The ostrich is a ratite flightless bird. Not long ago, scientists concluded that the DNA of the African ostrich is similar to the DNA of the Tyrannosaurus rex. But it also has common features with ordinary chicken. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to reliably determine who the ostrich’s ancestor is.
At the end of the 19th century, ostriches began to be domesticated. The growth rate of this industry was quite low. This is due to diseases spread by birds. And only in the 80s of the twentieth century, breeding ostriches at home began to gain momentum.
Small brain size
Man often disdained this bird, considering it the stupidest divine creature. Scientists confirm this opinion, citing as evidence the Bible and research results, where it is written in black and white that the size of an ostrich’s eyes is larger than its brain.
German zoologist Alfred Edmund did not particularly respect this bird: “I have been studying the lifestyle of ostriches for a long time, and therefore I will not refute public opinion. Yes, this bird is one of the most stupid creatures known on our Earth. They gather in packs, obey not only the leader, but also their teacher, and also feel free only in the area to which they are accustomed. This is where their options end. Obeying the call of instincts, ostriches can offend any animal, or during a fit of anger, swallow everything that fits into their mouth. If a similar desire does not arise, you can even walk towards them, they will not even show that they have noticed it. Ostriches occupy a leading place among those birds that are completely dependent on their instincts and glimpses of momentary desires."
How do ostrich chicks develop?
It takes a long time to hatch ostrich chicks. Only after 40 days the chicks are born. Each of them weighs just over a kilogram, otherwise he would not survive. Ostrich chicks grow and develop quickly. After a couple of months they have real plumage. They gain strength and soon begin to move at the speed of adult birds. Young ostriches remain under the protection of their parents for about two years. Then they leave the nest and create their own harems.
There are no orphans in ostrich families. If different families meet in the same territory, they try to lure other people’s chicks to themselves.
In nature, there are herds with many ostrich chicks (300 or more).
Young ostriches live with their parents for up to two years, after which they go their separate ways.
The desire to eat is a sign of curiosity
Last but not least, due to the size of the ostrich's brain, it tends to eat everything it can get, in front of any number of witnesses. But thanks to the wild human imagination, such witnesses like to embellish reality. For example, we can recall people who lived 2000 years ago. They swore that the ostrich eats absolutely everything. If there is not enough food, these birds come to visit blacksmiths, who are ready to treat them with flaming iron straight from the anvil. The ostrich swallows the iron and almost instantly releases it from the rectum, returning it as hot as before. But digestive juices do their job, and the iron loses a little weight and begins to ring when it hits the floor.
Of course, this is a deception. There could not be any hot iron in the stomach of an ostrich, even purely theoretically. But instead you can see stones and small metal products. This bird has a special digestion system that needs help processing food. Therefore, inside the ostrich’s brain there is natural information about stones suitable for this purpose. And the metal ends up there due to the bird’s usual curiosity at the sight of a sparkling object. For his daily diet, he chooses completely different products. This list includes plants, insects, small animals and lizards.
Domestication of ostriches
Back in 1650 BC, there were attempts to domesticate this bird in the territory of Ancient Egypt by the Egyptians. Only in the 19th century, the first ostrich farm began operating in South America. Then similar farms began to appear, like mushrooms after rain, in African countries, North America, and also in southern Europe. Being in captivity, ostriches do not require special conditions of detention, but they are distinguished by high endurance.
Ostriches that live in African countries easily get used to the conditions of the northern regions. In this regard, the practice of keeping such birds is gaining momentum every year. Despite the fact that African ostriches can easily tolerate frosts down to -30 degrees, they do not feel comfortable in conditions of sudden temperature changes. Ostriches are negatively affected by drafts and wet snow, which can cause them to get sick and die.
There are no problems when organizing the diet, since ostriches eat almost everything, although they do not eat so little. For every day you need at least 5 kg of food, and the food should be varied, enriched with minerals and vitamins. This is especially true for young animals, which must receive enough protein food to promote active growth.
It is permissible to feed a domestic ostrich:
- Corn grains or corn porridge.
- Porridge made from wheat grains.
- Porridge based on barley and oats.
- Chopped greens of nettle, alfalfa, clover, etc.
- Crushed vitamin hay from the same herbs.
- Herbal flour.
- Root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, beets, etc.
- Fermented milk products, in the form of cottage cheese, milk, etc.
- Any kind of trash fish.
- Meat and bone meal and fish meal.
- Crushed egg shells.
It is important to know! Ostrich farming in our time is a separate branch of poultry farming, which allows us to obtain delicious meat, eggs, and ostrich skin.
Ostrich feathers, which have an attractive decorative appearance, are considered an equally valuable product. Ostrich fat has a number of useful functions, since it does not cause allergies and helps wound healing, eliminating various inflammatory processes. Therefore, we can safely say that in our time, keeping ostriches at home is a promising and profitable business.
Black African ostrich. Reproduction and content. Zoo farm "Alexin-ostrich".
Brain-eye comparison
Science has proven the biologically strange structure of the ostrich skull. This oddity is manifested in the fact that the ostrich's brain is smaller than its eye. But in fairness, it is worth noting how this weight exceeds not one, but both eyes. The mass of a bird's brain is between 40 and 60 grams, and this figure can only be surpassed by two eyes, which are also the largest organs of vision of all earthly creatures living on this planet.
In addition to the physiological parameters and brain size of the ostrich, this bird has many other features. Yet perhaps the most striking feature is the eyes. They are framed by fluffy eyelashes, protecting them from debris in gusts of wind. To protect themselves from predators, ostriches have developed excellent visual acuity. In addition, the beaks of males become red during the breeding season.
Are ratites facing extinction?
Representatives of this class were mercilessly exterminated, killed, and are doing so today. They are often hunted for their plumage. African ostrich feathers are used as a decorative element in costumes and interior design. Fashion designers love to use it in their products. Ostrich skin is thin, yet durable and soft. It was adapted for the manufacture of clothing, shoes, and accessories. They have incredibly tasty meat that can satisfy the taste of even knowledgeable gourmets. Eggs are edible, nutritious, and rich in vitamins. Because of this, bird hunting continues today.
This caused the extinction of an entire species of the ratite family in 1966. But today more ostrich farms have begun to appear.
Representatives of the family have adapted to almost any living conditions. They are bred not only in hot countries, but also in temperate latitudes of our planet. Thanks to this, as well as many nature reserves and zoos, they are no longer in danger of extinction.
After decades of mass shooting, ostriches are finally protected by law.
Popular theory about the life of these birds
Many people believe that the ostrich's brain is so primitive that in moments of extreme stress, this bird does not run away, but buries its head in the sand. It is a myth. The hot air of the savannah creates the flickering illusion of moving sand. This contributes to the impression as if the bird did not just put its head on the sand, but stuck it inside it.
This myth was taken seriously not only by ordinary people, but also by well-known scientists - Timothy (the creator of the scientific collection “On Animals”) and Pliny the Elder, who is credited with the authorship of “Natural History”. Pliny was believed more due to the fact that he was among Vespasian's courtiers, and came to Africa at the direction of his superior.
Modern fauna research has proven that ostriches search for fine gravel on the surface of the earth, which they can swallow and improve their digestion process. If they have recently escaped from a predator, then in a state of fatigue they may lay their heads on the sand, trying to rest and gain strength. Therefore, regardless of the size of the ostrich’s brain, it contains all the necessary natural instincts. They allow the bird to lead a full life without any special glimpses of intelligence.
Habitat
Representatives of the ostrich family live on the warmest continent of our planet on both sides of the equator. The male ostrich is polygamous. His family includes several females, although he singles out one of them. It is she who helps him hatch chicks, raise them, and take care of their offspring. The leading lady has slight privileges in the herd.
Quite often, the ostrich lives together with zebras and antelopes. The latter have nothing against this, and even give them places with richer food.
He has a long neck, sharp eyesight, and sensitive hearing. It is difficult for the enemy to surprise him. The ostrich will certainly notice the enemy and warn everyone in the immediate area about the danger. He is able to spot a predator at a distance of more than five kilometers. Noticing the danger, the bird gives a loud cry and rushes to run. Running speed at the moment of danger can exceed 70 km/h.
The ostrich has excellent eyesight and can see a predator at a distance of 5 km
Species protection
The ostrich needed radical and serious security measures. An organization that protects the Sahara decided to call on people to help save the population and return the ostrich to the wild. Today, the Sahara Fund has already achieved considerable success in protecting the African ostrich.
The company assisted in taking some important measures in the construction of nurseries and consulted with experts on the topic of poultry breeding in captivity. Great assistance was provided to one of the zoos in breeding ostriches.
A nursery has been created in an African village with all the necessary conditions for ostriches in the east. The support of the authorities helped bring a flock of birds to protected areas and release them into nature reserves to continue living in their natural habitat, in freedom.
Thanks to the measures taken to protect the bird, it is possible to avoid the rapid development of poaching and preserve the population.
The ostrich is a unique bird of its kind. It has a long history, is well suited for farming and does not require special living conditions. Many farmers are happy with the decision to start breeding ostriches, as they receive quite a lot of benefits from them.
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