Ostrich Farming

Ostrich meat is a health-giving dietetic foodstuff containing several times less fat (only 1, 2%) and cholesterol (app. 32 mg per 100 g of product) than beef and pork. Ostrich meat helps to reduce risk of cardio-vascular disease.

In the age of 10-14 months ostrich leather gains the best quality. Ostrich leather is comparable to such expensive leathers as elephant and crocodile leather. Its major feature is wear-resistance. Soft and flexible leather is an excellent material for shoes, haberdashery and clothes. The cost of 1.2-1.5 sq.m leather may compensate all money spent for bird raising.

Ostrich eggs have high commercial value. Content is used in cooking and eggshell is a perfect material for decorative stuffs.

Ostrich feather is traditionally popular decorative material for clothes and interior. They are in great demand during preparation to world-famous Brazil carnival.

Ostrich fatis widely used in medicine and cosmetology.

Ostrich breeding at Corporation “Agro-Soyuz”

Corporation “Agro-Soyuz” established ostrich breeding business in 2000.

In 2003 breeding farm was arranged in Model Agricultural Enterprise of Corporation located 70 km from Dnepropetrovsk in steppe zone of Ukraine. Presently there are 450 South African Black and Blue-neck ostriches-breeders (from SAR) at the farm.

Complex includes incubator, raising facility and commercial farm.

In 2004 Corporation “Agro-Soyuz” started sales of ostrich meat in Ukraine under the registered brand “Zharptica”. We prepare, process and pack meat with special equipment in accordance with international standards.

Technology of commercial farming

Target of breeding program:

• Obtaining quality young stock (commercial hybrids)
• Selection aimed to enhancement of meet quality of paternal line (growth rate, meet yield) and enhancement of productive features of maternal line (intensiveness of egg-laying, the age of egg-laying) with usage of wide genetic material from SAR and other countries. Technology of commercial ostrich breeding is consisted of several production processes

Breeder keeping. Production of incubating eggs.

Basic production cycles
STOP-procedures (stop of egg-laying): sudden change of ration diagnostics sanitation and veterinary activities sexual character separation formation of winter groups	Reproductive groups: pairs selected after check and selection of young breeders groups of three (1 x 2) for breeding groups from 5 to 60 birds (38% of males) for commercial farming.	Transition (20 days) diagnostics sanitation and veterinary activities formation of reproductive groups gradual change of ration

FACTORS OF SUCCESS:

• Genetics
• “Annual cycle” planning
• Feeding program
• Bio-safety

Indexes of process effectiveness:

Egg-laying intensity:

• Qty of eggs laid by one female per week (1,5-4,0 eggs);
• Qty of eggs laid by one female per season (20-130 eggs).

Fertility of eggs: percentage of fertilized eggs against the total qty of incubating eggs should be 50-90%

We keep ostriches in two different facilities:

1. in individual boxes with spacious paddock for families consisted of 2-3 birds (75 families live in such facilities)
2. in arched hangars with paddock designed for groups (25 groups, 6-16 heads in each)

Incubation of eggs. Day-old chicks.

Ostrich farm “Agro-Soyuz” is equipped with incubation complex with total capacity 2016 eggs.

Process content:

1. Bio-safety in design of incubator complexes. Forced ventilation with filters.

2. Incubation cycle

• putting of eggs into incubator, interval – 7 days
• Ovoscop testing on 14th day of incubation, determination and disposal of unfertilized eggs and eggs with dead embryos, determination of egg weight losses
• Ovoscop testing on 38-39th day of incubation, determination and disposal of dead embryos, handle to breeding cases
• Control of breeding and chick dry out
• Handling to treatment room (on 42nd day), weighing, selection, sanitation and veterinary measures
• Handling to raising facility

3. Microclimate

• Egg storage: t = 9-15oC, relative humidity 50%;
• Egg incubation: t = 36,3-36,5^oС, relative humidity 22%, in facility 18-22^oС;
• Chick breeding t = 35,3^oС, relative humidity 30%, in facility 18-22^oС;
• Day-old chicks treatment room 28-30^oС, relative humidity 50%;

Indexes of process effectiveness:

• hatchability (percentage of chicks against incubating eggs);
• the average index for SAR — 50%
• at the best breeding farms — 75-90%
• under the WOA program— the aim is to reach 95%

FACTORS OF SUCCESS

• quality of eggs
• microclimate
• bio-safety

3. Raising of chicks

Chick raising farm is designed for 4000 birds.

1. brooder facility with adjustable microclimate and paddocks
2. hangars with partially adjustable climate (local heating) and paddocks

Indexes of process effectiveness:

• survivability of chicks
• the average index for SAR — 50%
• at the best farms 85-90%
• under the WOA program— the aim is to reach 95%
• growth rate
• at the farms the weight of ostriches reaches 45 kg at the age of 4 months

FACTORS OF SUCCESS

• quality of day-old chicks
• microclimate inside facilities
• bio-safety
• stress minimization

4. Fattening of commercial ostriches

Fattening farm for 2200 heads.

1. hangars
2. reconstructed barns

Indexes of process effectiveness:

Growth rate (commercial weight of 95-100 kg):

• the average index for SAR — 12 months;
• at the best farms – 9-10 months
• under the WOA program— the aim is to reach at the age of 7-10 months.

FACTORS OF SUCCESS

• optimization of feeding program
• bio-safety