How to determine the age of ostriches during breeding

For buyers, the age of an ostrich is also crucial. Ostrich age is usually determined by appearance. At 12 months of age, the legs and beak of the male ostrich turn white; at 2 years of age, regardless of sex, all the chick feathers on its back have molted, but most of those on the base of the neck and the belly still remain, while most of the white feathers on the female's belly are replaced by tawny feathers;

At 3 years of age, all the white feathers on the belly of both male and female ostriches have molted, the chick feathers at the base of the neck remain unchanged, and the legs and beak of some male ostriches turn the typical red; at 4 years of age, the ostrich is fully sexually mature and adult plumage appears; after 4 years of age, the ostrich's wings become thicker and stronger, but there are no other obvious characteristics. It is reported that the length of the male bird's penis can also be used to determine age. Selecting breeding birds The first step in raising ostriches is introducing breeding stock. The quality of the introduced breeding birds or hatching eggs directly affects the success or failure of ostrich breeding. As a breeder, when selecting ostriches, you should first consider the breed of ostrich and choose according to your own breeding purpose. Second, you should consider the sex ratio; generally, a female-to-male ratio of 3:1 to 5:2 is ideal. In addition, when introducing stock, special attention should be paid to age. Although the effective breeding life of an ostrich can reach 40 to 50 years, ostriches that have just started laying and old ostriches both have very low egg-laying performance. It is generally believed that choosing ostriches aged 5 to 10 years is ideal. Because they are both highly productive and promising. In addition, the body type and appearance of the introduced birds must also be considered comprehensively. Generally speaking, from the appearance, ostriches with higher production have dull, dirty back feathers with dry, shrunken tips, short and sparse or no feathers on the rear half of the back, a delicate head, large and spirited eyes, a drooping tail held close to the rear, and a thick, well-developed hindquarters. Conversely, birds with full, glossy feathers, a large and clumsy head, long legs, high wings, a tail held flat or tilted up, and poorly developed hindquarters or a very fat, large body all lay very few eggs or none at all. Ostriches that show no courtship display of vibrating both wings are generally not suitable for purchase either.