The breeding season started in July and we have been going to the nests of our breeding birds every second day for the last two months to collect the eggs for our incubators.

The female ostrich lays one egg every second day and we then go and fetch the eggs from them. As farmers we prefer to hatch the chicks in the incubators since then we have more control over the process. The incubation period for ostrich chicks is 42 days and our huge incubators, that have a capacity of 3000 eggs at any one point in time, are set at 36 degrees Celsius which is the same as the body temperature of the male and female ostriches.

Our first chicks of the season have hatched in the last week – on your guided tour of our farm you will now be able to see many chicks around in the chick compartment.

While the chicks are still very small – birth to 3 months old – there is always a worker with them at all times to ensure they are well taken care off.