Feb 11
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Production agriculture requires that rations are designed with specific requirements to supply the correct nutrients to support the livestock’s age and production requirements and this includes ostrich farming.
The uniqueness of ostrich is that for their body weight they have a low daily intake of feed. As a result ostrich are extremely sensitive to nutritional deficiencies and respond exceptionally well on nutrient dense rations, when they are combined with high standards of feed management and farm management.
To ensure farmed ostrich have sufficient nutrients for their needs and support commercial production, they require rations that are nutrient dense. The photograph shows two hens. Note the contrast in the overall aura of these hens, the difference in the body condition and the feather condition.
Hen A was fed a diet high in grain with low vitamin and mineral supplementation. Hen B is a high yielding hen fed a diet with high vitamin and mineral supplementation that included adequate levels of quality lucerne. Note her alertness and excellent body condition.
Rations must provide the correct nutritional support for the production groups they are designed for. The following list summarises the production groups and the production requirements of their rations.
Breeders Out of Egg Laying Season
Replenishment of depleted nutrient reserves
Build condition for the new breeder season.
Breeders in Season
Good Egg production
Adequate Nutrient Transfer to ensure strong healthy chicks at hatch
Baby Chicks 0-2mths
Smooth transfer from Yolk Sac Absorption to External Feed Intake
Grower Birds
Optimum Growth Rates
Optimum Feed Conversion
Excellent Muscle Growth-Meat and Skin Quality (Slaughter birds)
Good Reproductive Organ Development (future breeders)
Pre-Breeders
Continued Reproductive Organ Development
Early Puberty
The breeding season requires significant demands for both male and females to ensure maximum egg production for a full season. The off season is an opportunity to replenish depleted nutrient reserves and establish the birds in top condition for the new season. Ostrich breeders have a history of longevity. Therefore it makes sense to ensure they are nutritionally supported during the breeding season and out of season to support a long productive lifespan.
Adequate breeder nutritional support ensures not only good breeder health and production it also supports adequate nutrient transfer from egg to chick. This is the first step to hatching success. If the farm is experiencing poor egg numbers laid by the breeders and/or hatching failures the first place to look is the nutrients the breeder birds are receiving.
The first days of a chick’s life provides them with time to adjust from obtaining nutrients from their yolk sac while learning to eat the feed provided to them. If the breeder rations fail, then the rest of the process fails to achieve the optimum growth and feed conversion potential.
The current history of ostrich farming sees farmers searching for solutions to overcome problems that have started with the failure of the productive performance of their breeder rations.
