Artificial egg-picking technique for ostrich breeding

The ostrich is a large, flightless but fast bird in Africa and the largest living bird in the world. It is up to 2.5 meters high, with black and white feathers all over the body, a long and hairless neck, short wings and long legs. The usual speed can reach 80km/h, and the fastest can reach 90km/h. Ostriches raised in captivity during the laying period have more regular daily activities. Therefore, it should be fed regularly and quantitatively according to its living law. At dawn every morning, ostriches run around the side net on the playground for 15-20 minutes to mate and feed. Therefore, the suitable time for first feeding is 6:30-7:30 in the morning. Feed 4 times a day at equal intervals as far as possible. The feeding order can be coarse first and then fine, or you can mix the concentrate into the green feed and feed it together. The amount of concentrate feed is generally controlled at about 1.5 kg each to prevent the egg production from falling or stopping due to excessive fertilizer.

Under the condition of natural breeding, ostrich eggs are often contaminated by soil and feces after falling to the ground. after multiple procedures such as cleaning and disinfection, the contaminated eggs are still not immune from bacterial infection, and the nestlings in the middle and late stages of incubation often die, or even "fried eggs", resulting in the whole box of eggs being infected and scrapped, bringing unnecessary economic losses to the farm. After observing the eggs in incubation for many times, we found that there were many bacterial spots in the eggs in the middle of hatching, and the eggs in the later stage of incubation were infected by bacteria, and the temperature of their eggs increased rapidly, resulting in late death. In the process of hatching, it is usually found that some eggs suddenly increase in weightlessness in the later stage, and the chicks dry up and die after dissection, which is a typical bacterial infection.

After long-term observation and experiment, the egg receiving rate is more than 85% in a year, and the hatching rate is 20% higher than in the past. This method is now introduced as follows for reference.

First, when technicians are in charge of ostrich production, first prepare plastic bags or clean towels that have been fumigated.

2. Inform the breeder to observe the birds during the first production period. Generally, the male bird helps the mother bird to "pick the nest" in the circle in the first 10 days or so. The mother bird often turns in circles at the edge of the pit, the nostrils are red, and the food intake is reduced when the birth begins. Especially when the mother bird walks back and forth in the circle, the keeper should wash her hands with disinfectant and prepare plastic bags or towels. Wait for observation in places where ostriches are difficult to find. Ostriches usually lay eggs around 2: 00 to 7: 00 in the afternoon.

Third, about 2 minutes before laying eggs, the mother bird will squat, drool mucus, flap its wings, make a trembling sound, and begin to lay eggs. At this time, the egg catcher should run over immediately and take the egg with a towel in one hand and gently lift the bird's tail feathers with the other to prevent the tail feathers from being contaminated by the eggs. When picking up eggs, people should squat down to prevent the male birds from hitting you.

Fourth, the eggs are clean and wet, and the breeder should send them to the egg fumigation room in time, and the incubator will take over for disinfection and file storage. Disinfection should not be carried out until the water on the surface of the egg is dried. Plastic bags should be used to pick up eggs on rainy days to prevent Rain Water from being polluted.

Fifth, fumigation or storage of eggs should be put one end of the air chamber up. When a bird lays eggs, one end of the air chamber comes out first. when picking up eggs, just pay attention and inform the incubator. Receiving eggs can solve a difficult problem in determining the direction of the air chamber.