Breeding Behaviour and Management Practices of Struthio camelus under Captive Condition at Private Farm Tehsil Jhando Mari

Abstract

The study was conducted on a private farm in tehsil Jhando Mari, district Tando Allahyar, to observe the behavior of captive ostriches. Twenty birds, aged 10-150 days, were divided into groups of five, with four birds in each group ringed for identification. Observations were made for four consecutive days, six hours daily, in the morning, noon, and afternoon. Behavioral data were collected every 30 minutes, totaling 16 observations per bird per day. The study analyzed behaviors such as attacking, stone ingesting, picking, feces ingesting, running, standing, and walking. Non-parametric tests revealed significant differences in eating, lithophagia, standing, and walking behaviors during the morning and noon periods, especially in the first hour of the day. Age significantly influenced sand
bathing behavior during morning and afternoon. Comparisons between noon and afternoon showed significant differences in eating, walking, dancing, running, lithophagia, sand bathing, and coprophagia, with maximum activity observed from dusk to dawn. The study concluded that ostrich behaviors vary with age and time of day under captivity.