Ostrich breeding at home. Business plan for breeding ostriches

One of the options for running an effective own business is an ostrich farm. Breeding ostriches at home is exotic, demandable, profitable!

Why breeding an ostrich?

Every year this type of farming is gaining popularity, because it quickly pays off and starts to make profit after one or two years.
A businessman who decides to breed ostriches at home, in addition to studying a large amount of information from various sources, is recommended to visit several farms specializing in this kind of farming. This is required to form a true impression of the planned business and a clear idea of its optimal management.

Valuable ostrich products

Why ostrich breeding? Because it:

• Meat is a tasty and healthy, dietary product that is rapidly gaining popularity due to the rich composition of trace elements, high protein content and minimal presence of fats. Reminiscent of the taste of veal, ostrich meat is amenable to any kind of heat treatment, perfectly absorbs marinades and spices. The yield of meat when cutting carcasses is about 25-30 kilograms, and this is 40% of the bird. One sold ostrich carcass can bring 500 or more dollars, while the price per kilogram of such meat in the European and American markets ranges from $ 15 to $ 25.

• Fat, widely used in pharmacology and cosmetology, as a component in the production of soap, balms, ointments, creams. The most valuable is the fat of emus, possessing bactericidal, hypoallergenic, anti-inflammatory properties. On average, an adult bird can give from 7 to 15 kilograms of such a valuable product.

• Egg, the weight of which varies from 450 to 1800 grams, which is equivalent to 25-40 chicken analogues. The cost of such an unusual giant, not inferior to anything in a chicken egg and is an exotic dinner table, is 10-15 dollars. By the time of storage, the ostrich egg is also a record holder, since it can lie in the refrigerator for up to one year. A strong shell, which is very difficult to break, is similar to porcelain and is in demand among artists as a subject of painting and engraving, and is also in demand among masters making various ornaments. The most valuable are considered to be fertilized eggs; Their price for poultry farmers reaches up to $ 100 per piece. In a year it can make 3,5 - 8,0 thousand dollars from calculation, that one female for a season is capable of demolishing about 70 eggs.
• Perot, which along with meat caused a mass extermination of ostriches. Fashion for ladies' hats with a feather in 1840 impoverished South America per 1000 kg of such a valuable commodity, and in 1910 this figure rose to 370,000 kilograms. And today, the white ostrich feather, growing on the back or in the tail of males, is willingly bought up by fashion designers, designers, dance groups, and visitors to farms as a souvenir. The rest of the feathers are used as a pillow filler. The breeding of ostriches in Russia bears benefit even from the realization of the feather of this bird, which brings the farmer about 10% of the total profit.

• The skin is moisture resistant, elastic, with a long service life (more than 30 years), is in great demand among designers and is a material for the manufacture of elite models of bags, purses, shoes, gloves, belts, a purse and popular cowboy footwear for Americans. Ostrich skin, in its qualities equated with snake and crocodile, can not be faked. The sale of skins of one ostrich, the price of which varies from 200 to 300 dollars per piece, fully pays for all costs of breeding a bird.

• An adult bird is also an important part of a farmer's income. As a rule, tribal chicks and individuals are being realized, which can later be used to breed future offspring. A five-day chick in Russia costs about $ 100, a month-old ostrich can be bought for $ 200, a pair of adult ostriches will cost 3.5 thousand or more.

African ostrich - a favorite of farmers

The African ostrich is the largest breed (weight 100-160 kg, height - about 3 meters), due to its unpretentiousness in the content is grown in more than 50 countries. This bird is able to withstand the high and low temperatures. The speed developed at the run reaches 50 km / h. Emus emus, whose breeding in farms is less developed than the content of African ostriches, does not require special care. It is important to know the behavior of this bird in natural conditions, so that later the artificially created environment can be optimized for the natural environment familiar to such exotic creatures.

Brief description of poultry

In winter, the bird can be kept in unheated rooms on a deep bedding, for a 6-month-old baby on cold days the room should be heated to a temperature of 12-18 degrees. The productive season for the African ostrich is from March to October. The egg-lay of one female during the season is from 50 to 80 eggs, the weight of which is 1.3-1.8 kg. The incubation period of the young, hatching which occurs simultaneously, is 45 days. Appearing ostricates have a weight of up to 1 kilogram with an increase of 20-25 centimeters. Sexual maturity of females is reached in 18-24 months, males - in 24-30 months.

Feeding ostriches

Ostriches, being an omnivorous bird, feed on what nature gives. Preference is given to vegetation (grass, leaves, fruits, roots). Do not disdain also various small animals, birds, small insects and lizards. In general, the bird's diet should consist of 50% green fodder, 30% of the combined feed, 20% - at the discretion of the farmer. Adult poultry and young animals older than a year are required to be fed 2 times a day, young animals up to a year - not less than 3 - 4 times.

In farms, a bird whose average daily diet is 3 kg of feed receives:

• Green food (clover, rape, alfalfa, quinoa, white cabbage and fodder, spinach, corn silage and cereals, mustard, nettle, beet, carrot, mulberry leaves).
• Rough forage (hay clover, alfalfa, meadow grass, soybean, seradella and straw cereals).
• Roots, fruits and vegetables (pumpkin, radish, cucumbers, carrots, beets, apples, watermelon, bananas).
• Cereals (corn, barley, oats, wheat, rye, millet, sorghum, sunflower).
• Feed additives (meat-bone, bone and fish meal).
• Minerals (shells, gravel, limestone, eggshells), which ostriches very eagerly find and gladly eat. This contributes to the normal functioning of the digestive system. By the way, the farm territory should be thoroughly cleaned, as the ostriches do not disdain any small garbage (nails, pieces of plastic).

Ostrich systems

Modern ostrich breeding follows three main systems on which the breeding of these birds is based:

• Intense . The breeding and maintenance of ostriches is similar to the stabling care of livestock on livestock farms. Birds are kept in a small territory in conditions of full provision of their livelihood by farm personnel, which positively affects the development of livestock, especially young animals. Close contact and regular care allow you to tame the bird and easily manage it. With an intensive system, eggs are taken from the nests and incubated, which leads to a high rate of reproduction, allowing one egg-laying hen to receive up to 80 eggs per year.

• Extensive . The breeding of the ostrich is as close as possible to the natural conditions: the bird itself is more or less worried about itself. Due to free movement, females can mate with various males, as a result of which the number of fertilized eggs increases noticeably.
• Semi - intensive - combines the positive qualities of the above systems and is recommended for beginner poultry farmers. There is one female per adult male.

Where to begin? Business plan

Breeding ostriches in Ukraine and Russia is a promising business, because the unpretentiousness of this bird in care and the high cost of ostrich products will pay off the new business fairly quickly, starting to bring tangible profits in a relatively short time.

The first step in starting your own farming business will be to find a suitable area for the maintenance of ostriches. How to start breeding ostriches? The first steps are the arrangement of the farm for their maintenance and the purchase of young animals or adults. Of course, breeding an ostrich will require certain monetary investments, but they are worth it, since they will pay off already in the first year of ostrich farming. Although the ostrich is an unpretentious bird, nevertheless, the creation of the most comfortable conditions for it will be the key to a successful start in the ostrich business.

The expense expense item is the construction of a farm

Significant costs will require the construction of a farm. The cost of investment will depend on local characteristics, personal and rental arrangements, prices for construction materials and work of hired people.

It will be necessary to build:

• Closed insulated room, bright and spacious, approximate area of 150 square meters. Meters for the maintenance of an average herd of about 30 adult heads: one individual must have at least 50 square meters. Meters of land;
• Open cages area of 1500 square meters. Meters;
• Fencing;
• Communication, ensuring the continuous livelihoods of the farm.

It is necessary to pay attention to the remoteness of the farm from noisy motorways, industries with hazardous emissions; Also the security from the wind and the relief is important. Good access roads and good water supply are essential for the smooth operation of the farm.

Finding less expensive ways

In a favorable position will be farmers who own land with buildings on it.

Another way with a minimum investment of funds will be to search somewhere in the outback of an abandoned pigsty or cowshed, surrounded by pastures and water. Of course, the premises will require repairs (heating, sewerage and ventilation) and purchase of equipment, but this option will save a significant part of the money that can be invested directly in the acquisition of livestock. The purchase of 4 adult families and 6 - 8 females will cost 30 - 40 thousand dollars. You can buy grown-up chicks, which will significantly reduce the investment of funds, but will delay the time period for obtaining the first profit.

Selective work is the right way to a healthy livestock

From the first days, special attention will need to be given to breeding work, periodically updating the herd with a good productive bird and culling sick and unsuitable individuals. When forming families, it will be necessary to take into account the mutual sympathy of ostriches, because the mechanical connection of birds can be unproductive and will cause a lower egg production.

You will definitely need to get an incubator, the cheapest of which, designed for 45 eggs, costs $ 1500.

For ostrich feeding, it is required to buy domestic mixed fodder for laying hens, which includes vitamin-mineral supplements. Also, the bird will gladly consume oats, corn, barley, millet, bran, hay and straw. In summer and autumn, the bird can be translated into green juicy foods: alfalfa and clover.

With a large bird stock (500 individuals or more), it is advisable to establish own production of feeds, which will only reduce the cost of keeping ostriches. Own feed can be sold to neighboring farms.