Manual - Elsenburg

1 1 10/22/2014 2:17:27 PMOstrich ManualThe opinions expressed in this Manual are not necessarily the opinions of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, nor of the Ostrich Business by:Western Cape Department of AgriculturePrivate Bag X1 Elsenburg African Ostrich Business ChamberPO Box : 978-0-9922409-1-2 Translated, revised and updated English 310/22/2014 9:07:29 AMTable of Contents1 | Introduction 6 Mrs P Jorgensen Directorate: Animal Sciences ( Elsenburg Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture2 | Ostrich farming systems 10Dr A Engelbrecht & Mr CJ Nel Directorate: Animal Sciences (Oudtshoorn Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture3 | Ostrich nutrition guidelines 13 Prof TS BrandDirectorate: Animal Sciences ( Elsenburg Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture4 | Breeding of ostriches 24 Prof SWP CloeteDirectorate.

2 Animal Sciences ( Elsenburg Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture5 | Reproductive management of breeding birds 39 for optimal reproduction efficiencyDr H LambrechtsDepartment of Animal Sciences Stellenbosch University6 | Management and care of breeding birds 49Dr Z BrandDirectorate: Animal Sciences (Oudtshoorn Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture7 | Natural and artificial hatching of ostrich eggs 53Dr Z BrandDirectorate: Animal Sciences (Oudtshoorn Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture8 | Artificial rearing of chicks 63Mr S EngelbrechtDirectorate: Animal Sciences (Oudtshoorn Research Farm) Western Cape Department of 410/22/2014 9:07:29 AM9 | The housing of ostrich chicks 69Dr CJC MullerDirectorate: Animal Sciences ( Elsenburg Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture10 | Slaughter bird production and product quality 75Dr A EngelbrechtDirectorate.

3 Animal Sciences (Oudtshoorn Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture11 | Health management 86Dr AJ OlivierKlein Karoo International12 | Biosecurity in practice 107Dr AJ ScholtzDirectorate: Animal Sciences ( Elsenburg ) Western Cape Department of Agriculture13 | Economic viability and financial management 120Mr J Jordaan1 & Prof TS Brand21 Department of Agricultural Management (Saasveld Campus) Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University2 Directorate: Animal Sciences ( Elsenburg Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture14 | Biodiversity 136 Mrs A Wheeler1 & Ms Yvette L tter21 Directorate: Conservation Management (Landscape Conservation) Cape Nature2 Biodiversity Unit South African Ostrich Business Chamber15 | Key data: ostriches 14816 | Index 510/22/2014 9:07:29 AMOstrichManual61 | IntroductionMrs P Jorgensen (Editor)Directorate.

4 Animal Sciences ( Elsenburg Research Farm) Western Cape Department of Agriculture Private Bag X1, Elsenburg , 7607 Tel: (021) 808 5227 Email: ostrich (Struthio camelius) is a member of the ratite family (flightless birds). The ostrich is indigenous to Africa, Syria and Arabia; at present wild ostriches are only found in van Riebeeck documented large flocks of ostriches roaming the Cape in 1652. In 1821, the Cape Colony exported 1 230kg of wild ostrich feathers. At the time, wild ostriches were hunted and killed for their plumes.

5 A year later, 1822, the Cape Colony made proclamations to protect wild ostriches from being hunted to extinction. By 1858, only 915kg of wild ostrich feathers were exported but at a significantly higher price due to the first wild ostrich was tamed in 1863. A new branch of agriculture was established in the Karoo and Eastern Cape due to the farming of tamed ostriches. A severe drought in 1865 was an incentive for farmers to keep ostriches, which are adapted to survive in arid areas, in order to supplement their income.

6 A Cape Colony census reported 80 domesticated ostriches in that year. Arthur Douglass, a self-described pioneer ostrich farmer in the Albany district of the Eastern Cape, designed the first prototype incubator for ostrich eggs called The Eclipse in 1869. Improvements to the incubator contributed to an increase in ostrich chick production. Mr Douglass also identified wireworm and wrote the first book on ostrich farming published in 1881 titled Ostrich Farming in South Africa.

7 Lucerne was also introduced by the then magistrate of Oudtshoorn, Mr Scholtz, who imported the seed and planted a small plot to feed his ostriches. The feather auctions were started in Mossel Bay in 1870. Ostriches were imported from Northern Africa in 1874 to improve feather quality through period between 1875 and 1880 is often described as the First Ostrich Boom. During this period, there were 32 247 farmed ostriches according to a Cape Colony census, with ostriches becoming the 4th most valuable agricultural product after tobacco, viticulture and wheat.

8 Ostrich farming was very lucrative business and farmers accumulated wealth rapidly. In 1882, the export value of ostrich feathers reached its highest level ever. In 1884, the Cape Government imposed heavy export taxes on live birds to protect the local industry. A year later (1885) there was a collapse in the market price of feathers due to over-production and poor feather quality. Many farmers 610/22/2014 9:07:29 AMOstrichManual7were faced with bankruptcy but many continued to farm with ostriches hoping that the market would decision was made to import wild ostriches from Barbary (North African red neck Struthio camelus camelus) in 1886 (and again in 1888 and 1903) to improve the local strains (native South African Blue neck, Struthio camelus australis) to produce the South African black neck, Struthio camelus domesticus.

9 By 1890, breeders began to use selection, crossbreeding and rigid culling to improve feather quality, when ostriches were again imported to enhance local bloodlines. In 1885, there were 253 463 domesticated ostriches according to a Cape Colony census. The second ostrich (feather) boom started in 1897. By then most ostrich farms were concentrated in Oudtshoorn, Grahamstown, Cradock and Graaff Reinet with Port Elizabeth the headquarters of the feather export business. Land prices rose significantly and feather palaces were built.

10 The newfound wealth also meant that farmers could afford to build steel fences and irrigate their farms. The Lucerne industry started to develop in earnest. The second Anglo-Boer War (1899 1902) had an indirect adverse effect on the industry; feathers could not be moved to auctions. The feather trade improved once again after the war ended and some of the most opulent of the feather palaces in Oudtshoorn were built. In 1907 a law was passed that made the illegal export of live ostriches punishable by a jail term of 1-2 years, with hard labour, in attempts to protect the local 1913, ostrich feathers were the 4th largest export from the Union of South Africa after gold, diamonds and wool.