Ostrich breeding is not exotic and not a whim, but a completely profitable business. Today these giant birds that bring real profits are safely bred in the southern regions and in the middle zone of Russia.
Why are ostriches bred?
Once upon a time, ostriches came to look at the zoo - this huge bird has always been of interest. Powerful legs, a massive body, magnificent feathers - there is something to see. But along with decorativeness, these birds cause purely commercial interest. Ostriches are a tempting breeding site for farmers. Breeding them is a profitable business, promising several items of income. In addition to meat and eggs, skin, fat, feathers, claws, and beaks also bring profits.
Meat
The main advantage of ostrich meat is low cholesterol. Only 34 mg per 100 g. For comparison, in chicken, about 80 g, in rabbit and turkey, 40-60 g.
Other advantages of ostrich:
- high protein content - up to 22%;
- a large set of trace elements;
- low fat content;
- well soaked in spices, it is an excellent culinary object.
Ostrich meat has long won the favor of the Mexicans, it is full of fans in the United States, Europe, Asia. So, Europeans have significantly reduced their beef consumption due to increased sales of ostrich. And the popularity of this unique meat continues to grow.
The yield of meat from one individual is approximately 30 kg. This represents 40% of the live weight of the bird. The cost of carcasses in European markets is about $ 500. In Russia, the cost of meat in the carcass is 250 rubles., Fillet - 700-800 rubles.
Eggs
Ostrich eggs to match their layers are real giants. One egg weighs an average of 1,500 g. This is equivalent in weight to 30 chicken eggs. It turns out that 10 people can feed one ostrich egg. Like meat, ostrich eggs have little cholesterol.
Interesting and useful facts:
- To cook an ostrich hard boiled egg, you need 1 h 15 min.
- The price of one egg is 800-1000 rubles.
- Very long shelf life - can safely lie in the refrigerator for a year.
- The eggs have a very strong shell. Breaking it is a separate task. Artists appreciate it as an object for engraving and painting. She is also appreciated by jewelry makers.
- Fertilized eggs are especially appreciated. Their cost is much higher than unfertilized.
- For a year, the female brings up to 70 eggs.
In South Africa, ostrich eggs are placed in baked goods, and in Europe they are served in restaurants.
Leather
The skin of ostriches has luxury quality. It has become an excellent alternative to the skin of wild animals, the number of which has declined or has been reduced to zero due to barbaric destruction.
Advantages of ostrich skin:
- moisture resistance;
- elasticity;
- durability - a service life of more than 30 years;
- wear resistance.
The skin of ostriches is used to make luxury haberdashery and shoes. Bags, wallets, belts, gloves, shoes, purses are sewed from it. In quality, the skin of ostriches is not inferior to crocodile and snake.
The most popular skin from the back and from the chest - here it has a beautiful pattern, similar to air bubbles. Leather from the feet is used mainly for the production of boots. Even if you sell only the skin of ostriches, you can recoup all the costs of keeping birds.
Feathers
Fashion for ostrich feathers, a couple of centuries ago, was the cause of the mass extermination of ostriches. The most valuable are the white feathers of males growing on the wings and in the tail. Use them mainly for decorative purposes.
Feathers of ostriches have an antistatic effect, so they are used to clean electrical appliances from dust.
The use of ostrich feathers:
- use designers and fashion designers to create works of authorship;
- feathers are often bought by visitors to ostrich farms as souvenirs;
- are in demand by artists, lovers of home creativity;
- the remaining mass of feathers is less valuable; they are used for stuffing pillows.
Sale of feathers brings ostrich farms up to 10% profit. About 1 kg of short feathers and 0.5 kg of long and medium feathers from 22 cm are obtained from one bird.
Claws and beak
It seems that on ostrich farms - non-waste production. Everything is involved in the matter. Even the beak and claws of huge birds find practical application:
- Claws are used to make fasteners and buttons. They also make powder with which polished diamonds. For a ton of claws in Europe they give $ 80,000.
- The beak is mainly used for the manufacture of jewelry - necklaces and amulets. Even cases for flash drives are made from claws and beak.
Fat
From one bird receive 7-15 kg of fat. Ostrich fat is a raw material for the production of cosmetics and medicines. Creams, ointments, soap, balms are made from it. Emu ostrich fat is valued more than others, as it has a bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and hypoallergenic effect. Ostrich fat is also used in the treatment of joints - it warms and relieves pain.
Ostrich breeding as a business in Russia
The southern bird perfectly adapts to our climate, and the breeding of ostriches began to rapidly gain momentum. If ostriches are raised, then you need to choose the most profitable option - African black breed. Breeding these giants promises considerable profits in all respects - for meat, eggs, feathers, fat and so on.
Here are the parameters of the average black ostrich:
- male height - 2700 cm;
- male live weight - up to 150 kg;
- female growth - 2 m;
- female live weight - 120 kg.
Do not be afraid of ostriches - these giants are calm and obedient, there are no special problems with their content. Excitement may appear only during the mating season - males may make some noise.
Ostrich productivity
Ostriches are huge, but this does not mean that they grow for a long time, gaining their 100-150 kg. To achieve slaughter weight, they only need 10 months. In nature, ostrichs lay eggs, reaching 4 years old, and when grown on farms - from 2 years of age. In Russia, ostriches can be successfully bred in the temperate continental climate that prevails in the European part of the country.
Productivity Characteristics:
- Egg production - 40-80 pieces. It happens, reaches 100 pieces.
- The weight of one egg is 1400-1900 g.
- The diameter of the egg is 15 cm.
- The length of the egg is 15-21 cm.
- Shell thickness - 0.6 cm.
- The incubation period is 42-45 days.
- Performance of females / males 30/40 years.
- Egg fertilization - 90%.
Females become sexually mature from 2 years old, males lag behind by one year. Oviposition - 2 times a year. Autumn and winter. The laying time is 60 days. The frequency of laying eggs is one in two days. In the first season, females lay 10-30 eggs, then the egg production increases. Fertilization of eggs depends on the period during which they were laid. Eggs obtained first and last have a lower% fertility.
Although ostriches come from warm places, they are very hardy in relation to temperature extremes. Therefore, they manage to breed not only in the European part of the Russian Federation, but even in Siberia.
Market value
Farmers choose the "ostrich business" because of the demand for their products and high profits. The market value of products obtained on ostrich farms is in table 1.
Table 1
Name | Cost, thousand rubles |
One day chick | 7 |
Chick up to a month | 10 |
Two month old bird | 12 |
Six month old bird | 18 |
Bird 10-12 months | 25 |
Mature Ostriches Two Years Old | 45 |
3 year old adult birds | 60 |
Ostrich family 4-5 years old | 200 |
Hatching egg | 3 |
Table egg | 1-2 |
Souvenir egg | 0,5 |
Melted fat, per 1 kg | 1 |
Meat (fillet), per 1 kg | 1,1-2,2 |
Wet skin 1,2-1,4 sq. m | 3 |
Leather dressed 1.2-1.4 square meters. m | 7 |
Ostrich feather, 60 cm | 0,4 |
Ostrich breeding for profit is described in the video below:
Expenditure
To get a stable profit from breeding ostriches, you need to invest in a future business. You need to spend money on:
- Construction of the house. You will also need an incubator and an aviary for walking birds.
- Interior work in the house and the construction of street canopies.
- Lease or purchase of land.
- Inventory - shovels, rakes, special tools - for example, scissors with which feathers are cut.
- Equipment with which grain and grass are crushed.
- Incubator for hatching eggs.
- Feeding troughs, drinking bowls - they are bought ready-made or made independently.
- Young growth or eggs. Transportation and insurance.
- Paperwork.
- Payment of farm staff, livestock.
It is also necessary to take into account the costs of feed, water, electricity, lawn grass (seeds), heating, and the services of an incoming veterinarian.
One of the main items of expenditure is the purchase of livestock. Cost of ostriches:
- newborns - 7,000 rubles .;
- menstruation - 10,000 rubles .;
- one-year-old female - 40,000 rubles;
- two-year-old male - 60,000 rubles.
It is more profitable to buy immediately families - females, males and their chicks. The cost of a family is 200,000 rubles. The total cost is about half a million rubles.
Required documents
To open an ostrich farm, and not break the law, you need to register it as a legal entity - for example, you can register an LLC, or even better - a farm. In the second case, farm holders get these benefits:
- they pay a single tax under the simplified taxation scheme;
- receive subsidies from the state;
- receive material assistance - free food, vaccine, etc.
To register a farm, you will need the following documents:
- Passport general.
- Application (form No. P21002).
- State duty receipt.
- Agreement on the establishment of a farm. The founder can be either one or several.
The prepared package of documents is submitted to the tax office.
Payback period - what and when to expect profit?
Before calculating the likely profit, you need to evaluate the investment. An ostrich grower requires funds and ongoing funding. Earlier, we estimated that about 500,000 rubles would be needed to open a farm. Now we find out how much money can be obtained from one individual. Ostrich gives - meat, fat, feathers and skin. For everything you can take about 70,000 rubles.
Let the ostrich have laid 60 eggs during the season, they will be able to earn another 40,000 rubles. Five ostriches are enough to pay off expenses in one year. Given the current costs, the return on the farm is about a year and a half.
Having received the first profit, you can expand the business - increase the population. With proper organization of work, the profitability of the enterprise reaches 95%. Let's try to calculate the profitability of a small ostrich farm using an example:
- The cost of a one-month ostrich is 10,000 rubles.
- Let 15 ostriches and 2 males be purchased for a mini-farm - approximately 170,000 rubles will be spent on the purchase of livestock.
- The cost of maintaining one ostrich is only 4,000 rubles. in year.
- The cost of all livestock - 17 x 4 = 68 000 rubles.
- The female will lay 60 eggs per year.
- Total egg productivity: 15 females x 60 eggs = 900 eggs.
- 50% of the eggs will be used for breeding, the rest - for sale.
- Let the cost of one egg - 1,500 rubles. The cost of all eggs: 450 x 1,500 = 675,000 rubles.
The sale of eggs alone allows you to recoup the cost of purchasing ostriches and their maintenance. For a good profit, the farm usually goes in the second year of operation. During the passed period, it is possible to form a livestock. It is recommended to divide it into two parts (1: 3):
- for replenishment of livestock;
- for slaughter.
If out of 450 eggs left for divorce, all are successfully incubated, the farm will receive 450 new ostriches. 150 ostriches will be left for breeding and for sale, 300 birds will be slaughtered - as soon as they reach 100 kg. It takes about 10-12 months.
One ostrich gives 55 kg of meat. If you sell it at 500 rubles / kg, you can get 27,500 rubles. Another 3,000 - for fat, feather and skin. From the sale of 300 ostriches it will be possible to gain 9 million rubles.
Point of sale
The main consumers of ostrich meat today are large cities. Here, ostriches meat and eggs are accepted for sale by supermarkets, it is taken by restaurants and private gourmets. Also, goods can be sold to farmers and private owners - from hand to hand. If you sell meat without documents confirming its quality, you are paid less.
Live birds are sold to farmers and businessmen. To establish sales channels it is necessary to attract advertising. The most effective methods of advertising products of an ostrich farm:
- client base mailings;
- distribution of leaflets;
- organization of excursions to the farm;
- print media ads.
What are the breeds of ostrich?
All ostriches, regardless of breed, have large convex eyes with long eyelashes. There are three breeds of ostriches:
- African. These birds have black and white plumage. The breed appeared as a result of a mixture of South African and North African ostriches. The breed is considered unpretentious to the climate and conditions. The temperature range favorable for life is very wide - the bird can tolerate frosts.
The optimum temperature for the content is + 15- + 25 ° С. Accustomed to the owner, show friendliness, some individuals are fully domesticated. This is the largest breed. Egg production 40-80 eggs per season - depending on the variety.
There are several subspecies of African ostriches:- Black. The name received for the dark plumage. Males are black, females are brown. They live about 70 years. Save productivity up to 35 years. Puberty occurs at 3 years. The weight of one egg is 1500-2000 g.
- Namibian. Less black ostriches. Height is about 2 m. The peculiarity of the color is the blue neck. Differ in rare plumage. Able to regulate heat transfer, transfer heat to + 50 ° C. Egg weight - 1100-1500 g.
- Zimbabwean. Not inferior in size to a black ostrich. On the neck - blue skin, beak and legs - dark gray. Egg weight is 1500-2100 g. 40-45 eggs are laid per season.
- Masai. Differ in low productivity. They are used only for breeding - to obtain birds with improved productivity characteristics.
- Australian emu. Second in height and weight after the African breed. The plumage is gray or light brown. Emu’s wings are not well developed, they do not have fly and tail feathers. The length of the wing is up to 25 cm. But there is a growth on them that looks like a claw. It speeds up to 50 km / h. In the clutch - 7-8 eggs of 700-800 g.
- Nandu. Similar to African, but lighter and smaller in stature. A distinctive feature is a bare neck, without feathers. They have good egg production - 18-20 eggs per clutch. Egg weight - 1200-1300 g.
Characteristics of ostrich breeds (height and weight) are given in table 2.
table 2
Breed | Height, cm | Weight, kg |
American nandu | 150 | 40 |
Australian emu | 190 | 70 |
African | 270 | 150 |
Which breed is best bred?
The choice of breed for breeding depends on the main goal set by the owner of the farm:
- Meat. If ostriches are bred for meat, then for this purpose the hybrid of a Zimbabwean male with a black African female is more suitable than others. It is these hybrids that are most often bred on ostrich farms.
Their advantages:- fertility;
- unpretentiousness in the content;
- easily tolerate high temperatures - up to + 40 ° C;
- able to withstand low temperatures without damage to health - up to -29 ° С.
Large birds are needed to breed ostriches for meat. For this purpose, in addition to the hybrid of African ostrich, an Australian emu is also suitable - they are large, and their meat has excellent dietary characteristics.
- The eggs. To get eggs, more than other breeds, the nanda is suitable - they are unpretentious and differ in abundant masonry.
But the African ostrich is a universal breed that is equally good for achieving any goals. These giants give a lot of meat, eggs, feathers, live long and have a good character.
The most aggressive breed is the Masai ostriches. They are not advised to breed on private farms. You can only use them for breeding work.
Care and maintenance conditions for ostriches
On ostrich breeding farms, you can use different content systems that differ in the rate of maturation of individuals.
There are options for keeping birds:
- Intense For breeding use incubators. The taught eggs go to the ostrich's divorce. Birds are kept in a limited area. Ostriches get along well with their employees. Mandatory events:
- daily - cleaning;
- disinfection of drinking bowls and feeders;
- regularly - examination by a veterinarian;
- vaccination.
- Extensive. Ostriches create conditions as close to natural as possible. Birds are given a large territory. They do not often contact workers.
- Hybrid. This content method combines the features of the two previous ones.
The farmer shares his experience in keeping and breeding ostriches in the video below:
Territory
An ostrich needs a lot of free space. Especially with the extensive content method. Characteristics of a site suitable for ostriches:
- there should be a forest belt - protection from the winds;
- remoteness from the city and highways;
- supply of communications - electricity and water;
- land - with grass cover;
- dry section - groundwater level of 1 m or more;
- it is desirable that the site was with a slight slope of the relief to the south - so that it is better illuminated by the sun;
- wetlands and wetlands are contraindicated;
- corral length - from 40 m;
- walking area - 0.4 ha;
- the territory is enclosed by a high 2-meter fence.
For fencing the territory usually use a metal mesh with small cells - so that birds could not stick their heads into them. The approximate cell size is 30x30 cm.
Room
Under the ostrich house will be the premises of the former pigsty. You only have to organize a new stall. Features of the room, which contains ostriches:
- A family consisting of a male and two females should have in use an area of 12x16 m.
- Door width - 120 cm.
- Recommended stall height - at least 3 m.
- Quality lighting.
- If the floor in the stall is concrete, you need litter - hay or dry shavings. Otherwise, the bird will freeze.
- The area of the corral adjacent to the room is sprinkled with sand - birds love sand baths.
Ostrich males are polygamous, there are up to 4 females in a family. It is advisable to keep families separately by equipping the stall with partitions through which birds could see neighbors.
Features of the arrangement of nests and feeders:
- The nests made by the ostrich need to be slightly sprinkled with fine gravel - to provide drainage. After gravel, clean sand is poured.
- Feeding troughs and drinking bowls are installed near the fence - so that personnel can fill and clean them without entering the aviary.
- The size of the feeder for one family is a length of 120 cm, a depth of 15 cm.
- The dimensions of the drinking bowl are a length of 75 cm and a depth of 20 cm.
Conditions of detention
To make ostriches comfortable and not sick, you must adhere to these rules:
- Clean stalls daily.
- Systematically disinfect the room.
- Change the water in the drinkers daily.
- In the room it is necessary to provide a special microclimate:
- Ventilation. The room should be regularly ventilated. The minimum air exchange in a room with 100 ostriches weighing 5 kg is 750 cubic meters. m / hour.
- Temperature. The optimum temperature regime is 15 ° C.
- Humidity. High humidity contributes to the development of microorganisms, fungi, leading to respiratory diseases. Humidity in the room for ostriches should not exceed 60%.
- Gas contamination. Determined by ammonia content:
- 0.001-0.002% - smell;
- 0.003-0.0035% - the risk of respiratory diseases is growing;
- 0.0035-0.004% - decreased appetite in poultry
- from 0.005% - in ostriches the eyes become inflamed and watery, they grow poorly.
Ostriches do not like noise. They may even be afraid of turning on the fan. A sharp sound provokes them to run. When fleeing, the bird may fall, get hurt, hit the hedge, etc.
Inventory
The main equipment that needs to equip an ostrich farm is drinking bowls and feeders. There are options:
- Suspended - they are hung on fence posts or on trees. Suspension height - 1-2 m.
- Car tires cut in half. Holes are drilled in the bottom to drain water.
- Leg-mounted plastic containers are a more expensive option.
Not the best option - a concrete feeder. It is not recommended to arrange feeders on the ground, as crowding can occur during feeding. Birds hustling can hit the feeder and damage their legs. It is forbidden to use metal products as troughs - gutters and drums.
Feeding
Ostriches are omnivores and eat everything they find in nature. This is mainly grass, fruits, seeds, roots, foliage. They can eat an animal, a lizard or a bird, and also feed on insects.
Feeding systems
Ostrich nutrition depends on the growing system:
- Semi-intensive. Additional feeding with nutritious mixtures and hay.
- Extensive. The main feed the bird receives in its vast territory. In dry or rainy summers, additional complementary foods are organized.
Types of feed
For the nutrition of adult ostriches use a variety of types of feed, more about this in table 3.
Table 3
Types of feed | What is included? |
Green |
|
Rude |
|
Juicy |
|
Cereals and Seeds |
|
Mineral |
|
Animal origin |
|
Adult bird diet
The ostrich diet should be 50% green, 30% combined, 20% others. An adult ostrich eats 1.5-2.5 kg of feed per day. Feeding rates for ostriches in different seasons (for 3 months) are shown in table 5.
Table 5
Stern | winter | Spring | summer | fall |
Weight, kg | ||||
fresh greens | 0 | 20 | 30 | 20 |
grass meal | 5 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
gravel | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
yeast | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
meal, meal | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 |
crushed grain | 50 | 55 | 60 | 55 |
whole grain | 50 | 45 | 40 | 45 |
bone meal | 1 | 1,5 | 1,5 | 1 |
carrot | 40 | 20 | 0 | 20 |
meat and bone meal | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 |
reverse | 20 | 30 | 30 | 20 |
salt | 0,7 | 0,7 | 0,7 | 0,5 |
wheat bran | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
chalk, shell | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
The annual feed requirement of an adult ostrich (African) is shown in table 6.
Table 6
Feed | Feed requirement, kg / year |
0 to 6 weeks (starting) | 12-18 |
Fattening concentrated (from 6 to 16 weeks) | 100 |
Crushed corn or corn silage | 120 |
Hay (alfalfa) | 125-120 |
Basic feed - green | 200 |
What and how to drink?
In nature, ostriches are used to doing without water for a long time. But on the farm there is no reason to be thirsty - the bird willingly drinks water. If there is heat on the street and there is not enough succulent feed, then the norm of water per one individual is 10 liters per day.
Experienced breeders are advised to water ostriches with each feeding. Ideally, permanent access to water. Drinking bowls are located at a distance of 70 cm from the floor - not lower.
What can not be fed?
Ostriches are omnivores in nature, but they cannot be fed on the farm with anything. There are products that are limited, but there are absolutely prohibited. It is forbidden to give the bird:
- rye;
- potatoes;
- parsley.
In limited quantities, ostriches are given flour, bran and cabbage.
Winter meals
In winter, the basis of the diet of ostriches is the following feed:
- cereals - wheat, corn, millet, oats, barley;
- beets and carrots;
- apples
- herbal flour;
- silage;
- mineral and vitamin supplements;
- bread, crackers;
- meal and cake;
- compound feed.
Breeding Features
Having your own ostrich farm, it is much more profitable to breed chicks on your own, rather than buying them from other breeders. All that is needed for this is sexually mature individuals and an incubator.
Mating season
When the mating period begins, the males become aggressive. Caution should be exercised when interacting with birds. To calm the male, a 2-meter hook is used, with which he is pressed to the ground to disorient. If it does not help, put a bag with a slit for the beak on the head.
Oviposition
The male accounts for 2-4 females. The mating season, which began in May, continues until the fall. Ostrichs carry one egg in 2-4 days. The quality of eggs is higher, if the male is older than the female, hatchability indicators increase.
Hatching dates
In nature, ostriches hatch eggs 41-46 days. And both parents are sitting on them in turn. On farms, hatchery is trusted in incubators. African ostriches hatch on 39-41 days, Emu on 52-56 days. The female can breed 15-20 chicks per season. But usually, for the introduction of young animals, farmers use incubators.
Is incubation necessary?
Ostrich eggs are expensive, and each safely hatched will bring a new ostrich to the farm. To speed up the process of removing chicks and minimize their pathology, incubation is used. The chicks obtained by the incubation methods are strong, healthy and grow well.
What care do the ostrich chicks require?
How viable the ostriches will be depends on the correct incubation and compliance with the rules for growing young animals.
Chicks are not fed two to three days after hatching - they receive food from the yolk sac. After a week, the chicks are fed with starter feed.
Chicks under 4 months of age are prohibited from giving fiber.
Premises for young growth should be dry and warm. Toddlers are kept separate from their parents. The temperature in the room should be at the level of + 30 ... + 33 ° С. In the pasture, chicks can be released when there is no dew - otherwise they will hurt.
When feeding ostriches, it is important to maintain the norms of calcium, manganese, zinc, phosphorus. On the 4th day, chicks can be given:
- finely chopped clover leaves mixed with animal feed;
- a mash of cottage cheese, ground corn and boiled eggs.
Stems of plants must be given finely ground, otherwise, delayed in the digestive tract, they can lead to the death of birds.
The chicks are fed with 19 to 24% protein. Walk them for half an hour twice a day. Pebbles are poured into a separate feeder. It is important not to let the chicks go hungry on the pasture - if they overeat the stalks of alfalfa, they may die.
Bird health
The biggest danger to an ostrich farm is infection. Due to some kind of disease, you can lose the whole population. Most often, ostriches suffer from respiratory and digestive disorders. To maintain the health of the ostrich livestock, you need:
- Observe sanitary standards. Cleaning is daily. The staff only works with gloves on.
- Check litter for worms and intestinal infections.
- Follow the vaccination schedule recommended by veterinarians.
- Set up a quarantine pen for purchased ostriches.
Breeding ostriches requires investment and some courage. But experience shows that these birds not only adapt in our climate, but also bring big profits. If you master the technique of growing ostriches, you can become the owner of a successful business.
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