How to Care for Adult Ostriches

Ostrich farming has been popular in other countries for years, and is recently becoming popular in the United States. Ostriches are farmed for their meat, feathers and a hide that is similar to leather. While caring for adult ostriches is easier than ostrich chicks, there are many things that you need to do to keep adult ostriches healthy.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Ostrich pellets
• Alfalfa or clover sprouts
• Grit and gravel
• Pen
• Cleaning supplies
• Shade source or a shed
• Water source
• Incubator

1. Decide how you're going to house your ostriches. There is a great deal of debate about whether to house ostriches in male and female pairs, separate them according to sexes, separate them depending on the breeding season or turn several male and female ostriches together in a large area. However, most experts agree that juvenile ostriches from 1 year old until sexual maturity should be separated by the sexes.
2. Design adult ostrich pens so they are over 200 yards square, and in a rectangular shape so ostriches can run at will. It is recommended that you provide shade and a shed, though ostriches may not utilize these even during rough weather.
3. Feed your adult ostriches pelleted food and provide roughage such as alfalfa and clover cuttings. If you provide cuttings, you will need to provide grit and gravel to aid in proper digestion. Farm ostriches that are laying eggs may need additional calcium and phosphorous additions to their diet.
4. Watch your birds carefully for signs of stress such as feather-picking. Ostriches can become stressed very easily, so be vigilant.
5. Do not wear anything shiny when caring for your ostriches since they are very attracted to shiny objects. Adult ostriches can also be aggressive, especially during mating season.
6. Gather any eggs daily, keep them clean, turn them several times a day and store them in an incubation area. It takes about 39 to 44 days for an ostrich egg to hatch. Ostriches can lay up to fifty eggs per year in a farm, as long as the eggs are removed from the nest.

Tips & Warnings

• There is a great deal of debate in the ostrich community about how to care for these birds. Speak to your veterinarian for the best advice for farming ostriches.
• These steps should not take the place of speaking to a veterinarian or experienced ostrich farmer.