1. Looking through the Archives
2. Conventional vs Alternative Medicine
3. Are your Goals High Enough?
4. Research Farm Update
5. Hatching Chicks
6. Contributions
1. Looking through the Archives - Carcass Weight and Payment
Systems
The history of our industry remains very short when compared to our
competitors. As discussed in the last newsletter we currently cannot
claim to have an industry - but all members know the potential. The
aim is to turn that potential into a sustainable growth industry that
can compete on equal terms with the mainstream livestock production
industries.
This week I had reason to look up a particular discussion I remember
well during my early days of researching this industry. My research in
1997 had noticed that the American Ostrich Association web page was
stating that payment systems for birds. I asked this question to the
Ostrich List:
Quote: Can anyone explain why do US
abattoirs pay 3 different rates - the lowest rate on the bottom end of
the range, the highest rate in the middle range and the middle rate on
those carcasses heavier than what is considered the optimum range? End Quote
At the time I received just one answer.
Quote: Hello Fiona
Everlean pays almost the same way. For the most part the reason for
this is the amount of meat from each carcasses vs fat content. On the
upper range they pay? To be determined after slaughter. Lower US$1.04
to US$1.07 and middle US$1.40 to US$1.45 (live weight) range stay the
same . Bigger birds sometimes have more fat and the same amount of
meat as middle to low range birds. This all depends on the feed they
have been on. There is not a big market for Ostrich Oil , yet. No
market for the fat.
Another reason is they assume it is an older bird, like a breeder that
didn't produce and its only good for burgers as the meat is tougher.
If they pay lower for bigger carcasses with less fat content , then I'd
sell else where.
End Quote
Whilst this was the only answer received - the answer highlights the
reason for payment based on Meat Yield and not Live Weight or carcass
weight. It also highlights the reason for tagging from Day 1 and
verifiable farm records to ensure age of birds are accurate. Can any
reader tell me of any processor who has survived with consistent supply
of quality birds paying on any liveweight basis?
At that time there were producers in the United States producing birds
with meat yields well in excess of 40kgs boneless meat, with the best
achieving in excess of 50kgs but these birds were penalised by these
processors. It needs these levels of meat yield in under 12 months -
as these producers were managing - to ensure our industry is
commercially viable.
Last month we were reviewing a document
developed by a Country Association for their
proposed quality assurance program. Included in the
program was a classification system -
they set the Carcass Weight criteria at:
- Premium: 57kgs plus
- Light: 45kgs to 57kgs
- Super Light: less than 45kgs
This was created in 1996 and indicative of carcass weights being
achieved at that time and the recognition that light weight carcasses
are expensive to process.
The interesting factor here is that the current average falls into the
Super Light Category. This category is not commercially viable.
.
2. Conventional Medicine vs Alternative Medicine
What has this subject to do with Ostrich you may ask. Over
the years
there has been increasing evidence that alternative (drug free)
medicine can be as
effective, if not more effective than conventional medicine. It
tends not to attract research dollars in the same way as working with
drugs can, as the rewards
for companies are somewhat reduced - despite the clear evidence of the
merits of some alternative medicines.
Recently I was reading a book discussing this particular topic and the
author made this statement in her introduction:
Quote: My aim is not to convince you, but
to INFORM you. Having said that:
- Either your inner voice will
tell you that it is true and, therefore,
you will not need any proof.
- or, your inner voice will tell you it
is not true, and no amount of
proof is going to convince you otherwise.
- or your inner voice will cause you to
question and want to know more,
and I will cite books already full of references.
end quote
All your
directors can relate so very well to all this author is saying with
members from our industry. Too many are
currently falling into that second category. This second category are
continuing to make the mistakes of the past and following old ways,
when there is clear, documented evidence that those systems do not work
and reasons for that are known.
3. Are you setting your Goals high enough?
Taking the discussion above a step further. Let me cite a few papers
that prove the current production challenges facing our industry:
a. Recent Advances of Ostrich Nutrition in South Africa: Effect of
Dietary Energy and Protein on Production
Authors: Tertius Brand - Elsenberg Agricultural Research Centre and
Kobus Nel - Oudtshoorn Experimental Farm
The paper discusses variable rations on what the author's considered to
be low, medium and high energy and low, medium and high protein
rations. The paper reports the use of low quality ingredients and
does not discuss any details of vitamin and mineral supplementation.
In slaughter birds it reports surprise at the minimal changes in feed
conversion between the different rations, and reference their inability
to understand this.
The point missed is that the study had in fact proven beyond doubt that
all rations were severely nutrient deficient as all birds produced
lower slaughter weights than the Degan study carried out in 1991. The
Degan study of 1991 worked with rations designed for Turkeys. It only
makes sense that if birds can produce greater growth on rations
designed for a different specie, then something must be wrong with
rations and management systems that result in slower growth rates!!
b. Are your Goals High Enough?
Author: Kim Bunter - Animal Genetics and Breeding Centre,
University of New England, Armidale, Australia
Kim carried out a major International survey. The results are from
data from over 200 ostrich producers in 35 countries.
Table 1 - Reproductive performance (%) achieved
in farmed ostriches
[note: 103 to 110 contributing records in full data; 25
contributing records for >20 hens category]
|
From
Full Data
|
From
>20 hens
|
|
Average Value
|
Av. Best 25%
|
Av. Worst 25%
|
Average Value
|
Av. Best 25%
|
Av. Worst 25%
|
Infertile
|
20.3%
|
2.68%
|
14.5%
|
26.1%
|
11.9%
|
47.8%
|
Hatching
|
63.8%
|
85.4%
|
37.6%
|
57.1%
|
84.7%
|
31.0%
|
Mortality (1 Week)
|
7.26%
|
0.3%
|
16.3%
|
5.0%
|
0
|
14.8%
|
Mortality (1 Month)
|
16.9%
|
2.8%
|
41.9%
|
13.8%
|
1.8%
|
29.6%
|
Mortality (3 Months)
|
26.2%
|
4.2%
|
62.5%
|
24.6%
|
3.9%
|
50.5%
|
Table 1 proves the serious problem with breeder production and chick
survival.
Quoting Kim's words: Currently for each
chick surviving to 3 months of age 2.1 eggs on average were incubated,
supporting the commonly held view that less than one slaughter bird
will result from every two eggs incubated. After allowing for
differences between producers in the percent of eggs incubated, overall
efficiency of chick production was very poor (approximately 49%).end
quote
Table 2: Productivity measures of farmed
ostriches
[Note: 81 to 111 records contributing to full data; 25
contributing records for >20 hens]
|
From
full data
|
From
> 20 Hens
|
|
Average Value
|
Av. Best 25%
|
Av. Worst 25%
|
Av. Best 25%
|
Av. Worst 25%
|
Eggs laid/hen
|
34.8
|
61.4
|
14.5
|
53.2
|
17.0
|
% hatched of fertile
|
78.8%
|
96.3%
|
52.5%
|
96.6%
|
55.7%
|
Chicks hatched/hen
|
18.5
|
40.5
|
4.24
|
34.3
|
4.17
|
Chicks/hen (1 Week)
|
17.4
|
39.2
|
3.83
|
33.5
|
3.95
|
Chicks/hen (1 Month)
|
15.9
|
37.4
|
3.06
|
30.3
|
3.51
|
Chicks/hen (3 Month)
|
15.3
|
36.9
|
2.39
|
28.7
|
2.50
|
Eggs laid/chick (3 Months)
|
7.70
|
1.47
|
24.0
|
1.6
|
6.81
|
c. Latest Feeding Standards for Ostriches
Tertius Brand and Bennie Aucamp - Elsenberg Agricultural College and
Zanell Brand and Kobus Nel, Oudtshoorn Experimental Farm
This paper discusses a similar study to above referenced study
carried out on slaughter birds. The study was based on 9 different
diets with differing energy and protein levels and then followed a year
later with a further study reducing nutrient levels further.
|
Study
No. 1
|
Study
No. 2
|
|
Average
|
Best
|
Worst
|
Average
|
Best
|
Worst
|
Egg production per hen
|
49.3
|
53.9
|
43.7
|
48.1
|
55.2
|
38.1
|
Embryonic mortalities
|
36.9
|
30.7
|
42.5
|
19.4%
|
16.2%
|
22.2%
|
Chicks Produced Percent
|
63.1%
|
69.3%
|
57.5%
|
52.4%
|
57.2%
|
47.2%
|
Chicks Produced Number
|
31.1
|
37.4
|
25.1
|
25.2
|
31.5
|
18.0
|
There was no report on chick survivability. The hens in Study 2
reported significant weight loss during the season. There was no
report on which hens were used for the different studies. Nutritional
history is exceedingly important when evaluating results in this way.
The study concluded: quote: The
most recent research results indicates that current nutritional
specifications
for ostrich diets may be lowered under certain circumstances, without a
loss of
performance. end
quote
The study proved quite the reverse..............it proved that all
diets resulted
in breeder performance that is uneconomic for producers.
d. Conclusion:
Currently most every paper or study one reads proves beyond any doubt
that our industry has to change the approach as producers cannot be
commercially viable with such low levels of production per hen.
No Production - No Industry. It all starts with
the Breeders.
4. WOA Sponsored Research Farm Update
It is with great pleasure that we can announce that your board of
directors voted this week to accept the Al Munajem Company offer to
establish a WOA sponsored research centre for Ostrich Production at
their 'Arabian Ostrich Company Farm' in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Your chairman, Stan Stewart has just returned from a visit to Saudi
Arabia with Rayan Haydar, manager of the Arabian Ostrich Company. They
had discussions with the Veterinary department in the Ministry of
Agriculture and Al Gassim University. Both have offered their full
support of the project. Many protocols will need to be drawn up as
there is a very broad spectrum of studies to be accomplished and your
Board is determined that these studies will be carried out in a manner
that can finally put our industry onto a sound commercial track.
The directors will be very happy to consider similar projects in other
regions with any company wishing to participate.
5. Hatching Chicks
Last month I was also travelling. Visiting one customer who was doing
her own small study. She had purchased some chicks from a producer who
was not in their production group - different breeder rations. She
said hatching out these chicks reminded her of the "bad old days". I
visited her farm in 2000 and have photos of the chicks we autopsied at
that time. Hatching was a tough time, by comparison to the changes
she now experiences with chicks "just wanting to hatch". If she gets
the time she has promised us a report of that study.
6. Contributions
As always, I ask for contributions from Country Liaisons and other members. A sharing of your experiences, what is happening in your area - anything you believe that would be of interest to other members. Any contributions for inclusion in future news letters please send to Fiona at [email protected].
Any comments or suggestions, please post either to the members list [email protected] or Craig at [email protected]