Introduction:
The Ostrich already comes being bred in Brazil has some years as animal of Zoo, but it does not stop productive ends. Some attempts had been made in this direction, but the lack of information and experience with the animal had taken these assays to the failure, having created themselves it false conception of that the Ostrich is a fragile and difficult animal of being created. In May of 1995, the NovAvis Ostriches of Brazil Ltda, counting on acquired knowledge technician in the exterior, implanted in Bragança Paulista (SP) the first commercial criatório of ostriches of Brazil. The main objective of this operation is the diffusion of the commercial exploration of the animal - the example of what it comes occurring with great successes in the United States, Africa, Europe, Isrrael and Australia - despertando the interest of the national market for its main products: meat, leather and pens.
The commercial creation of ostriches is not difficult, is necessary to know the techniques adequate. Each animal has specific necessities in terms of installations, handling, feeding etc. The biggest joined difficulty today for the novices in this creation in Brazil is prepared lack of technician here who give assistance to the criatório.
The choice to initiate itself in this new economic activity not only must be made with knowledge of the advantages but also of all the joined potentialities and challenges today in Brazil.
Description of the creation
The Ostrich started to be created in Africa of the South, in the half of the passed century, for production of pens. It was a extensive creation, the animals were not abated, the pens were cut to days times per year and exported to the Europe and United States. The animal was introduced in Australia in the century passed to commercial exploration. The creation was abandoned at the beginning of this century, the animals had been untied and if they had become wild. At the beginning of century XX (with the World-wide I and II War and the stock market in addition of U.S.A.) it had a collapse of the market of pens; per some years the creation of ostriches was unprovided of economic interest. In the decade of 60 it started to develop itself again thanks to valuations of other products of the animal: the meat and the leather.
Currently Africa of the South has the biggest breeding in the world, for being the originary ostrich of this e region for being this the parents whom first the commercial creation initiated have about 100-150 years. As the bigger breeding is in the United States, but also Australia, Israel, Canada and other countries have a considerable number of animals.
Geographic distribution and different races
The ostrich is originary of Africa (Namíbia, Bostwana, Africa of the South).
Commercially 3 races of “ostrich” are defined: black nec (or black neck), red nec (red neck) and blue nec (blue neck). This classification if bases on the coloration of skin of the adults. In the truth all present the same coloration of the pens (male black people and females gray). The ostrich black nec (also known as African black) is in the truth a domesticated animal, fruit of the enpírica election made by the South Africans throughout last the 150 years. The animals had been selected in base the certain productive characteristics:
Bigger fertility and precocidade (bigger egg number, beginning of the position more early);
Docilidade (simpler handling);
High density of pens.
The “races” red and blue nec are of bigger transport, but they initiate the position later and they are agerssivas. Today if it cannot say that a race is better of what to another one: in U.S.A., the creators of Red and Blue Nec denigrem the African black and the creators of the African black denigrem the “colorings”… He has very work to be made in terms of genetic improvement crossing the different races.
Classification:
We can include the ostrich in the group of the ratitas, running birds of great transport (as the Ema, Mine and the Casuar). The term “ratitas” comes of the Latin, meaning “raft”. Esterno of these birds is plain, unprovided of carena, in contrast of the flying birds. The carena, in the flying birds, is headquarters of insertion of the powerful pectoral muscles. The ostrich, is not a flying bird, then, pectoral it has not developed as a duck or a hen. Of this fact an important productive peculiarity of the ostrich elapses: the biggest amount of produced meat will not be in the chest but in the thighs, since it is about running animal.
In the group of the ratitas we have:
The ostrich (Struthio camelus australis), originary of Africa of the South;
Ema, found in the South America (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay);
Casuar, natural of the New Guiné;
My Australian.
Characteristics:
Great transport, reaching when adult of 2 the 2,5 m of height and 100 150Kg of weight;
Corporal temperature 38-39 Cº (it is a temperature low for bird, the hen for example, has a corporal temperature around 40-41 Cº);
Similar digestive device to the one of ruminants (without papo, 2 long stomachs, 2 cecos and intestines, bacterial digestion);
Rudimentary wings, do not fly;
Running animal (reaching until 60Km/h);
Long legs;
Long life (the 50 70 years of life), counting of 20 the 40 years of reproductive life;
Beginning of the reproductive life with 2-3 years; it has, however, stories of ostriches created in zoos in Brazil that had initiated the position with 18 months;
Marked sexual Dimorfismo: in the adults the male is black with the tips of the white wings and the female is gray, such difference alone from 1 year and way of age;
The foot has two fingers, of which only one with nail.
Environment:
Originary of the half-barren, plain regions (African savannah), in the height of the Tropic of Capricórnio;
It has an excellent capacity of adaptation (servant successfully in Canada, Europe United States, Israel) supporting high and low temperatures.
Behavior
In the wild state:
It lives in separate bandos of males and females.
During the reproductive season the males form haréns where he has a dominant female.
The hatching female the eggs during the day and the male during the night.
In captivity:
The handling can reproduce organization in the wild state, with the male being rank in a pole with one or more female. However one of the females will be predominant, that is, more it will be covered by the male. The other females less will be covered and consequently little fecundados eggs will botarão (that they will not generate younglings).
For this reason not convém for many females for only male one; in general in the commercial criatórios the animals are ranks in poles forming couples or the maximum trios (a male and a female or 2 females).
Products:
Pens - product very known in Brazil, but used since the seniority. The producing greater is Africa of the South, the consuming market is in the Europe, Asia and Americas, being Brazil one of the consuming greaters, mainly in the carnival for adornments and fancies) and to make espanadores. The pens of the ostrich are classified cm some types (shortest it uses them in the espanadores, prettiest and long used in the adornments), with value varying of USS 27 USS 160/Kg. In Brazil we have a safe market for the pens, but this is not the product most interesting of the ostrich.
Meat - It is the product that is giving bigger impulse to the commercial creation of ostriches currently. Although to have been consumed c appreciated since the seniority, the meat today is being redescoberta for being similar to the meat of bovines in terms of aspect, flavor and texture, but with the advantage to have basses cholesterol texts and fats (its composition is similar the white meats as chicken or Peru). This characteristic of the meat if must to the distribution of the fats in the organism of the animal: these if locate in return of the stomach and under the skin, propitiating cuts of lean meat and extremely soft leather.
Currently the biggest consuming market is in the United States and Europe. Switzerland for example imports 200-300 tons per year of ostrich meat. In Brazil a great interest for exotic meats exists, and the ostrich meat initially would be introduced in this sector.
Leather - It is one another very interesting product that comes finding great acceptance in the international market. Each animal will go to produce of 1,2 1,5 m2 of leather of easy extration and tanning, that accepted well some colorations and of course is decorated because of the orifices of cálamos them. The European value of the leather is of about USS 200 USS 300 for USS and raw leather part 500 USS 600 for the treat leather.
Eggs - they weigh of 1.200 1800g. Its flavor is very similar to the hen egg. Today it is not consumed because pintinho will make to be born one that valley much more.
Productivity
The ostrich reaches the weight of abates on average (100 the 120 kg) for return of 12 months of age, producing of 30 40Kg of meat: 15Kg of meat of first, that is, of more entire pieces (type filé) and 15Kg of meat of second, thus called not for being about meat lesser quality in terms to composition or maciez, but, because it comes more picadinha, being ideal for the plate preparation type strogonoff or hamburgers.
In the United States an abated animal with 100-120Kg relieves about USS 400 for
meat, USS 250 for the leather and USS 100 for the pens, totalizing USS 750.
The income for abated animal proportionally low (30% of the alive weight) if is compared with the income of bovines, but this fact is wide compensates it for the great annual production of younglings. While a cow produces a year-old calf per year, that goes for abates it with 2 or 3 years, an ostrich female produces 30 younglings per year on average, supplying of 800 1200Kg of meat for female/year.
These are the reasons that justify the enormous success that is finding the commercial creation of ostriches in other countries: one is about an animal that generates in amount products of first quality with low costs of production, since it does not require many constructions or structures.
It creates: of 0 the 3 months
lnstalações, handling and feeding:
. to keep sheltered at night them or when it rains, in covered shed, of at least 20 m2 (6-10m2/animal);
. warm with campânulas the gas if the temperature 20ºC is inferior;
. pole to the outdoors of 50 m2 for 4-6 animals.
. jejum in first the 2 5 days;
. ration with 22% of protein
. to introduce grass to the few from 1º month.
Patologias:
One avestruzinho healthful is always in movement, ciscando in the soil, walking, running in group with the well high head. If an animal is motionless (in foot or seated), walks with the head low, if it isolates of the group and it is piando, probably is sick. We present to follow the problems most common faced in this phase of development and some suggestions of treatment. mortality in this phase is in 30% volume. Adequate handling and feeding can improve the productive results, but few criatórios, in the world all, obtain inferior taxes of mortality 20%.
. incomplete absorption of the vitelino bag - with consequent infection and death of the animal - is one of the biggest problems found in first the 15 days of life.
. deformities in the legs: decurrent of the intense period of growth of the younglings; we have rotation of fingers, leg or thigh, or deformities in the bones or joints. The solution is difficult: the rank of splices, surgery or the use of mineral supplements does not revert an installed deformity already.
. entorses, displacements, traumas: to massagear the part affected with pomada Calminex.
. apathy, walks with the head low: antibiotic therapy + serum.
. diarréia (very soft excrements, mixed with piss): if the animal is well, asset, can be gram excess => diminishes the amount of gram.
. if the animal is apático, of head low: antibiotic therapy + serum
OBS:
. the coprofagia (excrement ingestion) is normal in all the ages. It helps to form the bacterial flora of the animal.
Recria: of 3 the 12 - 18 months
Installations, handling and feeding:
. long and narrow poles for which the ostriches need to run to develop healthful strong muscular mass and to grow c.
. base of resistant grass to the pisoteio, because they graze the entire day. The alfalfa for example is an excellent grass, has much protein, but it does not support the constant presence of adult animals. In general the animals are in a pole with another base of grass, for example brachiária, and if it gives the perforated alfalfa.
. males and females can be together in 100 areas of m2 for head.
. an adult animal consumes about 1 1,5Kg of ration per day (16% protein levels).
. cool staple fibres (grass in the pole or data 2-4 times per day)
. they consume about 10 liters of water per day, is not necessary to have a lake, but water throughs always with available water.
Patologias:
. Traumas: they can happen in small animals, due to the use of inadequate structures (slippery floor, steps), but is typical problem of bigger animals. Much attention must be ece of fish in the construction of the poles, to prevent the presence of tips or farpas in the structures or the soil. You surround of barbed wire final are forbidden.
. Digestive perforation: they are animal voracious and without palate, being able to eat any thing (screws, pregos, pieces wooden, preachers of clothes). The ingestion can cause digestive perforation and death.
. Digestive occlusion: had stress, they can ingest great amounts of food or other materials with interruption of the digestive transit and death in few hours. Strange care with the introduction of new materials or materials in the poles.
. Infectious illnesses: one is about robust species, just introduced in the territory and created in good sanitary conditions. Bigger attention must be given to the appearance of micoses under the fingers of the feet and the intestinais parasatisms.
Reproduction
Installations, handling and feeding:
. beginning of the position to the 2 years, reproductive life of 20 the 30 years. In Brazil, in zoos, it has animals that they had started to botar eggs with 18 months.
. average of 60 eggs per year. It has females that they arrive to botar 100 eggs per reproductive season more than.
. reproductive season, in this hemisphere, of September the March, placing an egg to each 2 days (it places for one month, for one days, recommences, for, etc.)
. it are of the season, males and females are in separate poles. At the beginning of the spring the groups of reproducers are formed always taking in account female the male relation/that it propitiates the best productivity in fecundados egg terms (couples or trios).
. 400-500m2/animal poles (20 x 50m for one casal=1.000 m2), in land with good draining, little inclination and with portière.
. fenced (mesh of 3 counts) with 1,7m of height;
. eventually, corridor of 2m of width and surrounds external of wire-fenced of 1,5m of height;
. area covered (sapé, brasilit or roofing tiles) for mangers and comedouros, of 3 X 4m and minimum height of 2,50m, preferivelmente with portière for temporary confinement of the animals;
. with resistant pasture to the pisoteio (brachiária, for example);
. ration with 20 22% of protein and suplementação of calcium.
Position:
. Weight of the egg: of 1200 the 1800 gram.
. Sand to the disposal of the animals can be placed so that they make a nest, but they nor always make it.
. The egg, must be collected fastest possible to prevent contamination. The collected eggs are stored in cool and clean environment and placed in the incubadoras a time per week. It is inadivisable for more than to leave the eggs in “rest” one week, therefore it has risk of embryonic death and consequent reduction of the eclosão tax.
. the ostrich is not a particularly aggressive animal, but it has a strong instinct of defense of its territory and eggs. She is necessary to construct installations that facilitate to the collection of eggs and the handling of the reproducers, preventing useless risks for people and animals.
Incubation:
. The hard incubation about 42 days, with temperature of 36 ºC the 37 ºC and relative humidity of air between 20 and 60%.
. advantages of the artificial incubation: bigger taxes of eclosão; the female will not interrupt the position to shock eggs and to take care of of just been born.
. first ovoscopia around the second week to evaluate if has embryonic development. In negative case the egg must be removed of the incubadora one why it can be source of bacterial proliferation and infection for other eggs. The development of the embryo with ovoscópio to each 1 or 2 weeks is accompanied by.
. automatic viragem of 2 in 2 hours.
. The period of hard eclosão about 2 days, with short while lesser temperature and relative humidity a little bigger that in the incubation period. During this period it is interrupted turned it eggs.
Problems:
. reduction of the eclosão tax, decurrent of:
infection inside of the proper incubadora, with embryonic death;
bad position of the embryo inside of the egg, with difficulty in breaching the rind and death in the hours that immediately precede or succeed the eclosão.
The inexperienced creator can terceirizar the incubation of eggs produced in its property well, appealing the equipped farms and with technician prepared. The producer saves in investments in the construction of the incubatório and uses to advantage of the experience of specialized creators.
Market:
. Today nobody vende the products of the ostrich in Brazil because the number of commercial criatórios is very small.
. They will pass some years until a enough number of animals in Brazil exists and if it can start to abate and to vender the products.
. In U.S.A. they had delayed 20 years p to start to abate. In the ltália ostrich creates itself since 79 and not yet it has abatedouros.
. While it does not have abates if they vendem pintinhos of ostrich for reproduction. |
