Ostrich Breeds

[Nicophorus]

I had some questions about ostrich breeds in the U.S.

I hear people refer to them as red, blue, or black necked ostrich, but how does that correspond to the actual subspecies of ostrich? I assume the red necked ostrich is the north African ostrich (S. c. camelus) ? Or can it also be the masai ostrich (S. c. massaicus) that also has red/orange legs and neck? How can one tell the difference between these two sub species?

The blue necked ostrich, is this the Somali Ostrich from the wild? (S. c. molybdophanes) Is this type of ostrich really farmed?

The black necked ostrich, well that leaves just one kind left, the Southern Ostrich (S. c. australis) I cant find any reference to their actual color of neck/legs during breeding. I somehow doubt its black (where did this name come from?). A few pictures ive come across shows them kinda blue necked. This southern ostrich is the one they farm a lot in south Africa and so im sure has got to be the most common one in captivity.

So basically when ostrich farmers say "I have red necked ostrich" or "I have black ostrich" what is it they are really meaning? And is it safe to say that most all ostrich on ostrich farms in the U.S. are hybridized? Are certain sub species known to be better at certain aspects of ostrich farming? (red for meat/leather, black for feathers is the only ones I've heard about in passing)

I'm sure I could find some of these answers on the ostrich associations old forums, but for the life of me I cant access them... anyone here with access to them or its administrator that can let them know their forums can't be viewed?

 

[fionab]

Since ostrich were first introduced all over the world, very little, if any meaningful records were kept on the source of the birds. This article explains a little about the different breeds and why the lack of information. http://www.blue-mountain.net/bulletin/bull87.htm . This article from the World Ostrich Association includes the only summary I am aware of. http://world-ostrich.org/ostrich-genetics/ Feather colouring can be influenced not only by breed, but often by the diet fed - especially if the birds are lacking in certain minerals. I hope that helps to answer your question.

 

[fionab]

I am sorry, that second link has an additional space added at the end of the path, so does not work - http://world-ostrich.org/ostrich-genetics/

 

[29PalmsRanch]

I had some questions about ostrich breeds in the U.S.

I hear people refer to them as red, blue, or black necked ostrich, but how does that correspond to the actual subspecies of ostrich? I assume the red necked ostrich is the north African ostrich (S. c. camelus) ? Or can it also be the masai ostrich (S. c. massaicus) that also has red/orange legs and neck? How can one tell the difference between these two sub species?

The blue necked ostrich, is this the Somali Ostrich from the wild? (S. c. molybdophanes) Is this type of ostrich really farmed?

The black necked ostrich, well that leaves just one kind left, the Southern Ostrich (S. c. australis) I cant find any reference to their actual color of neck/legs during breeding. I somehow doubt its black (where did this name come from?). A few pictures ive come across shows them kinda blue necked. This southern ostrich is the one they farm a lot in south Africa and so im sure has got to be the most common one in captivity.

So basically when ostrich farmers say "I have red necked ostrich" or "I have black ostrich" what is it they are really meaning? And is it safe to say that most all ostrich on ostrich farms in the U.S. are hybridized? Are certain sub species known to be better at certain aspects of ostrich farming? (red for meat/leather, black for feathers is the only ones I've heard about in passing)

I'm sure I could find some of these answers on the ostrich associations old forums, but for the life of me I cant access them... anyone here with access to them or its administrator that can let them know their forums can't be viewed?

Red Ostrich: http://www.africa-uganda-business-t...OMMON_OSTRICH_Uganda_Birding_Safari_Guide.jpg

Reds are great for Meat, Feathers, but put out a small amount of eggs per year. They also have VERY nasty dispositions.


Black Ostrich: http://www.duiops.net/seresvivos/galeria/avestruces/BA11037.jpg

Not as big as Reds, but still HUGE They are more prolific egg layers than Reds, less than Blues. The have moderate dispositions.


Blue Ostrich: (this one has a watermark but you can see the skin on their necks better: http://imagecache5d.art.com/Crop/cr...=1000&h=1000&size=2&maxw=1108&maxh=748&q=100f

The smallest of the three, but PROLIFIC egg layers. These are VERY sweet birds.


We run Blue/Black crosses which yield big birds who lay a ton of eggs. Our hens after their second year can drop 60 - 80 per year. We also have a super long breeding season because of our location. Our hens start dropping at the end of January and go through the end of November unless we get a killer cold snap.

The folks who have the Ostrich Association are good people. It's just that when the bottom fell out of the breeder market, a ton of people exited the industry. Now that 20k birds and 60k - 100k trios/quads haven't happened for a long time, the price on eggs and birds has dropped significantly. We usually sell our trios DNS sex tested for 3,000 (M/F/F), quads for 4,000. We really like for the buyers to pick them up in person if possible.

The demand for meat is going through the roof in Europe because of a massive loss of breeders in South Africa in March 2011. There is an increasing demand for the meat here in the US as well. I know of a few meat processors here in the US who are buying all of the ostrich they can get their hands on. However, it is much more profitable to market your own meat if you can get it processed by a USDA inspected facility and stored properly on your farm. Retail, the meat is trading for 30.00 - 40.00 per pound. The problem with the market is that you are going to have to do your own marketing to achieve max profit. The difference is 2,000 - 3,000 per bird vs. 450.00 - 750.00 per bird. It's huge. There really isn't a network that you can 'plug into' to move meat unless it's just a processor that you are shipping out to.

We have a person locally who tans the hides for us for a pretty moderate cost (50. - 75. per hide). They trade for 300 - 500 each for first quality. Feathers off of a big bird can move for 100 - 150 depending on who is buying. And meat yields are going to be somewhere between 50 - 70 pounds per bird depending on grow out methods and age that you send them to slaughter.

I personally believe that the retail meat prices are going to continue to stabilize as the cattle industry prices are driven up by the cost of corn and transport. If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where pastures can be grown out naturally without a lot of added irrigation like we are, you have way less of a feed cost. We cross plant our pastures in Alfalfa and whatever season Rye is going on so they can graze/free range at will.

If you check out the bird that is standing in front of me in my profile pic, that's a blue/black cross male. His name is Molenex. I'm 6.1 in flip flops. He's about 7 feet tall. Anything I have to look up to is big He's HUGE )

We raise breeder birds for 5 breeds of Quail, 7 breeds of pheasants, 5 breeds of chickens, and our ostriches. Out of all of them, the ostrich is my favorite. I say all the time that there is nothing like slinging your arm around an ostrich, and going for a walk and a talk. My birds are very friendly, come when they are called, very curious and just like to hang out... like birds do... in a flock. They are like dealing with 300 pound chickens that can kick your butt or your front depending on how you are facing them. If you can get them to recognize you as one of their own, they are a blast

 

[Nicophorus]

Great info Fionab and Palms. Thanks.