The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Other => Topic started by: SMarshall on April 19, 2012, 02:38:40 pm

Title: Ostrich chicks
Post by: SMarshall on April 19, 2012, 02:38:40 pm

Hi

Has anyone anyone experience in hatching ostrich? Our first chick hatched over the weekend and was doing really well before suddenly going downhill overnight on Tuesday and dying Wednesday morning :-( it was drinking and walking around fine the night before (was under a heat lamp with a couple of emu chicks) but.... We're gutted and have no idea what went wrong.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Steph

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: sabrina on April 19, 2012, 05:09:40 pm

sorry no experience and how sad to lose your chick. I hope someone here can give you an answer.

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: Bert on April 19, 2012, 05:52:49 pm

Sorry I can't help, :(  I've only ever worked with the adult birds.

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: Sylvia on April 21, 2012, 08:21:44 am

I know Moonridge farm in Devon breed Rheas and maybe Ostrich. They have a website and Merv and Kate are very friendly and helpful so you could maybe get in touch with them.

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: SMarshall on April 24, 2012, 04:39:57 pm

Thanks all, and thanks for the suggestion Sylvia.  ?e've hatched rheas before now and the success rate was so-so (some hatched too late in the year last year and got too cold even though they had heat lamps and radiators etc...), we've read that ostrich are a bit more difficult than rhea but it's new to us for 2012 so I'll go hunting for other breeders to get some advice.  The emu chicks though are amazing and proving very sturdy! 11 in the conservatory now!!!

Thanks
Steph

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: Sylvia on April 25, 2012, 07:41:59 am

What will you do with then once they've grown? Have you got a big enough oven ;D

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: shetlandpaul on April 25, 2012, 09:24:22 am

i thought you needed a dangerous animal licence for them. maybe worth talking to a safari park.

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: adamhfc on April 25, 2012, 03:02:46 pm

yeah you do need a dwa for them but not for emu and rhea

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: SMarshall on April 30, 2012, 04:10:53 pm

Hi all,

Not sure what we'll do with the ostrich chicks when grown, it'll depend very much on them keeping going/us working out why the first keeled over!  However, we've just hatched our second and will see if this one keeps going.  Can try the safari park route...

Yes to the DWA licence for ostriches but not for emu's and rhea's.  We've sold a lot of blown eggs for painting but thought we'd see if we can hatch some...fingers crossed.

Steph

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: Hermit on April 30, 2012, 04:51:06 pm

Ostritch burgers are delicious, we had some at the Broughton Hall Game Fair one year. So somebody  somewhere must slaughter and butcher.

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: shetlandpaul on May 08, 2012, 07:17:04 am

ringing there necks would be fun. imagine plucking it on your knee.

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: landroverroy on July 11, 2012, 07:04:14 pm

The only thing I know specifically about ostrich chicks is a bit of information I learnt some years ago when the farming press was full of information about the benefits and profits to be made from ostrich production. There was a letter from a disillusioned  producer informing anyone who was interested that a wheelbarrow will hold 23 dead ostrich chicks. :dunce: 

Title: Re: Ostrich chicks
Post by: YorkshireLass on July 11, 2012, 08:01:08 pm

Quote from: Hermit on April 30, 2012, 04:51:06 pm

Ostritch burgers are delicious, we had some at the Broughton Hall Game Fair one year. So somebody  somewhere must slaughter and butcher.

I knew someone who transported them in cattle wagons. The trick is to get a sock over it's head and lead it in...  :innocent: