COLUMN: Carillon Flashback September 27, 1995 – Ostrich farming a fast-growing industry

Ostrich farming is a fast-growing alternative agricultural livestock business and is widespread in Canada, with about 60 to 75 breeders in Manitoba alone.

Judy Barnes, marketing director for the Canadian Ostrich Association, suggested in the February, 1995 issue of the COA magazine Runner that Canada could soon be “the ostrich capital of the world.”

Ostriches are fascinating birds, standing seven to eight feet tall and weighing 250 to 350 pounds. They can live up to 80 years and average egg production is 30 to 50 eggs per year, with some hens laying more than 100 eggs annually. One ostrich egg equals 24 to 27 chicken eggs and will weigh up to five pounds.

The ostrich industry is a wide open field. Birds are raised as breeding stock, for meat, for the hide and the feathers. The red meat is very palatable, lean, low in cholesterol, with a taste similar to roast beef. It sells for $6 to $20 per pound and is an expensive delicacy in restaurants. Ostrich hides measure 10 to 20 square feet per bird and are in large demand, because of the durability of the leather. It is used for shoes, cowboy boots, briefcases, clothing and fashion accessories. Feathers, harvested twice a year from live birds and in total at slaughter, are used for elaborate showgirl costumes, dusters, decorations and fashion accessories.