Ostrich Farm Training Programs and Consultancy
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Ostriches On Line are delighted to make available numerous and very comprehensive ostrich farm training and consultancy programs through the Worldwide Ostrich Consultancy Group, and we are welcoming guests from all over the world.

These ostrich farm training programs are being held at our farms in the USA and Europe. You can book your place using the easy-to-complete order form below.

Your time on the farm will be both highly informative and hard work; you will spend a lot of your time getting "hands on" experience working outside on the farm itself.

During your visit there will be tremendous opportunities to learn both the practical and theoretical sides to ostrich farming. Below is a selection of the topics and subjects you will learn about.

Farm Training Itinerary
The ostrich farm training program is a very intensive course and you will learn and understand many aspects of ostrich farming. The following will all be covered during your stay:

1. A feasibility study in setting up an Ostrich farm
   1. Will my farm and business be profitable?
   2. How much land do I need?
   3. What is a good climate?
   4. What equipment do I need?
   5. What kinds of fencing is required?
   6. How do I move and transport ostriches between locations?
   7. How much is livestock?
   8. Which is the best livestock for us?
   9. Should I get eggs, chicks, yearlings or breeders?
   10. How do I import or obtain the livestock?
   11. Who will buy my offspring?
   12. How do I sell my Ostrich meat, leather and feathers?
   13. Plus hundreds more start up and feasibility questions!
2. Operating a profitable and healthy Ostrich Farm
   1. Breeder Care
      1. Winter
         1. Substrate - clean, dry, concrete, sand
         2. Heat
         3. Outdoor time
         4. Supplements, chopped hay and corn
         5. Sickness, colds, pneumonia, frost bite, feather picking, stress and over crowding
         6. Ventilation and air exchanges
         7. Body condition and worming
         8. Feeding at dusk
      2. Summer
         1. Breeding habits
            1. What to expect, disturbances, behaviour, aggression
            2. Pairing, separating and introducing
         2. Nests, clean and dry, location, hiding nests and nest eggs
         3. Seclusion
         4. Nutrition, supplements, probiotics and why oyster shell can be over done
         5. Pre breeding exams, C.B.C. General chemistry, ultra sounding and cultures
         6. Problems, nutritional deficiencies and infection
            1. Prolapsed phallus
            2. Egg bound
            3. Soft eggs
            4. Scarred eggs
            5. Bacteria
         7. Colony egg identification
            1. Charting, time, place laid and color
            2. Porosity, shape, size, exact weight, cycle
            3. Feeding at dawn
   2. Health care general
      1. Worming program
      2. Delouse
      3. Toe nail and feather care
      4. Supplements
      5. Knowing your birds behaviour, posture and eating habits
   3. Vet Care
      1. The KEY is to properly and promptly diagnose the illness or condition
      2. The cure of course is to administer the proper medical treatment
      3. Finding a vet
      4. Trauma - to treat or not to treat
   4. Facilities and fencing
      1. Barns
      2. Green houses
      3. Fences
      4. Isles between breeder pens or sight barrier
   5. Eggs
      1. Collection
         1. Clean dry wire brush
         2. Wet, dirty, disinfectant
         3. Gloves, minimal handling
         4. Record data on egg
      2. Storage
         1. Temperature ideal - 55 to 65 degrees
         2. Humidity ideally 75% to prevent excess weight loss
         3. If eggs are thick albumen and shell they can be stored at much lower humidity to get a jump on weight loss. Embryonic development can start in temperatures of 75 degrees or higher.
   6. Incubation
      1. Equipment
         1. Brands, prices and sizes. Number of hens vs. egg production X 6
         2. Features, egg position, auto controls
         3. Air flow , purification (hepa filtered) , air exchanges at least 50cubic feet per 100 eggs per hour
         4. Planning the room
         5. Fogger, candler, gloves, scale, racks, charts, work station
      2. Schedules
         1. Setting - once a week minimum
         2. Hatching in batches
         3. Weighing and candling
      3. Record keeping
         1. Weight loss
         2. Fertility
         3. Genetics
      4. Candling
         1. To check development & fertility
         2. To catch problems: bacterial, E.E.D. air cell damage
      5. Weighing
         1. Set weight - current weight = ____ divided by set weight
         2. Changing the humidity in the incubator 2-3% to raise or lower weight loss 1%
         3. Ring on scale to hold egg
      6. Biosecurity
         1. Fogging
         2. Traffic, shoes
         3. Egg trauma, cooling
         4. Alarm for power failure
   7. Hatch
      1. Transfer
         1. Clean
         2. Preheat and stabilize temperature and humidity
         3. Line trays
         4. Check internal pip, transfer on the 38th or39th day
         5. Set eggs in upright and record egg and tray numbers
      2. Watch hatch
         1. Keep light on to stimulate hatch
         2. Candle the pip
         3. Let chicks struggle, it activates their metabolism and strength
      3. Problems
         1. Malposition and weak, slow pipping
         2. Wet vs. dry chicks
         3. Helping hatch (12 hours)
         4. Culture and necropsy
      4. Brooding
         1. Before removing chicks from hatcher
            1. Tag, microchip, bands on splayed legs, sex, weigh, record data, navel treatment with iodine
            2. Confine to small area with heat and good footing
   8. Chicks
      1. Facilities
         1. All in All Out
         2. One building options
         3. Substrates
         4. Heat source
         5. Greenhouses
         6. Ventilation
         7. Sun light or windows, daylight bulbs
         8. Grasses and rotating pens
         9. Pen size and fence
         10. Biosecurity: clothes, tools, chemicals, lime, disinfect outside
      2. Starting Chicks
         1. Chick starter and feed schedule
         2. Exercise
         3. Fresh clean water
         4. Fresh greens
         5. Grit
      3. Possible problems
         1. Yolk sack retention or infection
         2. Legs and toes
         3. Bacteria
         4. Heat or cold stress
         5. Over stocking (crowding)
         6. Accidents/safety
         7. Impaction
         8. Nutritional deficiency
         9. Respiratory
   9. Grow Out
      1. Facility 3 months to 10-16 months
         1. Fence
         2. Feed , forage, water
         3. Shelter
         4. Accessibility
   10. Feed
       1. Commercial pellets
          1. Prices
          2. Ingredients
          3. Brand name vs. local mill
       2. Grind and Mix
          1. Ingredients raw form
          2. Base mix
          3. Nutritionist
          4. Equipment and storage
          5. Prices
       3. 40% supplement
          1. Corn and alfalfa
          2. Prices
       4. Forage Utilization
          1. Know the nutritional requirements of the growing ostrich
          2. Determine the Relative Feed Value
          3. Balance the forage with the correct supplement
          4. Know the specific forages used, their grazing tolerance
          5. Rotate and harvest fields to make the most of the crop
          6. Age of the plant effects the protein, fibre and energy
          7. Time of year and age of birds are also variables
          8. Stocking rate
       5. Feeding process birds
          1. Essential Vitamins and Trace Elements
          2. Free Choice
          3. Supplements
   11. General Farm Talk
       1. Feed conversion ratios
          1. Myth - reality
          2. Compare to hogs and cattle
          3. Age of birds is a factor
          4. Growth rates
       2. Compare costs and profits to traditional livestock
          1. Equipment
          2. Labour
          3. Profit at process age (or loss in traditional livestock!)
          4. Market demand
          5. The small ostrich rancher can make a good living (ostrich economics)
       3. Microbials
          1. Feed is better metabolized, feed conversion and rate of gain increase
          2. Helps fight bacterial infections
          3. Helps keep everything in the system balanced
       4. Rate of Gain
          1. Genetic potential for body weight and gain
          2. Feed quality and feeding rate (amount fed)
          3. Health status of bird or flock
          4. Environment
          5. Management; make improvements in all areas
          6. Feeder space to assure an even flock
       5. Record keeping to find genetic trends
          1. Egg production number 1 --- $$$$$
          2. Hearty chicks
          3. Process weights
   12. Breeds
       1. The objective
       2. The results
       3. African Black
          1. The ability to raise large numbers commercially and for breeder
          2. The superior hide and feather quality
          3. Temperament goes a long way
          4. Size controversy
          5. Crossing with blue necks pros and cons

This training is worth its weight in gold to anyone who is either involved or preparing to be involved in our great industry. Every minute on the farm will be packed full of information. Even if you only save the life of a few of your chicks with this information then the training will have paid for itself. All your notes and reference material is yours to refer to for years to come.

The ostrich farm training Program is only $250 per person per day. Price excludes travel and accommodation. Lunch will be provided, including a superb ostrich feast.

We will advise of hotels and accommodation before your booking is confirmed.

If you have any other questions about the ostrich farm training program, please use the comment box below.


Book your training now

Number of people attending - $250 per person	1 person to attend 2 people to attend 3 people to attend 4 people to attend
Number of days attending	2 days 3 days 4 days 5 days 6 days 7 days
Which farm would you like to visit?	USA Belgium - Europe
Month of visit	January February March April May June July August September October November December
Year	2003 2004 2005
Non-refundable down payment	I agree to pay $50 per person

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