Assessment of Animal Wellbeing and Evaluation of Productive Parameters of Breeding Ostrich (African black)

Abstract

The present study assessed animal wellbeing and evaluated the productive parameters of breeding African Black ostriches (male and female). The study was carried out at the El Carmen farm (Espexoticas de Colombia) with animals in laying stages (starting from one year of age). Two groups were formed, one with a conventional model (rectangular area) and one in an open productive model. The results come from the comparison and assessment of the production and animal wellbeing indicators between both groups. The experimental process lasted for six months, each group with 18 animals handled in accordance with the corresponding protocol. Five factors were assessed as wellbeing indicators for ostriches: physiologic profile, behavior indicators, assessment of the sanitary condition, physical condition and hygienic condition. Six indicators were taken into account to assess and collect production indicators: food consumption, weight gain, mortality, food conversion, percentage of laying and hosted egg/bird. The results showed that the species suffers more from stress than from fear. The analysis of the project’s profitability after six months showed that the open field system is more effective than the rectangular area, with earnings of $4.768.598 and $3.810.539 respectively, with a profitability of 39% in the rectangular system and 44% in the open field system.