The ostrich farming industry is quite niche in South Africa. And for those who are interested in farming with ostriches, it is important to know that the industry is not for the faint-hearted.
Ostrich farmer Horatious Tom from Oudtshoorn in the Southern Cape, who has been farming with these birds for 18 years, gives insight into the nitty gritty of ostrich farming.
Tom, from Sakhisizwe Ostrich Farming and a member of Cape Karoo International, says there are a few important factors to consider when starting out with ostrich farming.
Breeding season
“To breed with ostriches, you need a vast majority of space. Your big fields or land must be well-fenced. Mommies and daddies (parent ostriches) need a lot of space to roam around freely. And the ostriches need to be fed,” he explains.
The breeding season starts at the end of winter, between August and December. Once the eggs are laid in the field, they are picked up by a farmer and put into an incubator. From January to March, you will see the ostriches hatching. After the breeding season, matured ostriches are separated.
According to Tom, ostriches that are in the wild, eat plants, because they are essentially herbivores. However, in a commercial operation, ostriches have an intake of lucerne, bran, mealies, soya, and canola oil among others.
Input costs
The input costs include feed and diesel because you constantly need to drive out to the fields. And the animals require a daily check-in.
“The ostriches roaming around in the big fields need to be fed through feeds. They also need to be under constant supervision and therefore, driving out to the fields as a farmer to check up on the birds is important. This is utterly important to be able to see if there are eggs,” he says.
He adds that it is also important to consider workers’ salaries. It takes a community of people to work in the ostrich industry and to understand the animals.
Climate requirements
When the ostriches are small, the climate plays an important role because exposure to rain as well as cold weather may have a detrimental effect on the bird’s health.
“Unlike chickens or other birds who are able to absorb water, ostriches cannot because they can’t shake off the water. The absorption of water can cause the bird to freeze and eventually cause death,” he explains.
“When the ostriches are in their infancy, they don’t drink a lot of water. However, when they are grown, they drink a lot of water, especially when it is hot. Ostriches require a lot of water during warmer seasons and hot days.”
An ostrich is fully grown at 10 months, and when the bird reaches 90kg, it is slaughtered An ostrich’s health can be observed through its behavioural traits. There is a noticeable difference between unhealthy and healthy behaviour.
How you can make money
Tom mentions that there are three stages or phases to sell slaughtered birds.
- You get paid for the carcass once it is slaughtered.
- You get paid for the feathers of the bird.
- Thirdly, you get paid for the ostriches’ skin/ leather.
All three sections are graded/classified. If there are, for example, ticks found on the leather/skin, then it does have an adverse effect on the sales prices.
“Lice in the feathers also needs to be taken into consideration. Bird flu is a reality and should be taken note of since ostrich chicks are prone to diseases,” Tom says.
Advice to farmers
According to Tom, the ostrich industry is not for the faint-hearted. “It is hard work. There is a lot that needs to be done. However, nature also plays a huge role.”
As a farmer, you will only start seeing your profit after three or four years of being in the ostrich farming industry.
“There are a lot of things that you need to put in place. If you do make a profit, you need to reinvest it back into the farm to be able to stabilise yourself within the industry to grow,” he says.
His last piece of advice is not just to farm with ostriches for the sake of making money, but also because you have a love for the animal and the process of nurturing them into a healthy breed.
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