May 11
4
Identifying Some Stress Factors in Ostrich Farming
Stress is referenced in many things today – what are they when referenced in ostrich farming?
Naturally an ostrich farmer and all management are under stress to ensure they make profits to ensure sustainability of the business. In this context we are referencing stress factors that can impact on bird health and performance at all ages, stress factors that can influence overall profitability of the business.
Nutritional Stress: This is when birds have insufficient nutrients to support basic body maintenance and good health. It can affect birds of all ages. Ostriches suffering from nutritional stress not only have compromised immune systems to fight every day infections, it also impacts on their ability to handle other stress factors.
What are these additional stress factors? The following are some examples. Good stockmanship is about observing your stock and watching for anything that maybe a stress factor for the birds in their care.
Variations in temperature: In many regions temperatures can change significantly from day to night. Healthy birds can handle these variances with reasonable ease, but birds weakened by nutritional deficiencies have insufficient reserves to handle these variations. In young birds stress from temperature variations is usually covered by management providing additional heating or cooling mechanisms such as heaters or air conditioning. This of course comes at considerable cost. The capital cost to install the necessary buildings and equipment. The running costs of that equipment.
Weather: This can be any weather conditions that are not normal. It can include such things as extreme conditions like wind, rain, snow, hail, thunder, heat wave, cold and even tornados.
Fear: Stress from fear can come from many things. Examples are: predators, which can be dogs, foxes, wolves or wild cats, rough handling, excessive noise – events that are not normal.
Handling: This is handling that is not part of the normal routine such as change of pen, weighing, treatments such as vaccination, worming and transport.
The picture illustrates future slaughter birds in South Africa undergoing routine spraying for ostrich feathers. These ostriches were moved from their pens to the treatment pen, sprayed and returned. This is a typical example of the type of handling that is out of the norm and therefore a stress factor.
Feed Management: Feeding should be at the same times each day – changes from the normal routine will put the birds of all ages under stress.
Failure in Water supply: Any failure in the water supply resulting in birds unable to drink is major stress factor for the birds of all ages.
“Causes of Ostrich Chick Mortality in Ostrich Farming” identified stress as a contributing cause to ostrich chick mortality. Minimising stress in growing birds will help improve the Feed Conversion Ratio and days taken to reach slaughter age. Minimising stress in breeders contributes to improved egg production.
Understanding the factors that cause stress in ostrich farming is the first step to put in place systems that minimize these stress factors.
