Production, Fertility and Hatchability of Ostrich Eggs on a Farm in Zimbabwe

Abstract

The production, fertility and hatchability of 1229 ostrich eggs from a farm outside Harare was recorded from April to November, 1996. The average egg production and egg weight was 27.6 and 1494.6 g per hen, respectively. Egg weight at lay was significantly affected by month of lay and hen (p<0.05). Egg weight and number of eggs laid improved with time, reflecting an improvement in the condition of the hen. Peak egg production and egg weight occurred in September even though there was no significant correlation (p<0.05) between mean monthly egg weight and mean monthly egg production. Even though the breeding season incorporated most of the winter, there was no significant correlation (p<0.05) between mean monthly temperature and egg production. The mean weight loss from laying to hatching was 16.4% and eggs laid from May to August tended to lose more weight than those laid from September to November (p<0.05). It may be necessary, therefore, to adjust the temperature and relative humidity of the incubators accordingly rather than keeping them constant throughout incubation. The overall fertility and hatchability was 67.1% and 46.8%, which is low. These parameters can be considered low but can be explained by the fact that the ostriches on this farm were generally young and that ostrich production is a relatively new enterprise in Zimbabwe.


Transactions of the Zimbabwe Scientific Association Vol. 74 2000: 6-9