Effect of Season on Egg Production, Fertility, Hatchability, and Chick Survival of Captive Red-necked Ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus)

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of season on ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus) egg production, fertility, hatchability and chick survivability under captive conditions. The experiment was conducted during the period November 2007-June 2008 and further divided into two seasons, winter November 2007-February 2008 and summer March 2008- June 2008. Nineteen female and thirteen male ostriches were distributed in 6 pens: A (2 males + 4 females), B (1male +2 females), C (2 males + 4 females), D (2 males + 2 females), E (2 males + 4 females), F (4 males + 3 females). The experiment was conducted in a private farm about 75 kilometers south of Khartoum town. Ostrich eggs were manually collected and stored for seven days, at room temperature, before transference to the incubator. The eggs were candled before and at the end of the incubation period. Results showed that fertility was significantly (P ?0. 01) higher for winter compared to that in summer. Total eggs production was significantly higher in winter than that of summer being 390 V 186 eggs respectively. Incubation rate for winter (55.83 ±8.33%) was significantly (P? 0.01) higher than that of summer (17.97±3.22%). Hatchability of incubated eggs for winter was (49.96+9.15%) which was significantly, higher (P ? 0.01) than that of summer (29.07±24.06%). The hatchability of fertile eggs for winter (89.79±11.70 %) being significantly higher (P? 0.01) when compared to that of summer (60.58±26.68%). Chick survivability was significantly (P?0.05) higher for winter than that of summer, (26.6±14.42) and (16.46± 11.08%), respectively.