourself
The basis of the ostrich diet consists of approximately the same components as any other poultry: feed, alfalfa, vitamins, shell rock. Alfalfa can be used both in the form of hay and as green mass.
Also, ingredients for ostrich food can be crushed corn, millet and wheat, soybeans, fish meal, and yeast.
In winter, ostriches' diet mainly consists of dried herbal mixtures (hay). For example, the composition may be as follows: meadow fescue, meadow bluegrass, meadow (red) and creeping (white) clover, fodder sainfoin and seed seradella. In the table below we consider the feed requirements of ostriches throughout the year.
Contraindications
The diet of ostriches kept in food must be designed so that their body weight is close to ideal. You cannot feed birds to the point of obesity - if ostriches are actively gaining weight, it is necessary to reduce the amount cereal crops, replacing them with green succulent feed or hay. If the birds are exhausted, you need to increase the amount of cereal food, as well as animal feed. In addition, it is necessary to ensure that the birds move enough - this factor affects both their weight and taste qualities meat.
