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Ranching and Farming
Wild Ostriches Although their range was once much broader, today ostriches are found naturally only in the savannah areas of Africa.
There is only one true species of ostrich (Struthio camelus), although several subspecies are recognized. Ostrich are primarily grazing animals, existing on a variety of plant and brush material.
In many instances, succulent plants and fruits also make up a large portion of their diet as do small insects and lizards.
Ostrich travel vast distances to obtain sufficient food and water. Ostrich are equipped with many advantageous features including excellent eye sight, large external ear canals, and powerful legs which allow speeds of up to 40 m.p.h.
Because of these features, mortalities in adult ostrich are not thought to be common. By comparison, mortalities in chicks, usually related to predation, are thought to be as high as 90%.
Ostrich reach an adult height of over 7 feet by 16 to 18 months of age. They continue to increase in weight after this time with adult males reaching over 300 pounds.
Ostrich may become sexually mature at 18 months of age although males often mature later than females. It is not uncommon for hens to begin laying at 2 to 3 years of age while males may take as long as 4 to 5 years to be functionally mature.
In captivity, females may lay as many as 100 egg in a season, although 30 to 40 are more common. Species of ostriches play a big part in the amount of eggs an ostrich lays in captivity.
Distinguishing features Eggs are whitish in color, weigh about 3 pounds (1000 to 1500 grams) and are generally laid every other day. Eggs are typically laid in late afternoon. Although mating may occur numerous time during the day, it is believed that a single mating may be effective for up to a week.
Adult male ostrich are solid black in colour with white wing tips while the smaller females are brownish gray. Male ostrich of East Africa have pink or red skin and are often referred to as rednecks, while the more southern ostrich has blue skin and is refereed to as bluenecks.
The colour of the neck is dependent on the presence of the male hormone testosterone. The colour of the feathers is dependent on the presence or absence of the female hormone oestrogen. Thus, castrated males will have normal feather colour but not the skin colour and immature or spayed females will have black feathers.
Breeding and Mating In either hemisphere the breeding season is from spring to autumn.
The mating behavior of the male is quite elaborate with the male sitting on his hocks, moving his wings up and down while throwing his head from side to side.
During this time the male will usually makes a thumping sound and will inflate his neck area and create a loud booming noise. The receptive female walks with her head down, popping her beak and shaking her wings clucking. When approached, the female will sit, allowing the male to mount from the back.
The male digs a depression in the ground by sitting and digging with his legs, pushing dirt backwards, forming the nest. Eggs are laid in these nests and the male usually sits on the eggs at night while the female incubates during the day.
Wild clutches usually range from 8 to 14 eggs. Both parents are involved with the rearing of the young.
Although this discussion deals mainly with ostrich, other ratites including the South American rhea, and the Australian and New Zealand emu are becoming popular species for ranching.
Other flightless birds often encountered are the cassowary (New Guinea) and the kiwi (Australia). Many factors involved in the care and maintenance of these birds are similar, others, however, are not. We will note the exceptions when appropriate.
A History of Ostrich Ranching Ostrich have been noted by mankind since the earliest recorded histories.
Numerous references and notations exist throughout the Bible and ostrich have played various roles in man's history.
As early as the first century, Pliney wrote extensively about the therapeutic and medical benefits of ostrich oil while in medieval times, the wearing of ostrich plumes often represented the status of nobility.
This trend continued with European nobility through the late 1800's. Feathers were obtained, in most instances, from birds killed in Northern Africa.
Beginning in the mid to late 1800's, ostrich farming in southern Africa emerged and developed into one of the largest businesses in South Africa by the turn of the century.
Production in these areas was primarily related to feather marketing and a captive, crossbred bird was developed that was smaller and more easily handled and produced excellent feather quality.
This bird is often referred to as the South African "Black" Ostrich, and is the same bird that Ostriches On Line refer to as High Pedigree African Black Domesticated Ostriches.
The first ostrich were brought into the United States in 1882 and were taken to Southern California. Shortly afterwards, ranching became notable in Arizona, Florida, and Georgia.
Production was for feathers for use in the European fashion markets and the decline in the demand for feathers that occurred at the turn of the century ended ostrich farming in North America.
Ostrich farming in Southern Africa also suffered severely with the end of the feather trade.
Presently, between 500,000 and 570,000 birds are slaughtered annually throughout South Africa, Israel, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, and Kenya primarily for the meat and leather products.
Exact figures for the numbers of animals in North America are not available, although we estimate between 150,000 - 250,000 and ostrich farming is now the fastest growing agricultural business in the world.
Wild Ostriches Although their range was once much broader, today ostriches are found naturally only in the savannah areas of Africa.
There is only one true species of ostrich (Struthio camelus), although several subspecies are recognized. Ostrich are primarily grazing animals, existing on a variety of plant and brush material.
In many instances, succulent plants and fruits also make up a large portion of their diet as do small insects and lizards.
Ostrich travel vast distances to obtain sufficient food and water. Ostrich are equipped with many advantageous features including excellent eye sight, large external ear canals, and powerful legs which allow speeds of up to 40 m.p.h.
Because of these features, mortalities in adult ostrich are not thought to be common. By comparison, mortalities in chicks, usually related to predation, are thought to be as high as 90%.
Ostrich reach an adult height of over 7 feet by 16 to 18 months of age. They continue to increase in weight after this time with adult males reaching over 300 pounds.
Ostrich may become sexually mature at 18 months of age although males often mature later than females. It is not uncommon for hens to begin laying at 2 to 3 years of age while males may take as long as 4 to 5 years to be functionally mature.
In captivity, females may lay as many as 100 egg in a season, although 30 to 40 are more common. Species of ostriches play a big part in the amount of eggs an ostrich lays in captivity.
Distinguishing features Eggs are whitish in color, weigh about 3 pounds (1000 to 1500 grams) and are generally laid every other day. Eggs are typically laid in late afternoon. Although mating may occur numerous time during the day, it is believed that a single mating may be effective for up to a week.
Adult male ostrich are solid black in colour with white wing tips while the smaller females are brownish gray. Male ostrich of East Africa have pink or red skin and are often referred to as rednecks, while the more southern ostrich has blue skin and is refereed to as bluenecks.
The colour of the neck is dependent on the presence of the male hormone testosterone. The colour of the feathers is dependent on the presence or absence of the female hormone oestrogen. Thus, castrated males will have normal feather colour but not the skin colour and immature or spayed females will have black feathers.
Breeding and Mating In either hemisphere the breeding season is from spring to autumn.
The mating behavior of the male is quite elaborate with the male sitting on his hocks, moving his wings up and down while throwing his head from side to side.
During this time the male will usually makes a thumping sound and will inflate his neck area and create a loud booming noise. The receptive female walks with her head down, popping her beak and shaking her wings clucking. When approached, the female will sit, allowing the male to mount from the back.
The male digs a depression in the ground by sitting and digging with his legs, pushing dirt backwards, forming the nest. Eggs are laid in these nests and the male usually sits on the eggs at night while the female incubates during the day.
Wild clutches usually range from 8 to 14 eggs. Both parents are involved with the rearing of the young.
Although this discussion deals mainly with ostrich, other ratites including the South American rhea, and the Australian and New Zealand emu are becoming popular species for ranching.
Other flightless birds often encountered are the cassowary (New Guinea) and the kiwi (Australia). Many factors involved in the care and maintenance of these birds are similar, others, however, are not. We will note the exceptions when appropriate.
A History of Ostrich Ranching Ostrich have been noted by mankind since the earliest recorded histories.
Numerous references and notations exist throughout the Bible and ostrich have played various roles in man's history.
As early as the first century, Pliney wrote extensively about the therapeutic and medical benefits of ostrich oil while in medieval times, the wearing of ostrich plumes often represented the status of nobility.
This trend continued with European nobility through the late 1800's. Feathers were obtained, in most instances, from birds killed in Northern Africa.
Beginning in the mid to late 1800's, ostrich farming in southern Africa emerged and developed into one of the largest businesses in South Africa by the turn of the century.
Production in these areas was primarily related to feather marketing and a captive, crossbred bird was developed that was smaller and more easily handled and produced excellent feather quality.
This bird is often referred to as the South African "Black" Ostrich, and is the same bird that Ostriches On Line refer to as High Pedigree African Black Domesticated Ostriches.
The first ostrich were brought into the United States in 1882 and were taken to Southern California. Shortly afterwards, ranching became notable in Arizona, Florida, and Georgia.
Production was for feathers for use in the European fashion markets and the decline in the demand for feathers that occurred at the turn of the century ended ostrich farming in North America.
Ostrich farming in Southern Africa also suffered severely with the end of the feather trade.
Presently, between 500,000 and 570,000 birds are slaughtered annually throughout South Africa, Israel, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Tanzania, and Kenya primarily for the meat and leather products.
Exact figures for the numbers of animals in North America are not available, although we estimate between 150,000 - 250,000 and ostrich farming is now the fastest growing agricultural business in the world.