Enclosure Use Essay

Introduction

Because ostriches are social animals, keeping one ostrich in an enclosure is discouraged. For proper management to be done on the birds, paddocking in a secure shelter is advisable so that they can be properly managed, monitored and protected against severe weather conditions. Protecting the welfare of the ostriches is another aspect of ostrich rearing that should be put into consideration before any other thing is done. Therefore the keepers of the birds should have experience in handling, husbandry and ability to breed the birds. For instance, capturing the birds require certain skills since they can be very aggressive especially the male ones. Individuals who have no experience in rearing the birds should not attempt catching the birds since the consequences could be fatal. In scenarios when the owners are not around or incapacitated, there should be another closure Use

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Construction of Enclosures

Ostriches are huge birds with long necks and are incapable of flying. However, they have very powerful and strong legs that enable them to run very fast. All enclosures meant for the ostriches should resist their ability to run very fast. The fences that are erected to protect them from the outside environment should be made strong enough to withstand the birds when they run to the fence. However, the fences should be made elastic so that the birds are not injured when they collide with the fences. If the farmers decide to use floors made of concretes or synthetic floors, then they should be made in a way that they are not slippery and grass planted on the pens. Sometimes the birds like to walk to the fence and wear out the ground. To avoid the catastrophe that could arise when the birds wear out the ground, the edges of the fences and pens should be well graveled so that the birds are not able to dig their way out of the enclosures.

Fencing of the Enclosures

If the farmer prefers outdoor enclosures, high tensile wires or wire meshes should be suitable for the job. The fences should be made to a height that accommodates the flexibility of the bird's long necks. 1.8 meters high should be suitable for fencing. In cases where the wire mesh is used, the mesh used should be small in size so that the bird's heads or legs are not entangled in the process. On the subject of the height, the fences used should be made in a visible way so that accidental collisions between the birds and the fences are totally avoided. For the young chicks, fencing should include a kicking board so that the chicks are prevented from putting their legs through the wire mesh. On the safety of the keepers, an escaping route should be made to help the keepers especially from the aggressive males or the females that have hatched recently. Escape routes can be made by living a gap at the bottom of the fences where an individual can escape but the birds cannot. The escaping gap should be approximately 40 cm at the bottom of the fence in the enclosure. However, this escaping route is not practical and should not be used when there are newly hatched chicks that could escape through the gaps. It is recommended that the fences re regularly checked so that safety of the birds are kept in check. It is however imperative to note that barbed wires or electric fences are not advised for fencing since they can cause a lot of injuries to the birds.

How visitors can affect ostrich

Most farmers prefer to maintain contact by constantly talking to them and training them on the ways of survival. Ostriches that meet their owners almost on daily basis are very friendly to people. Contact with the birds also helps in transportation to the markets because they are less stressed when their handlers are around them. Ostriches that are not used to their handlers or people around them often cause injuries to themselves or to their owners. As discussed before, male ostriches are very aggressive in nature as they tend to protect the females and the chicks. A visitor who is unaware of this trait may be severely injured when they come into contact with these birds. On the same note, visitors may cause a lot of stress to the birds if they are not used to people from outside. This may drastically reduce the quality of the ostrich meat because they tend to lose a lot of weight. Proper management of visitors is henceforth advised to the farmers so that they can reduce exposing the birds to stressors that may interfere with the wellbeing of the birds and the quality of the products when transported to the markets. Preliminary interviews should, therefore, be done before the visitors are allowed into the farm areas. They should also be taught ways of handling the birds while visiting the farms so that both the birds and the visitor's safety are guaranteed. More research on how visitors could affect the rearing of ostriches is advised to individual who is licensed and competent enough to take care of the birds.