Apr 11
4
The Economics of Breeder Production in Ostrich Farming
The success of profitable ostrich farming starts with the breeders. The nutrient levels and ingredient quality of the rations fed to breeders provides the foundation for profitable ostrich farming.
The commercial method to cost rations is by their productive value. All too often price is measured by the cost per tonne rather than the cost per chick on the ground. The best way of all is the cost of chick that achieves slaughter or adulthood. The reason for this is because the breeder rations impact significantly on the hatchability of eggs, the health of the chick, the ability of those chicks to remain healthy and their speed of growth. They require healthy internal organs and a yolk sac that is packed with the nutrients required for a fast start, good health and growth.
There are many different currencies and ingredient prices vary not only according to current market conditions but also many other factors including location and buying power which is related to volume. For that reason in order to illustrate the concept the table below uses 100 as the benchmark cost for a ration providing the high performance, with the cheaper/lower performance rations set at 75 and 50 (half the cost).
Ostrich farming production targets for ostrich eggs illustrated the variability in conversion of eggs to chicks. In the illustration the lower level of High Production is set as the benchmark for this discussion, as in the early years production will be lower. This is a combination of the learning curve as management learn the unique aspects of production ostrich management along with the need to improve genetics to build the herd average production. Whilst some ostrich breeders may perform well initially, it is the farm averages that determine farm costs and revenues.
It is usual that rations lacking in nutrients carry a higher bird consumption rate, therefore even though the cost may be less per tonne, the higher consumption increases the overall costs. The final row illustrates the impact of this increased consumption even though the ration is at 50% of the cost of the high production rations.
The final column illustrates the cost of the chick and therefore the true cost of the rations. Note how the ration at ½ the cost per tonne of the high production ration is more than 1½ times more expensive when measured in feed cost per chick on the ground and even greater when the high performance is achieved.
Even with the best possible nutrition available for the birds, all other management issues must be in place, to achieve optimum production. Conversely you can have the best ostrich farming management systems, but if the nutrition is falling short, chick production will be compromised.
