Distinctive ostrich farming introduced to explore a new path to prosperity
On November 16, at a distinctive ostrich breeding base in Chixi Town, Jiaocheng District, a group of ostriches that had hatched just over a month earlier were pecking at grass feed. Fu Tengfa, the person in charge of the base, was using a shovel to turn over the grass feed for the ostriches while carefully checking whether there were any impurities in the feed.
"These young ostriches not only look cute, they also have an artistic streak. When they wake up in the morning they 'dance,' and when they grow up every part of them is valuable..." Fu Tengfa patiently introduced this group of "special visitors" from Africa. He told reporters that the ostrich is a huge, flightless but fast-running bird from Africa, and is also the largest living bird in the world, reaching up to 3 m in height, with black feathers all over its body, a long bare neck, short wings and long legs. The more than 50 young ostriches currently at the base had just arrived more than a month earlier, and each now weighs more than 20 jin. Their growth information is good, and after 8 to 10 months of raising, they will be fully grown.
It is understood that ostriches have advantages such as tolerance of coarse feed and strong adaptability, which conforms to the industrial policy of developing "grain-saving" herbivorous animals. They have received strong support from the state, and the breeding prospects are broad. "In our rural areas many people raise chickens, geese and so on, so we just wanted to find some more distinctive breeds to raise. Later, after discussing and investigating with my son, we found that ostrich farming is relatively extensive, and they are also hatched from eggs, so we finally chose to raise ostriches." Speaking of the original intention behind raising ostriches, Fu Tengfa said that demand in the ostrich market currently exceeds supply, and the market in the Ningde area is basically blank. It is still a niche market, but he believes that in the future ostrich farming can create even more value.
"On the one hand, ostrich farming can be used for sightseeing by tourists. On the other hand, ostrich eggshells are comparable to ivory in hardness, and after painted decoration and carving, the finished handicrafts are worth a great deal. If things go smoothly, later we can also expand the consumer market for ostrich meat and ancillary products. Our idea is to develop ostriches as an industry." Fu Tengfa feels this is a good project. Once he has gained more experience in raising ostriches, he also plans to have his fellow villagers nearby raise them on his behalf, driving more fellow villagers to prosperity.