What do ostriches eat in the wild and at home. What do ostriches eat in nature and at home

Breeding and raising ostriches is a profitable business that has been gaining more and more popularity in recent years. But for breeders who are just starting to breed these birds, the question of feeding the bird often arises. It seems to many that this exotic bird eats something special and expensive. In fact, caring for ostriches, keeping them and feeding them is not much different from keeping any other birds: ducks, geese, turkeys, chickens.

The diet of ostriches

Ostriches are omnivorous birds, not herbivores, as many people think. They eat both plant and animal foods equally well.

The basis of nutrition consists of grass and leaves, various seeds and roots. However, the favorite delicacy of adult birds is insects and reptiles. There is little difference between what ostriches eat in their natural habitat and at home.

Under natural conditions

Ostriches are inhabitants of the spacious savannas. In open spacious areas, they eat greens and young shoots. Grass is the basis of the diet. The bird can go without water for a long time, therefore, for nesting, it chooses an arid semi-desert, where there is a lower chance of meeting predators. In desert areas, they feed on seeds, roots and branches of shrubs. The lack of fresh grass is compensated by insects, small reptiles and even mice. An adult bird needs about 4 kg of feed per day. This amount of food is necessary for fast and long running and active energy exchange.

In a home environment

At home, feeding this large and strong bird is not difficult, but proper nutrition is essential for the health and well-being of the bird. With sufficient and balanced food, young animals grow well and quickly, and females become more productive. The taste of meat and eggs also depends on what the ostriches eat. There are several bird feeding systems:

1. intensive,
2. semi-intensive,
3. Extensive.

Feeding with an intensive system

The intensive system consists in the lack of pasture and the maintenance of birds in small enclosures. With this system of housing and feeding, it is extremely important to provide the birds with the right amount of hay and green fodder. A daily adult requires about three kilograms of compound feed mixed with finely chopped green fodder. If the bird has not eaten food, the amount is reduced. Green fodder should consist of herbs, spinach leaves, rapeseed and alfalfa. Outside of the breeding season, it is recommended to give corn-based feed mixtures.

With an intensive feeding system, the composition and amount of feed depends on the age of the bird:

Semi-intensive feeding system

The semi-intensive rearing and feeding system involves free grazing in the warm season and feeding with concentrated feeds and mixtures.

An important role is played by the creation of conditions close to natural and the ability to find food on their own. Breeding stock in December and January receives an additional kilogram of concentrates, and by March the amount of concentrated feed increases to three kilograms. All concentrates are given only together with chopped green fodder.

Extensive feeding system

An extensive feeding system implies minimal feed costs - in the summer months, the birds find food on their own.

An exception can only be a dry or excessively rainy summer. Concentrated feeds are given to birds only in winter and in small quantities.

Regardless of the chosen feeding system, it is worth remembering that at home, the energy consumption of birds is much lower than in nature, which means they also need less food. On average, an ostrich needs about three kilograms of food per day. The protein balance throughout the year is well replenished with lupins, legumes or cake. Feeding of adult birds occurs once a day - more often in the morning.

In winter, vitamin supplements play an important role - grass flour, silage, vegetables, fruits and root crops. Vegetables and root crops must be thoroughly washed and finely chopped. Ostriches are very fond of cabbage, as well as carrots, apples, pears, fodder beets. Some birds feast on zucchini, lettuce, watermelons and melons. They can also be given crackers and fresh bread. Do not feed ostriches with potatoes and parsley. Substances contained in them lead to problems with digestion and death of young animals.

A separate feeder should always have shell rock, fine gravel or pebbles.

Drinkers should be installed in enclosures and pastures. Ostriches can go without water for a long time, but it is better to organize a good watering place for the birds.

Many breeders prefer to install automatic drinkers - they keep the water fresh and clean.

The diet of ostriches during breeding

During the breeding season, males and females require different diets. Females need more calcium, which is actively involved in the formation of eggs. It is better not to give calcium to males during this period - it reduces reproductive functions. An increase in nutrients in the diet of males threatens with obesity and the inability to fertilize a female. Breeders prefer to feed males and females separately during the period - this reduces the risk of problems with malnutrition of the bird. Males are recommended to be kept in an adjacent enclosure, releasing to the female for several hours for mating. However, you should first make sure that the female is full and remove the remnants of food from the feeder.

Feeding ostriches

Separately, it is worth considering the issue of feeding ostriches. Proper nutrition and housing conditions not only affect their growth and development, but also survival in general.

The first four days of life, the chicks do not need food - nutrition occurs due to the resorption of the yolk sac, which is almost half the weight of the newborn.

Subsequently, it is important to ensure that the feeders of the young animals are constantly filled with food. All food for chicks should be of high quality and fresh, especially wet mash. The mixer is made from concentrated feed with the addition of alfalfa leaves. Alfalfa stalks are best removed - they lead to digestive problems. In addition to the mash, young animals are given a chopped boiled chicken egg.

Ostriches can be put in a separate feeder sand with small pebbles, crushed shells, pieces of lime, as well as finely chopped carrots and apples. In the enclosure where the chicks are kept, you can organize a sand embankment. Young growth not only willingly takes sand baths, but also digs in the sand in search of pebbles, shell rock, pebbles and even insects. Shell rock, limestone and shells not only ensure good digestion, but also play an important role in the process of skeletal formation. Monthly, the ostrich grows by 30-35 cm, so the strength of the skeletal system is extremely important.

If necessary, vitamins can be added to the water. In the first months of life, it is recommended to give B vitamins to young animals at the rate of five grams per chick. Under natural conditions, the chicks peck at the manure of their parents, receiving from it the microorganisms necessary for digestion and development of the immune system. At home, the breeder decides for himself whether or not to give manure to the chicks. Minus - the possibility of infection of young animals with worms. Plus - less digestive problems in the future.

The first walks in good weather can be organized as early as three weeks of age.

And chicks should be transferred to enclosures no earlier than when they reach three months of age. The aviary for young birds should be separated from the pens for adult birds and have shelter from wind, rain and sun. Be sure to have drinkers. In rainy weather, ostriches need additional heating - heaters are installed in poultry houses for this purpose. Wet feathers threaten hypothermia and disease.

With the advent of winter, the number of walking is reduced. In frosty weather, as well as during icy conditions, it is better not to release the chicks. In the cold season, the chicks are fed with forb meadow hay, alfalfa, and concentrates. It is better to separate young animals intended for fattening and slaughter, and breeding young animals. During fattening, birds are advised to give more concentrates and feed, as well as vegetables and root crops.

At ostriches reach fighting weight at the age of 9-11 months with a weight of about 120 kilograms.

Further fattening is unprofitable - although ostriches continue to gain weight, the taste of meat is significantly deteriorating.

At first glance, it may seem that breeding such a large bird as an ostrich is almost unrealistic in our climate - after all, these “long-necked” come from hot Africa and cannot survive in the cold season of the Russian winter.

This is a big misconception - an ostrich can exist perfectly even at a temperature of -25.

At the moment, it is one of the most profitable of the group of keeping pets or birds.

Breeding African long-necked birds is not only considered a practical exotic (an ostrich farm, like an amusement park), but also a non-waste production of rare, expensive materials - leather, feathers, eggs, meat.

That is, everything that ostriches have is perfectly sold for a lot of money.

For example, ostrich leather is great for making accessories such as handbags, wallets, mobile phone cases. Feathers are used to make boas and other concert and show attributes.

A few separate words should be said about meat - the amount of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and trace elements that make up the product is several times higher than all possible indicators of any other dietary meat.

The female lays eggs almost all year round - eight months, starting in April and ending in October.

Ostrich eggs taste no different from chicken ones, but their composition is many times superior in all sorts of positive indicators even to quail "brothers". Moreover, the strong shell of an ostrich egg is in demand among decorators.

If we take the approximate amounts for the products received, then they are as follows:

1. ostrich skin - from $ 300 per square meter;
2. feathers - from 30 r. for 1 piece!
3. meat - for a kilogram of a delicious dietary product, people will pay 1200-3000 rubles;
4. eggs - at least 500-800 rubles, or even more.

If you have decided to breed these wonderful "breadwinners" just because of one factor, then now you have several more reasons to start this profitable business.

include the following items:

• the obligatory presence of a spacious paddock in the open air for walking;
• a large room for living in winter, insulated with straw or peat (the layer should be impressive and change often, at least once every two weeks);
• a separate room for young animals, since ostriches can begin to live with adult birds not earlier than after six months of their existence (the temperature in it should not fall below +25 degrees);
• air humidity in the ostrich house should not fall below 65%;
• it is better not to restrict access to the fenced area - ostriches like to feel free, free and watch the world around them;
• there should always be clean sand in the room - a coating from their native places will help the birds take baths, as well as arrange their nests;

In order to not only get eggs from adults, but also breed them for meat, you will need an incubator - you can purchase a ready-made factory version or make it yourself.

With this device, you can raise the viability of eggs to almost 95%.

The conditions for keeping ostriches are not so difficult, they do not frighten them with their overestimated requirements or expensive attributes. Almost everything is the same as when breeding other pets.

The only absolute rule for ostriches is a large, spacious room and space for walking.

Therefore, if you expect to keep ten ostriches in a small room in your country house, then immediately get ready for the failure of the enterprise - one adult will need no less than 10-12 square meters of area.

Otherwise, the ostriches will start to fight for the free space and get hurt.
However, the cost of acquiring premises and territory, as well as feed and an incubator, will pay off very quickly with the right approach and clear, well-coordinated work on the result. Basically, just like any other business.

It should also not be forgotten that keeping ostriches at home can help develop the entertainment side of things - ostrich farms are often popular among curious people who love to look at the exotic.

If there are fewer doubts about starting breeding, but still, the question “how to feed ostriches?” is tormenting, then you should not worry:

1. Adults feed perfectly on fresh grass in summer, and consume silage and flour in winter and autumn.
2. Of course, the situation is more complicated with young ostriches, and the nutrition of babies should be taken seriously in order to get a physically healthy herd. The fact is that if the special diet is not observed, the chicks may begin to develop incorrectly and thereby not fulfill the tasks you set.
3. After hatching, it is strictly forbidden to feed ostriches during the first three days - they consume the nutrients that were laid in them at birth.
4. At the end of this period, the birds should be released for the first walking and fed, according to this diet: from three days to a month, give crushed clover or alfalfa leaves, as well as compound feed with an increased protein content (20-24%).
5. A month after birth, ostriches are given food with fiber (19%) and protein, but with a lower content (19%).

Another feature of the diet of ostriches is a special feeder filled with small pebbles. The fact is that these birds swallow them for better grinding of food in the stomach.

The chicks also need such a "diet" so that when they take the first portions, they do not die from heavy nutrition.

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Oviposition of ostrich eggs

Female ostriches begin laying eggs at the age of 24 months and remain egg-laying until 45 years of age.

One bird is capable of laying up to 40 eggs, but there are also individuals that can lay up to 100 eggs per season. Breaks between egg-laying periods are about 10 days. In winter, birds stop laying until April.

In nandu and African ostriches kept in captivity, with the lengthening of daylight hours in the spring months, the mating season begins.

Ostriches lay eggs even when kept in a winter room, and when they are driven into a pen, they continue to rush, but more actively.

Females lay their eggs in a nest prepared by a male (!sometimes you can find eggs in secluded paddocks!). Males make a hole, line it with grass and carefully guard it. The bird rarely lays more than 14 eggs in the nest, the rest of the eggs usually lie to the side.

There are also situations when the female stops rushing altogether, and this lasts up to a year. In this case, it is worth reviewing the conditions of detention.

An ostrich egg weighs from 500 to 1800 grams. The color of the shell varies from white to yellowish, the surface is smooth with pores of various sizes.

Useful equipment for breeding - drinkers and feeders

It is very important to choose the right drinkers and feeders. Birds eat a lot and greedily, and in order to prevent injuries, it is necessary to put several large feeders at the rate of 50 cm for each chick and 1.5 meters for an adult.

The feeder should be stable and comfortable, corresponding in height to the height of the ostriches, so that they do not have to bend over much.

For feeding birds with branches and hay, it is more convenient to use a lattice nursery about 70 cm high from the floor level.

Hanging feeders are considered quite convenient. They can be hung on fence posts or growing trees.

For adults, the hanging height is 1-2 meters. This option is convenient if, along with ostriches, other livestock are also kept in the corral. Then only the birds will be able to get to the food.

The cheapest option for a feeder is a car tire. It will fit about 3 kg of feed. The tire must be cut in half and turned over.

In the bottom you need to make several holes for water to flow out. The tire is suspended with wire hangers.

Plastic containers with legs are the most convenient, but they are also the most expensive.

Under no circumstances should gutters or metal drums be used, which can poison the birds with rust and injure the skin with jagged edges.

As drinking bowls, containers made of durable plastic or a trough are suitable. It is better to place them away from the feeders, this will allow the birds to move freely and develop leg muscles.

Most often, ostrich drinkers are built into fences, but left outside so that you can change the water without going into the corral.

A drinker can be a container of baked clay or glass, trays and bowls made of plastic, as well as drinkers with automatic water supply.

In large farms, automated watering and feeding systems are used, which greatly facilitate the work.

An important role in the choice of feeders and drinkers is played by color. It is best to use white products, which birds find the fastest. Spots can be painted on the bottom with green paint to make it easier for birds to find food and drink.

Where to buy ostriches for breeding

At the moment, there is only one answer to the question "" - naturally, on an ostrich farm, a farm where they professionally breed this exotic bird for us.

You should not contact dubious sellers in the bird market, who have several dubious-looking chicks in a cage.

Also, a purchase made via the Internet can be a scam - bulletin boards are not suitable for purchasing ostriches. But the site of a serious enterprise engaged in the maintenance and breeding of African birds may well be of interest with its choice of chicks or eggs for an incubator for sale.

Before buying ostriches for breeding, you need to choose the breed of bird, as we have several of them. But the black ostrich is undoubtedly the favorite - females will be able to lay the maximum number of eggs per season (at least 70-80), and meat chicks will weigh at least 60 kg already in six months of their growth.

By the way, young animals can be slaughtered with a weight of 10 kg, but this is only if you still did not calculate the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room and the required quadrature per individual.

It is better to acquire young adults that will soon be able to lay eggs - a one and a half year old ostrich will begin to delight you with the appearance of offspring in the shell in 3-6 months, that is, from two years of its life (the duration of egg production in ostriches is at least 25 years).

Gradually expanding, soon you will be able to receive good dividends from one, and then from all possible positions of the products produced by these miracle birds.

Moreover, there is no sharply tangible competition yet, and you can safely take a place in this business niche without fear of bankruptcy.

Ostriches in Russia have the status of "exotic" - these birds have not yet had time to take root here in full, and novice ostrich breeders have a great opportunity to correct this situation.

Breeding ostriches today is no surprise to anyone, this is a profitable business and the ranks of poultry businessmen are replenished. In principle, the maintenance of an exotic bird does not differ from the care of familiar geese or ducks, but it also has its own characteristics. We will talk about the intricacies of feeding an African guest in this article.

How the structure of the digestive system affects the diet of ostriches

The digestive system of birds corresponds to the way and conditions of life in arid savannahs and prairies. Unlike other poultry, ostriches do not have goiter. Food enters the esophagus through the esophagus, where it is softened by the liquid secreted from the walls of the organ.

Further, the mass enters the stomach with thick muscular walls, rigid inside. Since ostriches do not have teeth, they swallow small pebbles in large quantities. Contracting, the walls of the stomach, together with the stones, “chew” food, which consists mainly of coarse fibers.

Then, in the small intestine, more than five meters long, the walls of the organ absorb useful substances from food. And in the paired processes of the caecum, the final breakdown of fiber and the release of water from food occur.
Due to this structure of the digestive system, ostriches can do without water for a long time, making up for its lack by absorbing moisture from food. The accumulation of undigested excesses occurs in the rectum and through the cloaca the intestines are released from them.

What does an ostrich eat in the wild?

African land is not the most fertile, so large birds have adapted in the absence of greenery to replace it with food of animal origin. Along with branches, roots and seeds, birds do not disdain insects, small reptiles, even turtles and mice.

Did you know? Under natural conditions, ostriches are friends with wildebeests and zebras. Flightless giants, thanks to their excellent eyesight, are the first to notice predators and raise the alarm. And zebras and antelopes with sharp hooves knock out insects for birds from the grass.

A very varied diet is supplemented with coarse sand and pebbles to facilitate digestion. An adult eats about five kilograms of food per day in order to have enough energy.

How to feed an adult ostrich at home

The diet depends on the season, you need to provide pets with vitamins and minerals, as well as the fiber they need all year round.

Summer

In summer, juicy food predominates:

• fresh;
• young and her tops;
• fruits;
• and vegetables.

Important! Be sure to have a separate container with small pebbles or gravel.

in winter

In the cold season, food mainly consists of cereals and hay, vegetables and root crops that are stored for the winter, as well as grass meal, silage, and mineral and vitamin supplements.

The list of products include:

• cereals - wheat, millet, oats,;
• vegetables - , ;
• fruits - ;
• hay;
• bread and crackers;
• compound feed.

What not to feed

Ostriches are omnivorous, but there are foods that need to be given in a limited form, there are those that are prohibited.

List of unwanted products:

Foods that can be given in small amounts:

• cabbage;
• bran;
• flour.

Feeding systems

There are several bird diet systems, whichever one the owner chooses, you must always take into account the balance of nutrients.

intensive

The system assumes the keeping of birds in an aviary, the absence of walking on the pasture, which is replaced with chopped green fodder. Greens means fresh alfalfa, salads, rapeseed. The basis of the diet is feed up to three kilograms per day for each adult.

In addition, supplements:

• soybean and corn oil;
• fish flour;
• vitamin and mineral complexes.

Semi-intensive

This system implies conditions close to natural: the bird is constantly on the pasture and forages itself. Small amounts of concentrated mixtures are added to her green diet. In the first months of winter, breeding pets are supplemented with mixed feed. Since December, birds have been fed a kilogram of concentrate in granules, increasing consumption by March to three kilograms.

Important! Concentrated food is given only together with chopped forbs or other succulent food.

extensive

The bird is kept on pastures, foraging on its own, in the summer months this allows you to save on compound feed. Ostriches are fed in case of a rainy summer or too dry, when there is little succulent food. Bird concentrates are given only in winter.

Feeding the chicks

Babies require special care, the health of the future depends on the right diet from the first days of life, especially the formation of bone tissue in chicks. Newborn ostriches are not fed for three days: they have enough nutrients from the yolk sac.

Four-day pets are given carefully grated cottage cheese, chopped boiled egg, chopped green food, water. Green food is given in small quantities, but always fresh, not lethargic.

Teaching chicks to take food is not difficult: you need to sprinkle it on a flat surface and tap with your fingers. Toddlers will begin to copy the movement and learn to eat. Ostriches are given separate containers with sand so that they get used to filling the stomach with pebbles. In addition, the kids willingly bathe in it.
In the second week of life, you can begin to accustom the chicks to compound feed, first with crumbs, then in granules. Be sure to give juicy greens, almost unlimited, grated vegetables (pumpkin, carrots). It is advisable not to let them out to pasture for up to three weeks so that the chicks harden.

Ostriches are large, non-flying birds that have long legs and long necks that protrude from a round body. Ostriches are larger than any other bird in the world. The ostrich is the only bird that has two toes on each foot.

In the 18th century, ostriches were nearly driven to extinction by hunting because their feathers were very fashionable in women's clothing. But by the middle of the 19th century, people began to raise ostriches. This allowed farmers to simply pluck feathers from poultry without killing them.

On the farm, you can get to know ostriches very closely, see and also buy fresh meat or eggs.

What do ostriches eat in Africa?

In their native expanses of Africa, ostriches feed on almost everything: plants, roots, fruits, insects, lizards and small rodents. Small stones, sand and shellfish have been found in the stomach of the ostrich, which help to absorb food.

In our country, their diet consists mainly of roots, leaves and seeds, but ostriches will eat everything that is available. They also ingest sand and pebbles, which help them grind food in their stomach, a specialized gizzard. Because ostriches have this ability to grind food, they can eat things that other animals cannot digest.

On the farm, ostriches are fed with all kinds of grains: wheat, barley, corn, oats, millet, beans, peas. Also, ostriches are given different types of grass, clover, nettle, etc. From vegetables, you can feed cabbage, carrots and beets. Ostriches, and especially ostriches, need to be fed with special feed and vitamins. Come to our farm and see for yourself what ostriches eat.

Got questions? Ask them to us!

African ostrich(lat. Struthio camelus) is a keelless flightless bird, the only representative of the ostrich family (Struthinodae).

Its scientific name in Greek means " camel sparrow».

The ostrich is the only modern bird that has a bladder.

common feature

The African ostrich is the largest bird of modern birds, its height reaches 270 cm; it weighs up to 175 kg. "A very principled bird" - the ostrich has a dense physique, a long neck and a small flattened head. The beak is straight, thin, with a horny "claw" on the mandible, quite soft. The eyes are huge - the largest among land animals, with thick cilia on the upper eyelid. The mouth opening reaches the eyes.

Ostriches are flightless birds. For their typical complete absence and underdeveloped pectoral muscles; the skeleton is not pneumatic, except for the femurs. The wings of ostriches are underdeveloped; two fingers on them end with claws or spurs. The hind limbs are long and strong, with only 2 fingers. One of the fingers ends with a semblance of a horn - the bird leans on it when running. When running, an ostrich is able to reach speeds of up to 60-70 km / h.

The plumage of an ostrich is loose and curly. Feathers grow over the entire body more or less moderately, so that pterylia are also absent. The structure of the feather is primitive: the beards are practically not linked together, therefore the feather does not appear dense plates-fans. The head, neck and hips are not feathered. There is also a bare patch of skin on the chest, the pectoral callus, on which the ostrich rests when it lies down. The plumage color of an adult male is black, and the feathers of the tail and wings are snow-white. The female ostrich is smaller than the male and is monotonously colored - in grayish-brown tones; wing and tail feathers are off-white.

The ostrich forms a few subspecies that differ in size, skin color on the neck, certain features of biology - the number of eggs in the clutch, the presence of litter in the nest, the structure of the eggshell.

Distribution and subspecies

The ostrich habitat covers dry, treeless places in Africa and the Near East, including Iraq (Mesopotamia), Iran (Persia) and Arabia. But due to intense hunting, their population has been greatly reduced. Near Eastern subspecies, S. c. syriacus, has been considered since 1966. Even earlier, in the Pleistocene and Pliocene, different types of ostriches were widespread in Frontal Asia, in the south of Eastern Europe, in Central Asia and in India.

There are two basic classes of the African ostrich: East African ostriches with reddish necks and legs, and two subspecies with bluish gray necks and legs. Subspecies S. c. molybdophanes, found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya and Somalia, is sometimes isolated as a separate species - the Somali ostrich. Another subspecies of ostriches with grayish necks (S. c. australis) lives in southwestern Africa, where its range is very mosaic. In subspecies S. c. massaicus, or Masai ostriches, during the mating season, the neck and legs are painted bright red. Another subspecies is distinguished - S. c. camelus in North Africa. Its natural range extends from Ethiopia and Kenya to Senegal and in the north to eastern Mauritania and southern Morocco.

Ostriches with reddish necks, found in southern Africa, for example, in the Kruger State Park (South Africa), are imported individuals.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The ostrich lives in open savannas and semi-deserts, north and south of the equatorial forest zone. Outside the mating season, ostriches are usually kept in small packs or families. The relatives consist of an adult male, four or five females and chicks. Often ostriches graze together with herds of zebras and antelopes, and together with them make long migrations across the African plains. Due to their own height and beautiful eyesight, ostriches are the first to notice danger. In the event of a threat, they take flight, speeding up to 60-70 km / h and making steps in 3.5-4 m wide, and as needed abruptly change the direction of the run without slowing down. Young ostriches already at the age of one month can run at speeds up to 50 km / h.

The usual food of ostriches is plants - shoots, flowers, seeds, fruits, but on occasion they also eat small animals - insects (locusts), reptiles, mice and leftovers from predators' meals. In captivity, an ostrich needs about 3.5 kg of food per day. As ostriches don't have teeth, to grind food in the stomach, they swallow small stones, and often everything they come across: nails, pieces of wood, iron, plastic, etc. Ostriches can do without water for a long time, getting water from the plants they eat, but with case willingly drink and love to swim.

The testicles of ostriches, left in the absence of supervision of adult birds, often become the prey of predators (jackals, hyenas), as well as carrion birds. Vultures, for example, take a stone in their beak and throw it at the egg until it breaks. From time to time the chicks are caught by lions. But adult ostriches are not safe even for large predators - the 1st blow of their strong leg, armed with a hard claw, is enough to seriously injure or destroy a lion. There are cases when males, defending their area, attacked people.

The legend that a frightened ostrich hides its head in the sand may come from the fact that a female ostrich, sitting on a nest, in case of a threat, spreads her neck and head on the ground, trying to become inconspicuous against the background of the surrounding savannah. Ostriches do the same when they see predators. In that case, to approach such a hidden bird, it instantly jumps up and runs away.

Ostrich on the farm

The beautiful flight and control feathers of ostriches have long enjoyed consumer interest - they were used to make fans, fans and plumes of headdresses. The strong shell of ostrich eggs was used by African tribes as vessels for water, and in Europe, beautiful goblets were made from these eggs.

Because of the feathers that were used to decorate ladies' hats and on fans, ostriches were practically exterminated in the 18th and early 19th centuries. If in the middle of the XIX century. ostriches were not bred on farms, then by the present time, perhaps, they could have already been completely exterminated, as the Middle Eastern subspecies of the ostrich was exterminated. At the moment, ostriches are bred in more than 50 countries around the world (including countries with a cool climate, such as Sweden), but most of their farms are still concentrated in South Africa.

At the current time, ostriches are bred mainly for the sake of expensive skin and meat. Ostrich meat resembles lean beef - it is lean and does not contain enough cholesterol. Additional products are eggs and feathers.

Most of the coats of arms of Poland have ostrich feathers in the crest. The coat of arms of Australia is a shield supported by a kangaroo and an emu - animals that live exclusively in this country.

reproduction

The ostrich is a polygamous bird. In most cases, ostriches have the opportunity to meet groups of 3-5 birds - one male and a few females. Only in non-breeding time, ostriches from time to time gather in packs of up to 20-30 birds, and immature birds in southern Africa - up to 50-100 individuals. Male ostriches during the mating season occupy an area from 2 to 15 km2, driving away rivals.

When it's time for breeding, male ostriches lek in a peculiar way, attracting females. The male kneels down, rhythmically beats his wings, throws his head back and rubs the back of his head against his back. The neck and legs of the male during this period receive a colorful coloring. Competing for females, males emit hissing and other sounds. They can trumpet: for this they gain a full goiter of air and push it with force through the food tract - with all this, a semblance of a deaf roar is heard.

The dominant male covers all the females in the harem, but forms a pair only with the dominant female and hatches the chicks together with her. All females lay their eggs in a common nesting hole, which the male scrapes out in the ground or in the sand. Its depth is only 30-60 cm. The testicles of ostriches are the largest in the bird world, although they are small relative to the size of the bird itself: testicle length - 15-21 cm,weight - from 1.5 to 2 kg(this is approximately 25-36 chicken eggs). The shell of ostrich eggs is very thick - 0.6 cm, its color is usually straw-yellow, less often darker or snow-white. In North Africa, the total clutch usually consists of 15-20 eggs, in the south of the continent - 30, in East Africa the number of eggs reaches 50-60. Females lay eggs, apparently once every 2 days.

The eggs are alternately incubated during the day by females (because of their patronizing coloration, merging with the landscape), at night by the male. Often during the day, the testicles are left unattended and heated by the rays of the sun. Incubation lasts 35-45 days. Nevertheless, often many testicles, and from time to time all, die due to understaying. The chick cracks the strong shell of an ostrich egg for about an hour, sometimes more. An ostrich egg is 24 times larger than a chicken egg.

A newly hatched ostrich weighs approx. 1.2 kg, and by four months achieves 18-19 kg. The chicks leave the nest the day after hatching and travel with their father in search of food. In the direction of the first 2 months of life, the chicks are covered with brownish hard bristles, then they dress in an outfit similar in color to that of the female. True feathers appear in the second month, and dark feathers in males - only in the second year of life. capable of reproduction ostriches become at 2-4 years old. Ostriches live up to 30-40 years.

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