How long does the ostrich growth cycle take?
Ostriches often live in groups of 5 to 50, often accompanied by herbivorous animals. They are gregarious, diurnal, running birds adapted to life in desert wastelands. Their growth process is mainly divided into four stages: the chick stage, the growing stage, the laying stage and the mature stage. Let's take a look below!
Chick stage
The chick stage of the ostrich runs from birth to 12 weeks of age. During this period, the nutritional level should be slightly higher than that for chickens, while adding inorganic salts, especially additives such as calcium, phosphorus, trace elements and multivitamins. Green feed should be given as tender green grass, vegetable leaves and other feed that is easy to digest and absorb. Each bird is given an average of 1.2-1.5 kg of green feed and 1-1.5 kg of concentrated feed per day.
Growing stage
The growing stage of the ostrich refers to the growth period from 13 weeks of age to before the start of laying. Body weight increases from 40-60 kg to 100 kg. At this time, the young birds are mainly raised by outdoor grazing. When converting chick feed to grower feed, this should be done gradually. In the first and second weeks after the chicks are taken off heat at 3 months of age, change to using 2/3 chick feed plus 1/3 grower feed; in the third week, use 1/3 chick feed plus 2/3 grower feed; by the fourth week, that is, at 4 months of age, use grower feed entirely. At this time, the grower feed provides about 1.5-2.5 kg of concentrated ration per bird per day, of which pasture grass meal can account for 10%-20%. Each bird is given an average of 2.5-3.5 kg, or even 5 kg, of green feed per day, depending on weight gain or loss.
Laying stage
Artificially raised ostriches have relatively regular daily activities, so feeding should be carried out at fixed times and in fixed amounts according to their living patterns. Every morning at dawn, the ostriches run around the edge netting on the exercise ground, and after running for 15-20 minutes they mate and feed. Therefore, the first feeding time is best set at 6:30-7:30 in the morning. Feed 4 times a day, with the intervals between each feeding as equal as possible. The feeding order can be roughage first and then concentrate, or the concentrated feed can be mixed into the green feed and fed together. The amount of concentrated feed is generally controlled at about 1.5 kg per bird to prevent excessive fatness from reducing egg production or stopping laying.
Mature stage
Female ostriches reach sexual maturity at 24-30 months of age, and male ostriches reach sexual maturity at 36 months of age. Before sexual maturity, they are raised in large groups of 20-30 birds each, and one month before laying they are paired and divided into groups. Generally, 4 birds (1 male and 3 females) form one breeding unit. Grouping work is generally carried out in the evening: first introduce the female ostriches into the breeding bird house, and then introduce the males, which can reduce rejection between males and females and between groups.