Ostrich farms, which are now ubiquitous in farms in the southern and temperate latitudes, are gaining popularity and are becoming a profitable business project. Poultry meat, eggs, feathers and skin are in demand. In order to correctly determine the cost of maintaining the livestock, it is necessary to know how long the ostrich grows in an artificial environment before the optimal slaughter date that is economically beneficial for the breeder.
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How long does an ostrich grow before slaughter?
The main parameter for determining the date of slaughter is not age, but body weight. Physical performance, including weight gain, depends on:
- breeds;
- gender;
- conditions of detention;
- food quality;
- features of the development of an individual from an early age.
Newborn ostrich chicks weigh, on average, from 1.2 to 1.5 kilograms. With proper care, chicks grow quickly. Body weight increases more than 10 times in the first 3 months of life. Males are initially born larger than females, and by the age of three months the difference in weight reaches 1 kilogram.
With a balanced diet in the second year of life, ostriches gain body weight from 100 to 120 kilograms, which is considered the optimal weight for slaughter. The lower limit is used to guide the slaughter of females, and the upper limit is used for males. Intensive fattening reduces the period of gaining the desired weight to 1 year. More often, livestock are ready for slaughter at the age of 1.5 years. Keeping it longer than this age becomes unprofitable for the owner.
Females intended to receive eggs are left for a long period of time. In artificial conditions, birds lay eggs more actively, the number of which reaches 100 eggs per year. Adult domestic ostriches, on average, weigh from 120 to 150 kilograms.
The weight of representatives of heavy breeds with good fattening can exceed 200 kilograms. Mature males are usually 20-40% heavier than females.
How many years does a bird live?
Ostriches reach sexual maturity by the age of three. The productivity of males lasts up to 40 years, and the egg production of females lasts up to 25-30 years. The life expectancy of ostriches under favorable conditions can reach a record 75 years, the average life expectancy is 30-50 years.
In the natural habitat it is difficult to live to an old age. You have to defend yourself from predators, fight rivals, and get food.In a poultry yard, the lifespan of birds depends on the breeder’s goals, nutrition, living conditions and care.
