How much does an ostrich weigh: about the largest bird in facts and figures

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Ostriches belong to the category of flightless birds. They live in the wild and are raised on farms. How much an ostrich weighs depends on the species, gender, age, living conditions and other factors.

Weight of birds in the wild

When talking about ostriches, we usually mean 3 varieties:

• African (African ostrich);
• American (rhea);
• Australian (emu).

According to the biological classification, only the first species belongs to ostriches. Emu and rhea have no relation to this family - they are included in the orders Cassowary and Rhea, respectively. They are called ostriches due to some external resemblance to the African species.

African species

This species is considered the largest of modern birds. The height of an adult is:

• 1-2.8 m – males;
• 0.7-2 m – females.

The birds have a dense build, a long neck, and strong legs. The wings are underdeveloped and not adapted for flight, although their span can reach 2 m. The keel is absent, the pectoral muscles are weak. The skeleton is not pneumatic, with the exception of the femurs.

The average weight of an ostrich is 120-160 kg. Females are smaller - from 63 to 120 kg. The maximum weight on a farm, with proper fattening and quality maintenance, can reach 200 kg; such figures are not typical for the wild.

Females reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age - from this moment they begin to lay eggs (each weighs about 1.5-2 kg). Chicks are born weighing 1.2 kg and quickly increase their weight - by 4 months the figure increases to 18-19 kg.

The weight of the ostrich brain is only 40 g, and 1 eye is about 60 g.

Gorayo

The Somali ostrich was previously considered a subspecies of the African ostrich, but in 2014 it was identified as a separate species. The average adult Gorayo ostrich weighs 100-120 kg, the maximum is 175 kg. The height does not exceed 2.5 m. Female gorayos are larger than males. They lay eggs weighing 1.6-1.8 kg. By the 4th month of life, hatched ostrich chicks grow from 1.2 kg to 20 kg.

Emu

Emus belong to the order Cassowaries and are considered the second largest birds. They live in Australia, grazing on grassy areas. How many kilograms an Australian ostrich weighs depends on gender and stage of development. When laying and incubating eggs, females lose up to a third of their original body weight. The average for birds is 36-40 kg, the maximum is 55-60 kg. Height – 1.5-1.9 m. Chicks weigh 400 g (eggs – 500-600 g).

Nandu

Rhea belongs to the order of the same name and lives in South America. Birds live in groups of 5-30 individuals. How much an adult American ostrich weighs depends on gender - males grow up to 23-25 ​​kg, females are slightly smaller (20-24 kg). Height - 127-140 cm. The birds' head and neck are feathered, unlike the African species. The wings are long. By the age of 3 months, the chicks catch up with their parents in size.

African ostrich

This is the largest bird on the planet, which has no rivals in this. Its height reaches 250 cm. One individual weighs from 70 to 175 kg. The ostrich's head is very small in comparison with its body.

The African ostrich only has feathers on its body and tail, the rest of the body is bare. The skin on the lower part of the legs is overgrown with scales.

There are only two fingers on the lower limbs of the ostrich. The longer one has a sharp claw, responsible for strong traction with the ground. The second helps maintain balance.

The African ostrich has pronounced sexual differences in appearance. Males of this breed are much larger. Their plumage is black, their wings and tail are edged with white. Females are grayish in color.

This is interesting. The ostrich is the only bird that has a bladder in its body. Therefore, feces and urine are removed from the body separately.

Reproduction of African ostriches

By the way, there are attractions in the world that allow you to “ride like a breeze” on this powerful bird. They are becoming increasingly popular. However, the entertainment is not for everyone. Although the bird is considered strong and hardy, the weight of the rider should not exceed 60 kg. In addition, you need to have a certain amount of courage, since such walks are quite dangerous.

This is partly due to the timidity of birds. In stressful situations, when someone climbs on their back, they may behave inappropriately. But attraction owners have figured out how to reduce the risk of injury to visitors. They put black bags over the animals' heads.

Also, riders’ clothing should not be flashy. If some accessory attracts the bird's attention, it may peck. The blow is quite painful and often ends in injury.

Breeding in captivity

Among all species of ratites, African ones are most suitable for breeding - they have the highest productivity. Hybrids of the Zimbabwean blueneck and African black species are mainly grown. Females reach sexual maturity at 2-3 years, males at 3.5-4 years. Families are formed from 1 male and 2 females.

Oviposition occurs in cycles with a break of 10-16 days. The offspring are hatched by a male and a dominant female. An incubator can be used on farms.

Fattening

During the first week, the hatched chicks do not eat anything, since during this period they are still absorbing the nutrients obtained from the egg. The farmer provides them with fresh water.

From the second week, fattening begins - the ostrich chicks are given chopped grass (clover, alfalfa) and compound feed. Every other day they are offered a chopped egg and low-fat cottage cheese.

From 6 weeks of age, active fattening begins - the following methods are used:

• intensive;
• semi-intensive;
• extensive.

In the first case, ostriches are given compound feed, hay, silage, and fresh perennial grass. There is no free grazing. With the semi-intensive method, the birds are released onto pasture, and the owner additionally provides them with feed, vegetables, and herbs. With the extensive method, pets feed themselves while walking - for 10 birds there should be at least 1 hectare of pasture sown with alfalfa and other herbs (clover, vetch, seradella). They receive additional food in bad weather. In winter, birds are fed using an intensive method.

The feed should include:

• corn and wheat;
• soy;
• cake;
• bone and fish meal;
• chalk and calcium phosphate;
• methionine, threonine, lysine;
• sodium chloride;
• premixes.

For 1 kg of growth, 4-5 kg ​​of feed are consumed. Approximate weight of ostriches:

For feeding, feeders are installed with a depth of 10 cm (length - about 1.2 m). The depth of the drinking bowls is 12-20 cm. The water requirement for 1 adult is up to 10 liters, depending on the weather.

Meat productivity

Birds lay eggs from spring to autumn inclusive - the season lasts up to 8 months, each female gives birth to 40-50 chicks during this time. During the year, the farmer receives about 3-4 tons of meat from this amount. This is better than the performance of a good sow (1.5-2.5 tons). At the same time, fattening ostriches is cheaper - the cost of meat is comparable to turkey and goose.

Poultry is slaughtered when it reaches a weight of 100-120 kg (at 9-10 months). How much an ostrich carcass will weigh depends on the quality of fattening. The share of bones, fat, and lean meat accounts for about 60% of live weight (the average is 58.6%). The farmer receives about 7% leather and up to 1.8% feathers. The rest comes from the insides.

The yield of lean meat from an average carcass is 30-40 kg, mainly leg muscles. In terms of taste characteristics, the product is slightly inferior to beef sirloin, but overall it is very similar to it. Ostrich meat contains up to 49 mg/100 g of cholesterol, 1.7% fat, 21.2 protein. Calorie content of 100 g of product is 98 kcal.

Big moa

Moas, ancient relatives of the ostrich, are no longer found. But they lived on Earth relatively recently. Their homeland is New Zealand. They were divided into three families, represented by 9 species.

The largest - the large moa - reached a height of more than 3.5 m and weighed 250 kg. They are surprising in that they did not have wings or even rudiments. They laid huge eggs weighing 7 kg.

Moa became extinct in the 16th century. But there were rumors that these representatives of the fauna were seen much later - at the beginning of the 19th century. However, the information was not confirmed.

Reference. People in ancient times were no less cruel to the animal world than modern earthlings. Thus, when people appeared on the island, there were about 40 thousand individuals of large moas.

In 1986, in the homeland of the ancient giants, researchers found the paw of a huge bird that looked quite fresh. At first it even seemed that its owner had died relatively recently. But when the remains were examined, it turned out that it was the mummified leg of a large moa.

What do they eat?

The basis of the ostrich diet is food items of both plant and animal origin. As plant food, ostriches eat various shoots, inflorescences, seeds and fruits of plants. As animal food, the bird eats various insects, locusts, reptiles and rodents. They often find food remains from various predators. Younger individuals feed mainly on animal food.

To keep ostriches in captivity, it is necessary to take into account that one adult ostrich needs up to 3 and a half kilograms of food per day, or even more. In order for food to be fully digested, the bird has to swallow small stones or other solid non-food objects. This is due to the fact that the ostrich has no teeth and has nothing to grind food with before swallowing.

It is believed that ostriches are quite hardy and can go without water for a long time, making do with the amount of moisture that enters their body with food. Despite this, ostriches love to swim.

Ostriches. Life on the run.

Slaughter

How are ostriches slaughtered for meat? - difficult. Compared to a chicken, this bird looks like a dinosaur. And the “dinosaur” needs to be caught, stunned, and only then beheaded.

The individual must trust the owner, otherwise, frightened, it will run away, breaking down the fence boards with its strong legs. For this reason, they are not slaughtered on the farm, permanent habitat and walking areas.

A special room with thick walls is suitable for these purposes. Under no circumstances should you slaughter them in a pen with other birds, otherwise you may make enemies among them. Other birds will lose trust, become frightened and experience severe stress.

In order to behead an ostrich, you will need:

• Hammer;
• Knife;
• Rope;
• Metal hook;

Device with electric current supply (for large farms).

• The first stage is beheading. The most important thing is to hit the head correctly (in the middle) with a hammer to stun it so that the ostrich falls unconscious. For this, equipment with current supply is also used: 250 watts are applied for 6-7 seconds. This device is used on large farms. It can kill up to 7 birds at once.
• Next, after stunning, the bird is beheaded with a sharp knife, after cutting the jugular vein in the neck. The carcass is hung upside down on a hook so that the blood comes out. Opening the main artery near the heart will speed up the removal of blood.
• The second stage is cleaning of feathers. They can also be sold.
• The third stage is skinning. Very carefully, with a sharp knife, remove from the toes up through the thigh, try to remove in one or two flaps, without chopping. If you don’t have the skill to do this, you can turn to experienced breeders for help.
• The last stage is the actual cutting of the carcass. The carcass is quartered or butchered according to the principle of processing chicken. Place in plastic bags. Store refrigerated for up to 5 days, frozen for up to 6 months.

Before realizing your dream of owning an exotic bird, it is advisable to undergo training on a farm; fortunately, many farms now provide training services in the care and maintenance of pets.

It would be a good idea to study specialized literature on your own. The main thing is that you enjoy this activity. You need to have patience and dexterity to make your favorite business also profitable.

Australian emu

The habitat of such an ostrich is in bushy or grassy areas. The once large population became much smaller with the advent of European settlers in Australia. These birds are currently protected at the national level.

Australian birds are inferior to their relatives from Africa; they begin to incubate eggs after gaining a mass of 55 kg. The basis of the diet is leaves, grass, and fruits. With the onset of winter, emus begin to feed on insects. These ostriches can swim well, and while running they reach a speed of just over 50 km/h.

Emu

Adult birds reach a height of about 2 meters, with a maximum weight of 60 kg. The average weight of a chick is 0.4 kg, sometimes a little more.

Incubation

There are special incubators for ostrich eggs. Eggs are incubated only horizontally. When hatching eggs, it should be taken into account that the relative humidity should be at the level of 32-44%; to maintain such indicators, air dehumidifiers are installed in the incubator. The eggs are heat sensitive and change color to turquoise.

If a farmer plans to breed ostriches for the purpose of selling eggs, then he needs an incubator, otherwise, the birds can be allowed to breed naturally.

Savannah

The structural features of the bird and the lack of the ability to fly, which is compensated by very fast running, force ostriches to choose for living flat areas covered with grass (savannas) and, much less often, open forests, which, as a rule, border on savannas.

Ostriches breed on the savanna plains, where there is always enough food for parents and chicks. A healthy bird in such conditions is practically inaccessible to predators, since, noticing them from afar, ostriches very quickly move to a safe place, leaving no chance for the pursuer to catch up with them.

In the savannah, the ostrich lives in flocks of up to 50 individuals.

Most often, ostriches graze near herds of antelopes and zebras, as this provides them with additional protection. In such a situation, sneaking predators are noticed more quickly, and they will also quickly prefer an antelope to a bird, which is almost impossible to catch.

It is quite comfortable for a person to live where ostriches live, and therefore it is not uncommon for local tribes, in addition to ungulates, to hunt birds, which provide a large amount of high-quality meat. Because of their attractive feathers, ostriches in nature were exterminated by humans for a long time. Today in Africa, feathered giants are not considered an endangered species.

From the history…

It is believed that ostriches appeared on the planet 12 million years ago. And the trade in the feathers of these animals dates back to the early Egyptian civilizations and goes back three thousand years. In some countries, even before the beginning of our era, animals were kept in captivity. In Ancient Egypt, noble ladies rode ostriches to festive ceremonies. Animal feathers became in great demand at the beginning of the nineteenth century, which led to a significant reduction in the number of birds. In the middle of the century, a period of rapid development of ostrich farming began. The first farm in Africa appeared in 1838. Animals were bred solely for the purpose of obtaining valuable feathers. For example, in South Africa at that time, the export of feathers was in fourth place after the export of gold, wool and diamonds.

Gradually, ostriches began to be bred in captivity in other countries and on other continents: in the USA, Algeria, Egypt, Australia, Italy, Argentina, New Zealand. But during the period of two world wars, this type of business almost ceased to exist, and the number of farms decreased significantly.

Origin of the species and description

Photo: Emu

The emu was first discovered by Europeans in 1696, when explorers visited western Australia. An expedition led by Captain Willem de Vlaming from Holland searched for the missing ship. The birds were first mentioned under the name "Cassowary of New Holland" by Arthur Philip, who traveled to Botany Bay in 1789.

The species was identified by ornithologist John Latham in 1790 from the Australian region of Sydney, a country that was then known as New Holland. He provided the first descriptions and names of many Australian bird species. In his original description of the emu in 1816, French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot used two generic names.

Video: Emu

The next topic was the question of what name to use. The second is formed more correctly, but in taxonomy it is generally accepted that the first name given to the organism remains valid. Most current publications, including the Australian Government's position, use Dromaius, with Dromiceius mentioned as an alternative spelling.

The etymology of the name "emu" is not certain, but it is believed to come from the Arabic word for large bird. Another theory is that it comes from the word "ema", which is used in Portuguese to refer to a large bird, akin to an ostrich or crane. Emus have a significant place in Aboriginal history and culture. They inspire them to perform certain dance steps, are the subject of astrological mythology (emu constellation) and other historical creations.

What do all breeds have in common?

Despite the fact that all breeds of this bird weigh differently, they are united by a number of common details:

1. The eggs of this bird are truly the largest on the planet . Even in the smallest breed, one scrambled egg is equal to at least 25 chicken eggs. Eggs of all breeds can not only be eaten - they have an excellent taste and a high content of useful and nutritious substances.
2. Ostriches cannot fly, but their wingspan reaches two meters. Wings are used during fights between birds, during courtship dances, or to protect chicks. By the way, birds never hide their heads in the sand - this is a myth. When in danger, birds accelerate to speeds of 50-100 kilometers per hour, depending on the breed and age.
3. Most predators in the savannah are afraid of ostriches, since an adult bird can break the skull of even a lion with a kick.
4. When there is a lack of food in the wild, birds feed on locusts, although this negatively affects their maximum running speed, and when there is a lack of water, they can even drink salt water.