LPM 222: Diversified poultry production and current concepts in poultry management and marketing [Livestock Production Management (Regional Interest)] (1+1)

Brooding and rearing management

BROODING OF OSTRICH CHICKS

Artificial Brooding

• The temperature within the brooder should be maintained at 88 to 92ºF during the first ten days of ostrich's life. Then, the temperature is reduced to 80 to 85ºF during 11 to 21 days of age. After 3 weeks, the brooder's temperature should be 70 to 80ºF. The temperature should be kept as consistent as possible.
• Clean the brooder every day to keep the ostriches healthy. Provide a washable mat that can't be eaten by the chicks. If litter material is spread on the floor, a wire mesh is laid over it for first one week to prevent the baby ostriches from eating litter materials which may lead to impaction and death.

Fig. 7.11. Newly hatched ostrich chicks in hatcher tray

Rearing of Ostrich

General guidelines

• Ostriches have developed unique characteristics in order to adapt and survive. These characteristics make ostriches different from other birds in terms of management and nutrition. To ensure that ostriches are healthy and productive, one should practice appropriate management techniques; some of them are given below.
• When changing from one feed to another, do so gradually over a ten-day period.
• Make certain that the birds get enough exercise. Exercise helps to prevent leg problems and decrease the incidence of impactions.
• Minimize moving birds from one location to another, either within the same production unit or to another.
• Carefully check pens for and remove any object that can be picked up and swallowed.
• Mixing grit with feed may help to decrease the incidence of impactions.

Flooring, bedding and ventilation

• Litter materials that can be used are saw dust, chopped straw, washed builder’s sand or rice hulls. The recommended depth for litter is a minimum of 50 mm.
• Chicks should not be placed on newspaper, cardboard, plastic, or other slippery flooring. Litter management is essential to minimise welfare problems. The litter should be covered by wire mesh for the first 7–10 days, to prevent ostrich chicks from eating the litter and developing impaction.
• The litter should be changed frequently to remove urine and faeces. If litter gets wet, ammonia concentration increases and can contribute to hock burn and breast blisters.
• Levels of 10–15 ppm of ammonia in the air of the shed can be smelt, while 25–35 ppm of ammonia will cause eye and nasal irritation in birds and humans.
• The ventilation rates applying to poultry are recommended to reduce ammonia levels and improve bird welfare. In contrast, if the litter becomes dusty from excessive ventilation, poor air quality will result and can reduce chick growth by depressing the immune system.

Chick care

• The newly hatched chicks can be placed into a brooder as soon as they are dry or as soon as several birds in any batch have hatched and are ready to be removed from the hatcher. The brooder may be kept in the same room as the hatcher.

Fig.7.12. Ostrich chicks in hatcher tray

• After the chicks are removed from the brooder, they are placed on grass in a portable pen for as long as weather permits. The grass in the pen area is maintained short. Birds are brought back indoors nightly and maintained as described for brooding during the first week. Only water is provided at night.
• Before birds are placed out in the morning, feed is provided for a one hour period. Birds are then placed in the portable pen. Supplemental feeding of cut alfalfa or clover is provided several times daily. Birds are provided pelleted feed 3 times per day for 1 hour time periods. The availability of feed should be restricted during this age to stimulate the use of the yolk material by the birds and also reduce the incidence of bacterial enteritis due to continuous feeding.

Fig. 7.13. Ostrich chick in portable pen

• Foster parent rearin: Ostrich chicks can be reared extensively with foster parents (up to 25 chicks per adult female) in the first 2 weeks. Chicks also can be reared semi-extensively with foster parents (around 100 chicks per adult pair) with housing at night only. Using foster parents encourages chicks to exercise. If both adults do not have good fostering skills and do not accept the new chicks, the young birds could be killed or injured by being trampled or kicked.
• Spraddle Leg: Often wet chicks have difficulty placing their legs under them at this stage and a condition called 'spraddle leg' develops. Most birds can be treated by hobbling the legs together in a normal position with tape, tubing, or Vetrap until the chick is able to stand on its own (usually one to two days). Treatment is almost always successful if the condition is detected early. Care must be taken when hobbling the birds in the brooder as they may fall onto their back and sometimes cannot be unable to right themselves.

Fig. 7.14. Ostrich chicks feeding from trays

Fig..15. Making kot to hobble the chicks

Rearing of juveniles

• Juvenile birds between 3 and 10 months of age can be maintained in a similar, but larger facility as young birds. For convenience, access to the indoor facility should be available directly from the outdoor pens. However, shelter is not needed except in extremely cold areas. The amount of space per bird, for both indoor and outdoor facilities should be increased for this age bird as compared to that available for younger chicks.
• Outdoor pens can be of any type of substrate but ground cover such as grass, clover, or alfalfa is ideal. Grass should be kept at a closely mowed level, especially when grass begins to dry out or turn to seed, as impactions are more common at this time. Daily mowing may be necessary during some periods of the year.

Fig.7.16. Ostrich juveniles on cement floor

Fig.7.17 Ostrich juveniles on the paddock

Rearing of adults

• Pens and facilities for adults vary considerably. Most ranchers maintain adult pairs or trios in facilities that range from five thousand square feet (nearly one-tenth of an acre) or more. In general, the ostriches should be provided more space as far as possible.
• Housing or shade is usually provided, even though it is not utilized by the birds always. If birds are accustomed to being fed and watered in a shed they will be more easily confined when necessary and may build the nest and lay indoors.
• Many farmers use group pens consisting of several males and numerous females where a lot of land area is available. This appears beneficial and is more nearly similar to a natural situation. Early results indicate that increased fertility, more egg numbers, and extended laying periods can be expected in this type of set up. Several acres of enclosed pasture are needed for this type of operation. Ostriches can become stressed very easily, so it is necessary to be vigilant always.
• Ostriches are very attracted to shiny objects. Therefore it is better not to wear anything shiny when caring ostriches. Adult ostriches can also be aggressive, especially during mating season.

Sex separate rearing

• Juvenile ostriches from 1 year old until sexual maturity should be separated by the sexes and reared separately. Male and female adults during non-breeding can also be reared separately, so that sex separate feeding is possible.