Livestock, Ostrich Breeds

There are three commonly named "breeds" of ostrich - the African Black,
the Blue Neck, and the Red Neck.

The differences between the three can sometimes become quite "fuzzy", making it difficult
to determine which "breed" a bird truly is.
The African Black, which was bred from Blue lines for its superior feather quality,
is usually shorter (6 to7 feet), more docile, and has a light gray-white tinged skin.
The Blue Neck (Blue), so named because of the bluish tinge to the underlying skin,
especially in the neck area, is generally taller (7 - 9 feet) than the Black.
The Red Neck (Red) is the tallest and largest of the three, reaching 8- 10 feet.
Reds have a strong reddish tinge to the underlying skin which is especially noticeable
during breeding season. They are generally considered more aggressive.

Cross-bred lines have resulted from selective breeding; for positive traits like meat productivity, early maturation, conformation, easier handling, and faster growth rates.
Increasingly, more emphasis is being placed on the desirable traits of a particular
blood-line, rather than on the more uncertain definition of "breed" type

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