Growth pattern and certain behaviors of ostriches (Struthio camelus) under farming condition in south India

Global Veterinary Summit

August 31- September 02, 2015 Orlando-FL, USA

Thangarajan Thamil Vanan, S Jeevanantham and Thiagarajan Sivakumar

Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Veterinar Sci Technolo

Abstract :

A study was conducted on ostrich behavior and growth at Unit of Livestock Research Station in India at 12.50 N, 80.070 S and 48 m above MSL. The behavior frequencies of feeding in tray, forage peck, inedible peck, air peck, feather peck and water peck were recorded while feeding concentrate for three hours daily. The body weight was recorded before feeding. The fortnightly body weight from second, fourth, sixth, eighth, twelfth and sixteenth weeks were 1.39�±0.06, 3.78�±0.18, 8.43�±0.45, 14.03�±0.69, 27.22�±1.14 and 40.32�±1.10 kg respectively. The monthly body weights from fifth to fourteenth month were 49.61�±0.92, 57.10�±0.95, 64.10�±1.15, 72.48�±1.32, 80.79�±1.61, 88.93�±1.83, 96.91�±2.31, 102.89�±2.13, 108.2�±3.46 and 113.82�±3.46 kg, respectively. Body weight gain from first to fourteenth months were 3.17�±0.18, 10.34�±0.59, 12.04�±0.87, 13.50�±0.85, 10.05�±0.76, 7.61�±0.46, 7.87�±0.52, 7.87�±0.45, 8.31�±0.50, 8.31�±0.40, 8.28�±0.54, 6.99�±0.75, 6.03�±0.56 and 4.76�±0.72 kg respectively. The morning , evening and total feed intake of seven ostriches 2-3 years of age were 8.846�±0.145, 9.846�±0.185 and 18.692�±0.279 during summer respectively and water intake were 28.936�±0.282, 42.746�±0.379 and 71.682�±0.661 respectively. Types of pecking behavior for feed in tray forage pecking, inedible object peck air peck, feather peck and water peck for male and female were 813.47�±15.41 and 327.12�±6.48, 45.60�±1.38 and 110.15�±45.60, 117.72�±6.56 and 254.77�±5.13, 17.90�±0.84 and 273.60�±4.86, 99.35�±2.46 and 36.97�±2.08, 66.27�±1.62 and 56.10�±1.72 pecks respectively. Behavior such as yawn and excretion between sexes were 0.500�±0.09, 0.725�±0.12 and 1.300�±0.11, 0.975�±0.09 respectively. Behaviors were significant (P<0.01) between sexes of ostriches.

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