OSTRICH FARMING FEASIBILITY STUDY OF OPPORTUNITIES IN PAKISTAN

By Lt. Col. (R) Maqsood ur Rahman Qureshi DVM, M.Sc. , MBA. Mob--0301-8435189 INTRODUCTION : Ostrich is a large flightless hardy bird of African origin. It belongs to running bird family. It has long neck and small head, with large eyes and short broad beak. It spreads small wings while running. The long powerful legs are used for defense. The feet have only two toes. It can survive in temperatures ranging from 2 degrees to 50 degrees Celsius. It can be reared on barren land and mainly consumes lucerne and water. Male ostriches are black, with white wings and tail. The female is dull greyish brown. The females lay their yellowish white eggs together in a single large depression in the sand. The eggs weigh 1-2 kg. The male sits on them at night and the female incubates them by day. The ostrich has been farmed for around 150 years in South Africa, first for its feathers and recently for the hide and now for meat also. Ostrich farming is now an international industry, with South Africa still by far the major player.

Health consciousness in the modern world has led to diversified food habits. The tendency to go for low calorie foods has resulted in increased demand for ostrich meat and it ranks highest among health foods in Europe. The recognition of ostrich meat in terms of health value is attributed to zero percentage fat, low cholesterol and calories, rich in protein and iron. The unique tastes of ostrich meat have been developed into stirfry and steak type meats. These meats have flooded the restaurants in Europe, Japan, Australia and China in a big way. Besides meat, the ostrich produces high premium feathers, oil, luxury leather, and other by-products. The bleached dyed feathers are used as the raw material for fashion accessories, show business, brush industry and automobile accessories. The first organized ostrich farm was established for feathers in 1863 in Karoo and Eastern Cape region of South Africa. Now the ostrich farms are found in Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, USA, England, France and in about 100 other countries. The increased demand of ostrich over the past few years has given way to rearing birds under controlled systems. The intensive system became popular because of adoption of scientific technologies, reduced risk of diseases through improved bio security measures, genetic selection, nutritional innovations, health regimes, and extensive disease surveillance. Scientifically proven management practices resulted in low cost production and improvement in quality of ostrich products. ADVANTAGES OF OSTRICH :

Since this "red" meat has been proven to be quite healthier than traditional red meat, many health conscious consumers throughout the world, who are worried about the risk of heart attacks, high blood pressure, and heart disease, would be interested in the purchasing of ostrich meat.

MEAT SPECIFICATIONS COMPARISON : Meat 85 Grams Beef ( Steak) Chicken Turkey Ostrich Calories 240 140 135 97 Fat Grams 15 3 3 1.7 Cholesterol mg 77 73 59 58

When an ostrich is slaughtered, very little is wasted in the slaughtering process, the meat is sold to distributors and restaurants, the hide is sold for the production of high quality leather products, the nails are ground into a fine dust and sold to the far east for use in some medicines, the feathers of the ostrich are sold to automobile manufacturers and are used in the final stage of painting new automobiles, and lastly, the eyes are sold to research facilities to perform studies to gain more knowledge on human cataracts.

After the success of poultry industry during last two decades ostrich farming has opened new vistas for development. The temperate climate of Pakistan with zero temperatures of sub Himalayan ranges and 45+ calcius temperatures of Sindh and Baluchistan deserts are equally congenial for setting up ostrich farms in the country.

General Identification Colour Height Weight Speed Breeding Specifications Social Life Duration of life Breeding life Sexual Maturity Laying Egg Weight D. General Characteristics Mortality Food Growth Slaughtering Age Meat Output Skin Output

Male Black 8-9 Feet 50 Kg 70 Km/hr

Female Grey 7-8 Feet 130 Kg 70 Km/hr

1 Male for 2-3 Females 70 years 30 years Female 2 years Male 2.5 years 60 Eggs Average Per Hen Per Breeding Year 1.5 Kg

Almost Nil (Only up to 3 months age) Balanced Grain Ration and Fresh Fodder 1 Foot Per Month During the 1st 6 Months 10- 12 months Net Carcase is 50% of Live Weight and 35-40 % Kg Pure Red Meat 14 sq feet

PRODUCTS UTILITIES Products Leather Meat Feather Tourism Characteristics Outlets Pearl or grain Suppleness,Luxury -Leather Goods Baggage, Rusticity Brief Cases, High Fashion Shoes Red, Tender, Tasty, Dietic Roasted, Grilled, like young beef Suppleness, Anti-Static Decoration, Brushes, Festivals ShowFarm, Natural or Painted Egg Shells Infertile Eggs Light Yellow 4 Natural ,Carved ,Painted

INCREDIBLE FEED TO WEIGHT GAIN RATIO:

The overall feed to weight gain ratio of cattle is 7:1 and that of sheep is 5:1. The overall feed to weight ratio gain of an ostrich is 2:1 during the first few months of their lives and this climbs to only 3.5:1 during their normal development for processing at 9 months or so. The benefits are considerable: less maintenance, less feed and of course less animal waste.

COMPARISON OF BEEF CATTLE V/S OSTRICH The comparative economics of ostrich v/s beef cattle indicates that ostrich farming has an edge over cattle farming in terms of high returns on investments.

Added to the high returns the operational advantages found are: - The bird can be reared in paddock along with sheep, goat and cattle. - The birds need no dipping, drenching, milking and shearing. - The adaptability of the bird is equally high on annual and perennial pastures.

Particulars Land Gestation Offspring per year

Beef Cattle 30,000sq feet per pair 280 days 1 5

Ostrich 4800 feet per pair 42 days 30

Meat Production Time Meat Production Per Annum No of Hides Cost of Feed Per Day Breeding years Meat Price Per Kg

10 months 120Kg 1 Rs.40-60 10-11 Rs.180

10 months 1350 Kg 30 Rs.25 40-45 $ 12 Or Rs.750

PRODUCTION SYSTEM : - Is based on the basis of 2 different rearing techniques: Poultry and Cow Farming. - Production is a semi-intensive farming ,indoors and outdoors (building and free space)

PRODUCTION CYCLE (4 STEPS) Age 1 day to 3 months 4-12 months 12-24months + 24 Months Housing Poultry Building-Adjoining Free Space Cow or Sheep Building and Adjoining Free Space Free Space, Building is Optional 2-3 Kanals Land for one trio ( Building is Optional ) The general practice is one male for two females (trio) for an average output of 60 eggs per female and 120 eggs for breeding season, and with good rearing techniques one can get 75 slaughter birds (10 months period). Space Requirements (Trio) Age Indoor Outdoor

Starters(Chicks) Fattening Ostriches Selection For Breeding Breeders

1-21 Days 22-90 Days 90-300 Days Breeder/Selection 12 Months and Older

Building 2 sq Feet/Bird 3 sq Feet Per Bird Open Shelter

According to the Climate 10-15 Sq Feet /Bird 30 Sq Feet Per Bird Min

150 Sq Feet 3 sq feet 300 Sq Feet Per Bird Min

Per Bird 2000 Sq Feet Only Open Space 1500-2000 Sq Feet/Bird Open Shelter 15 Sq Feet Min space 2000 Sq Feet Per Bird

The open shelter should offer protection on 3 sides with a door on the 4th side. The opening should be minimum 4.5 feet wide. The shelter will be minimum 8 feet high. The fence should be minimum 4.5 feet high for the birds and breeders (according to the farm and objectives) with a post for every 12 feet. SUGGESTED DIET: Starter Calculated Analysis % Protein % Crude Fat % Calcium % Available Phosphate % Crude Fiber Salt (NaCl) 0-8 wks 18.0 3.0 1.35 0.72 6.0 0.90 9 wks-17 months 18.0 3.5 1.35 0.64 11.0 0.50 18 months+ 24.5 3.5 2.40 0.70 11.0 0.60 Grower Layer

Ingredient
Oats, heavy, pulverized Alfalfa meal, 17% protein Soybean meal, 44% protein

Percentage by Weight
30.0 30.0 10.0

Fish meal, menhaden Meat and bone meal, 50% protein Brewers dried yeast Soybean oil Oat hulls, pulverized Dl-methione Salt Dicalcium phosphate Vitamin and mineral premixes Crude protein Crude fat Crude fiber Lysine Arginine Methionine Tryptophan Calcium Available phosphorus Magnesium Sodium chloride Potassium Iron Copper Zinc Manganese Iodine Selenium Vitamin A Vitamin D-3 Vitamin E Vitamin K Thiamine Riboflavin Niacin Pyridoxine Pantothenic acid Folic acid Biotin

5.0 2.5 2.5 2.0 16.5 0.05 0.5 0.5 0.5 18.0% 3.0% 17.0% 0.85% 1.0% 0.36% 0.18% 1.05% 0.5% .05% 0.4% 0.6% 100 ppm 10 ppm 100 ppm 130 ppm 0.4 ppm 0.2 ppm 10,000 IU/kg 1,000 ICU/kg 120 IU/kg 1.5 ppm 3 ppm 5 ppm 90 ppm 6 ppm 24 ppm 4.0 ppm 0.25 ppm

Vitamin B-12 Choline Linoleic acid

0.015 ppm 1,500 ppm 1.2%

COST - CHICK TO BREEDER: Cost of One Trio Chick Feed Cost First Year @548Kg,Rs 15/kg for three chicks 2nd Year @2.5Kg per bird for Three Total Cost PRODUCTION PHASE : Breeder Feed for One Year 60 Chicks Feed@ 548 Kg per bird Total Expenditure GROSS SALES : Cattle Rs.3000 83 Kg Rs.15000 Rs.18000 Ostrich $ 21000 Rs.13,23,000 (1) Rs.180/Kg $27000 Rs.17,00,000 (2) $3000 Rs.189000 (3) $25,500 Rs.32,12,000 Rs.41000 Rs.493200 Rs.534200 Rs.30000 Rs. 24660 Rs.41062 Rs95722

Hide Value Meat Plumage Value Total Economic Value

(1) 14 sq.ft.x$25 sq.ft.x60 offspring per year (2) 30 Kg (choice cuts) x $15/Kg x 60 offspring (3) Assume an average of 60 birds per year REQUIREMENT : 1.Start an ostrich chick farm of 300 birds. 2.Have a breeding farm of 100 hens and 60 males. 9

3.Have sufficient incubators for 100 hens. 4.Have chicks and sell chicks for rearing at low rates to different farms at 2 months age. 5.Have a small feed mill to make feed for own farm and selling to private farmers. 6.Buy back ostrich when they are 12 months old. 7.Slaughtering and selling 12 months old in the market at cost to cost basis. 8.Welcome visits of the private farmers and extend necessary training to farm ostrich farming. 9. CONCLUSION : After the success of poultry industry during last two decades ostrich farming can open new vistas for development. The all type weather of Pakistan with different temperatures of NWFP, greens of Punjab, deserts of Sindh and Baluchistan , cheap labor and cheap feed availability are equally congenial for setting up ostrich farms in the country .In abundance production of low fat and low cholesterol meat will allow consumers to have energy protein with out fear of heart and other health problems. I am confidant that after taking the start in Pakistan, very soon we can be the world leader in ostrich farming.

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