Adequate and appropriate nutrition is essential for the production of high quality commercially farmed animal species. Although South Africa has had a well-established ostrich industry for over a century, little information on ostrich nutrition, in particular the specific nutritional requirements at different stages of production, is available. The industry has consequently relied heavily on data derived from poultry and pigs, but this has often proved to be unsatisfactory for ostriches and has resulted in serious nutritional-related problems. Recent studies on the metabolisable energy of specific components of diet formulations and balanced diets have indicated that ostriches have enhanced digestibility compared with poultry and pigs. At the same time, in the present economic climate, it is necessary to find cost-effective diets for breeding birds without compromising egg and chick production. This study primarily assessed the effect of different dietary protein and energy levels on production parameters and body condition of breeding female and male ostriches. The energy content of the diet appears to be the main constraint to egg production and breeders on low energy diets laid fewer eggs and lost more body condition compared with breeders fed higher energy diets. A diet with 8.5 MJ/kg DM and 10% protein with well balanced amino acids appears to be sufficient for female breeders without compromising production and a diet with 7.5 MJ/kg DM and 10% protein appears suitable for breeding male ostriches. Different dietary energy and protein levels similarly had little or no effect on egg quality and composition. This study also assessed the carry-over effect of the nutritional regime in one year on the production in the following breeding season. Females fed diets as low as 7.5 MJ/kg ME in the previous breeding season produced significantly fewer eggs in the next breeding season, which resulted in lower chick production. Energy had no effect on the percentage infertile eggs or on the initial egg weight. Different levels of dietary protein had no effect on egg production, egg weight, fertility, hatchability and initial chick weight.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:rhodes/vital:5805 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Brand, Zanell |
| Publisher | Rhodes University, Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, Masters, MSc |
| Format | 74 p., pdf |
| Rights | Brand, Zanell |
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