May 11
16
Feeding Rates in Ostrich Farming
In ostrich farming, what do we mean by “feeding rates”? In livestock farming the “feeding rate” is the amount (pounds or kilos) that a specific feed must be fed per animal per day or per feeding.
Farmers look at the nutrient levels of a ration to determine its adequacy (Protein, Fat, Fibre levels for example). What is too often overlooked is that a ration is designed with a particular task in mind. Rations will be formulated to provide adequate body maintenance (survival), plus it will be based on certain production parameters as discussed in “The Production Requirements of Ostrich Rations”.
To achieve these production requirements, the nutritionist will be ensuring that ostriches achieve the correct intake of specific nutrients]. This is done through the ration having the correct nutrient levels and that ration fed at a specific “feeding rate”. The feeding rate is usually specified on an “as fed” basis.
The “feeding rate” is the amount of grams that the nutritionist specifies the production group should be fed each day. The usual feeding rate for adult ostrich is 2100 grams per day based on a 90% dry matter. The table illustrates 4 target nutrient levels the nutritionist maybe trying to achieve at the specified feeding rate or 2100 grams of total feed consumed per day. Always remember there are many other essential nutrients in a ration. These 4 are used for simplicity to illustrate the principle.
The first line of the table illustrates the recommended feeding rate to achieve the target nutrient intake. The next lines illustrate the loss of nutrients when underfeeding by just 5% and 15%. This illustrates the importance of ensuring optimum intake of feed is achieved. 5% is only 100grams, which does not sound very much, but it will be significant to the birds. Variations of up to 15% with the same rations are experienced when dispensing feed by a measure rather than weighing. This is why it is essential to weigh the feed when dispensing feed.
When more than one bird is in a pen, of course we cannot assume there is equal intake of every gram of food placed into the feed trough. It does however illustrate the importance of ensuring there are management systems in place to enable the birds fed achieve those recommended feeding rates as close as possible.
Another management factor to watch is ensuring that the ingredients within the ration fed are as specified. If the ingredients are not to standard as specified, the ration must be reformulated to ensure the nutrient levels are maintained.
Modern livestock production is about precision to ensure not only optimum performance but also consistency in product quality. Understanding these principles is most important to any in ostrich farming if their aim is to optimize the profit potential of their business.
