Young Chick Rearing & Management Practices

Management plays a key role in successful ostrich chick rearing. The raising of chicks is one of the most important parts of the whole production process. The age of 0-8 weeks is where the highest mortalities are experienced. As an industry, it will be imperative that through experience, research and knowledge, we learn to reduce mortalities. Increasing our production numbers is an important step towards delivering a consistent supply of meat, and by-products like leather, oil, and bone-meal into the commercial marketplace.

Some important chick-rearing guidelines, established by experienced producers, should be considered:

An important factor in managing chicks, of any age, is ventilation. This is frequently overlooked, but is extremely important, especially during the winter months, under confined conditions.

Young chicks up to 3 months of age require proper environmental controls - such as heat, humidity, draft-free conditions, controlled weather parameters.

During the first 4-5 days of a chick's life, adequate nutrition is received from the yolk sac, which was absorbed into the abdomen via the umbilical cord, before the chick hatched. This yolk sac absorbs at different rates in different chicks. Adequate physical activity plays a critical role in the proper utilization of the yolk sac - improper absorption leads to a condition called "yolk-sac retention", which may require costly surgical intervention. Starter feed should be placed before chicks from day one, so that they can begin to eat when ready to do so.

Young chicks must be raised with other ostrich chicks in groups. They are very social animals and cannot survive on their own. They learn by mimicking other birds. In the wild, chicks learn eating habits from observing their parents - in commercial feeding operations chicks do better if provided with "foster mums" that can teach normal healthy eating habits by example. Good success has been achieved by putting pygmy goats into the pen with newly hatched chicks. The goats adopt the baby chicks, and the chicks mimic the eating behavior of the goats. Stress levels in chicks are also greatly reduced, because they have the security of a "parent". Whenever noise or motion occurs in the pen area - that would normally panic small chicks - they look to the pygmy goat to see if it is disturbed. If the goat reacts, they react. If the goat ignores the event, they calm right down and carry on with their activities.

Some producers still weigh newly hatched chicks daily for the first 10-14 days of life, to monitor weight gain or loss. Many producers, however, find that this causes undue stress in chicks, which results in increased losses due to impaction and susceptibility to diseases. Instead of weighing, these producers use visual observation to determine chick status. This is, of course, more easily done by experienced producers. Some of the early adverse signs to watch closely for are chicks that persistently carry their neck in a low-tucked-in "S" shaped curve, and who pretend to eat with the other chicks, but are not actually swallowing any feed. Chicks may loose weight for the first 5-6 days, but should begin to gain daily thereafter. An extended weight loss, or failure to gain as rapidly as the other chicks, may indicate an illness or yolk sac retention problem. If chick weighing is used as a management practice, handling of birds should be minimized. Care should be taken to avoid stressing the chick by chasing it or by making sudden movements or loud noises.

It is not a good idea to let visitors pick up, or otherwise handle young chicks, like they would other interesting small animals or pets that they are curious about.

Young chicks require lots of exercise for proper leg and foot development, and overall well-being. A balanced diet that has the proper combination of vitamins, minerals and protein levels is important to proper growth. Feed and water containers placed at opposite ends of the pen encourages exercise.

Ostriches need grit for proper grinding, digestion and assimilation of feed. Granite grit may be mixed with the feed at a rate of 1-2% of feed. Always monitor grit consumption, and change to a larger size of grit as birds grow.

Some of the key factors in chick rearing are: genetics, health status, management, weather conditions, nutrition, brooding practices, facilities and environment, and stress conditions.

The most common problems encountered with young chicks under three to four months of age are: yolk sac retention / infection, stress, impactions of the stomach, toe/leg rotations, and bacterial infections of the stomach.

Chicks which are hatched early in the spring and summer are much more vibrant with higher maternal immunity to disease, than those which are hatched in the fall, or late in the season of the production cycle.

Chicks hatch with an immunity (derived from the hen through the yolk) to bacteria. As this immunity only lasts a few weeks, it is to the chick's advantage to ingest non-pathogenic bacteria, which then occupy the attachment sites in the intestines. Some producers allow the chicks to have fresh manure from the mother hen as soon as they begin to feed. This is typically what happens in nature. Alternatively, there are commercial products available to administer to young chicks.

These are called probiotics - though the efficacy of these has not yet been proven in ostriches. It is recommended as of the latest tests.

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