An ostrich farm in Ukraine: Exotics or a profitable business?

Experts say that growing and breeding ostriches is one of the most profitable businesses in agriculture. It can also be called “zero waste”, writes “Agro-Center” with a reference to “AgroNews”.

The first question that comes to mind is “Are ostriches comfortable living in the weather conditions of Ukraine?” The answer is yes! Ostriches can easily tolerate temperatures up to 30 degrees below zero.

An ostrich farm is convenient as it requires a one-time use of funds. The live weight of an adult animal is about 160 kilograms. Ostriches live up to 70 years. Females can breed until they are 30 years old, and males – until they are 40 years old. In the Ukrainian climate, females lay eggs from March to early October. During the first season, one female ostrich gives 10-20 eggs, and during the season the number can vary from 50 to 80.

One of the ostrich farming development directions can be the breeding of young animals and female animals for sale. Another direction is meat and egg production. And the third direction is tourism.

Ostrich breeding is zero waste. One can get up to 30% pure meat from one bird. Ostrich skin is also in demand as it is considered better and more practical than even crocodile skin. Eggs are in demand, both for consumption and for incubators. An egg can weigh 1-2 kilograms. And one ostrich egg can be sold for 250 UAH in Ukraine.

Today, many ostrich farms operate in Ukraine, proving the profitability of this business. In particular, such farms operate in the Kyiv region, in the Mykolaiv region, and in Transcarpathia.