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Ostrich farming set to take off in Tamil Nadu

G B Vanamali in Madras

Hatched in Malaysia, and raring to grow up in alien Tamil Nadu, 100 one-day old ostrich chicks last week boarded a flight that would take them to Kattupakkam near Madras to be part of a pioneering project.

And the chicks that arrived at the livestock research station of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, or TANUVAS, at Kattupakkam have been given star treatment.

Fed on mineral water to prevent any infections, the chicks will be reared in a 60-acre area, fenced to prevent predators from barging in.

The state government has chipped in with a Rs 2.5-million assistance for the ambitious project, the first by a veterinary university in the country.

TANUVAS vice-chancellor R Prabhaharan said, ''Initially we thought of importing about 50 to 60 ostrich chicks. But taking into account the mortality rate, we placed orders for 100 chicks, one of which died in transit.''

Ostriches are very adaptable and can be farmed in almost all climatic conditions, but were ideally suited to dry and arid climate. India, where temperatures range from moderate to extreme heat, are suitable for ostriches, Prabhaharan said.

The project aims at observing ostrich behaviour in India, study their adaptability to Indian climate, their growth rate, breeding capacity, longevity and feed efficiency.

''We want to observe their general adaptability to Indian environment, especially Tamil Nadu conditions, before rearing and breeding them on a permanent basis,'' he added.

The idea for ostrich farming was first mooted by the Animal Husbandry Department three years ago, and the state government approached for permission.

The government entrusted the task to the veterinary university, gave its clearance and sanctioned a sum of Rs 2.5 million in November 1999 for this project. In the first phase, the state government had released Rs 1 million for the project.

''We got quotations from different countries including South Africa, Australia, the United States and Malaysia. Since Malaysia's quotation was the lowest the chicks were imported from that country,'' he added.

Besides Malaysia, ostrich farming was prevalent in China and Singapore in the Asian region.

The chicks that cost Rs 4,000 apiece are now put up in the quarantine centre here, and will stay here for about 30 to 40 days for observation and to identify any symptoms of disease.

"We have appointed a committee of doctors comprising three professors, to monitor the daily behaviour of the ostriches and report it to me," Prabhaharan said.

"We will then start breeding them for multiplication before taking up permanent rearing of ostriches. After a thorough study and observation, ostriches would be given to farmers for rearing.

The dry tracts in the southern districts of the state where land could not be utilised for agricultural purposes could be used for ostrich farming, he felt.

With the increasing demand for ostrich meat, skin and feathers in foreign countries, this industry is expected to see a boom.

If the TANUVAS project is a success, it will also help the arid regions of Tamil Nadu see more prosperity, thanks to the flightless giant.

Although animal welfare activists have been calling up questioning the import of ostrich chicks, their fears are unfounded, says V Sundarasu, director, Centre for Animal Production Studies.

''We are not going to cause harm to these birds. We are only going to observe their behaviour in Indian climate and they would be reared in a proper way, '' he added.

Although wild ostriches weigh between 105 kg and 150 kg, a fully-grown domesticated bird tips the scale at 130 kg. Wild ostriches usually breed for about 30 to 40 years, but domesticated birds are reported to be capable of breeding up to 50 years.

UNI

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