Veterinary problems of farmed ostriches up to 12 weeks of age: A review. Part II: Chick rearing

Ostrich chick rearing up to the age of 12 weeks is regarded as one of the major areas limiting the expansion of the ostrich industry (Blue-Mclendon, 1993; Deeming and Ayres, 1994). Most ostrich paediatric problems are management related and more study is required to elucidate the etiologies of certain diseases (Blue-Mclendon, 1993). The most commonly encountered problems in ostrich chick rearing include yolk sacculitis, yolk retention, weak edematous chicks, gastro-enteric problems, leg problems, stunting chicks and the fading chick syndrome (Bertram and Burger, 1981; Blue-Mclendon, 1993; Smith, 1993; Terzich and Vanhooser, 1993; Deeming and Ayres, 1994; Ashash et al., 1996; More, 1996). Below are some of the problems associated with chick rearing. (Zimbabwe Veterinary Journal, 2000, 31(4): 95-110)