• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.773-788
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• 2003

Ostrich farming is a developing industry in most countries in the world, with farm profitability being largely dependent on the quality of the products, especially skins and meat. To produce quality products, it is essential to ensure that nutrient supply matches the nutrient requirements of ostriches during their growth. To achieve this, information on feed utilisation efficiency and nutrient requirements of ostriches at different maturity stages is required. In South Africa, a number of experiments were carried out to assess the nutritive value of feed and to define the nutrient requirement of ostriches. These data were derived from limited number of birds and the direct application of the results to ostrich farming in Australia and other countries is questionable due to the difference in environment and feed resources. Initially ostrich farmers used data from poultry as a guideline for feed formulation, but in recent years more data has become available for ostriches. Ostriches have a better feed utilisation efficiency and a larger capacity of using high fibre feeds such as pastures than poultry. This review revealed that there are a number of areas there further nutritional research and development is required to ensure the ostriches are provided suitable diets to maximise farm profitability. These include the assessment of the nutritive value of feed ingredients for ostrich chicks and adult birds, the determination of nutrient requirements of ostriches under different farming systems, the development of ostrich diet for producing specific product, and grazing management strategies of ostriches in a crop-pasture rotation system.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.44-54
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• 2002

The fresh eggs of African ostrich in Korea were used in this study to investigate their interior and exterior quality characteristics. In ostrich egg shape characteristics, long and short length were measured as 15.1~16.1 cm and 12.1~13.6 cm, respectively. The egg shape index was calculated as 81.0 and the egg shell showed a more g loss white in color than that of hen egg. Calculated breaking strength of egg shell and egg shell surface based on the equation were $41.155kg/cm^3$ and $804.7cm^2$, respectively. Average egg shell thickness including egg shell membrane was 1.89 mm and there are no differences among parts of the shell. The egg shell membrane thickness was 0.10 mm showing relatively thick in equator compared with that of blunt end. The ave rage number of egg shell pores was counted as $19.7/cm^2$ showing relatively high number of egg shell pores at point end and the total number of egg shell pores in an egg was estimated as 15,241. The relative port ion of each parts based on egg weight was estimated as 25.1% for egg yolk, 58.2% for egg white, 16.7% for egg shell and the ratio of egg yolk to egg white (Y/W) was 0.43. The average diameter and the ave rage height of ostrich egg white were 19.7 cm and 13.2 mm, respectively. Calculated the H.U (Haugh Unit) was -69.7 and the pH was 8.3. In ostrich egg yolk, the diameter, the height, the egg yolk index, and it's pH were calculated as 14.4 cm, 29.4 mm, 0.20, and 6.6, respectively. And the egg yolk color showed a more thin in yellow chroma compared with that of hen egg as due to it's thicker membrane.