Black African ostriches are best adapted to the weather and temperature conditions of the Russian climate . They are quite productive and live up to 70 years in conditions such as an ostrich farm. Chelyabinsk, Barnaul, Kemerovo, Krasnodar, Novosibirsk and many other regions of the country can boast that their residents tried diet eggs and meat of these exotic birds.
What do ostrich farms produce?
The first farms where these giant
flightless birds were raised appeared in South Africa - at the beginning of the 19th century ostrich feathers were in great demand. Nowadays, meat, and eggs, and skin, and feathers of these birds are in demand. Even the shell is used: craftsmen paint it and make wonderful Easter souvenirs. Now it is difficult to name a corner of the earth where there is no ostrich farm. The address of the local economy is always easily accessible, Russia is no exception, for example:
- Polyanoye village, Sosnovsky district, Chelyabinsk region;
- "Ostrich Farm" in the village of Beloostrov, Vsevolzhsky District, Leningrad Region;
- "Ostriches on Sosnovaya" in the village of Vlasikha near Barnaul.
How to cook fried eggs from an ostrich egg?
Ostrich eggs are the commercial value of a farm. Almost all of them are used to remove chicks, with the exception of the unfertilized. An average egg weighs up to 1.5 kg and has a very strong and light shell, the color of which depends on the plumage of the female and can be from yellowish pink to dark green, close to black. The contents of such an egg can saturate ten people. From one bird for the summer season they receive more than 80 pieces.
In order to cook a giant fried egg, the shell is drilled from two sides. Then, with a special pin, the internal contents are loosened and poured onto a large frying pan. If you want to boil a hard-boiled egg, you have to boil it for two hours.
Bags and shoes, furniture items and accessories are made from ostrich leather, which is valued more expensive than crocodile. This material does not get wet, has natural elasticity and a special texture.
How do these giant birds live and what do they eat?
An ordinary ostrich farm (Chelyabinsk) is a fairly vast territory. Each bird family, consisting of a male and several females, lives in a separate aviary, where there is a place for walking. If there is no incubator on the farm, the ostrich will raise the chicks. But the male helps the female to hatch eggs. He replaces his girlfriend when she goes to eat or take a walk.
Birds love to eat carrots, corn and cabbage. In summer, you can do without additional feeding, they feed only on alfalfa. Be sure to put drinkers with water in the pens.
This is exactly what they are doing in the village of Beloostrov. An ostrich farm not only produces meat and eggs, but also offers interesting excursions around the territory. Guinea fowl and Chinese silk hens, rabbits and turkeys, sheep and horses live here. You can walk along the paths, relax in the gazebo, chat with animals and birds, feed ostriches and, of course, taste dishes of meat and ostrich eggs.
What taste does African poultry meat have?
Dishes from
ostrich meat, if cooked skillfully and correctly, have a special, very delicate taste, a bit like a liver. Absolutely lean fillet with a meager cholesterol and high protein content can perfectly absorb the aromas of spices. Nutritionists consider ostrich meat tastier and healthier than turkey poultry. In the markets of many countries in Asia, Europe and America, beef and pork are gradually being replaced by meat, which is supplied by farms such as an ostrich farm. An excursion, a gradual acquaintance with the process of growing birds and new dishes help residents of Russia to get used to the use of this tasty and healthy food. A positive feature of African giants is that ostriches never get sick. Since the bird is always healthy, the products from its meat are very useful.
An ostrich farm (Chelyabinsk or another) is considered a fairly profitable business, despite the high cost of production. The number of poultry farms in Russia is growing rapidly, making meat and eggs competitive in the market. Analysts suggest that soon the more usual and traditional meat products will be replaced by products that are now supplied not only by an ostrich farm (Barnaul), but also by other similar farms.
Snow and African Birds
Despite the fact that Africa is the birthplace of ostriches, they successfully get used to the cold Russian winters. Birds enjoy swimming in the snow and walk at sub-zero temperatures. The houses for them should be insulated, and the ice in the enclosures for walking should be sprinkled with sand. Ostriches run fast and, if not done, can slip and
break legs.An ostrich farm - Chelyabinsk, the village of Polyanoye - is arranged in this way. Even in winter you can visit the farm and feed the peace-loving birds with your palms, take funny photos, treat yourself to a piece of tender fillet.
What interesting things can be at the poultry farm?
Of course, in a warmer period, a farm tour is much more interesting. You can look at other inhabitants of the farm, feed the birds and animals, take wonderful photos. In the specially designed lounge and lunch area, you can enjoy one of the cooked dishes from the ostrich menu. The mood from such trips increases markedly and there are enough memories for a whole year, especially if you buy an ostrich feather or other souvenir.