Ratites

Welcome to the OMAFRA Ratites website. Here you will find a wealth of information relevant to Ontario's Ratite industry. The resources listed below include OMAFRA Factsheets and Information Sheets, as well as key links to information on internal and external sites.

Animal Welfare, Care & Behaviour

• Codes of Recommendation and Minimum Standards for Welfare of Ostrich and Emu - Ministry of Agriculture & Food, New Zealand
• Deadstock Disposal - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Breeding, Genetics & Reproduction

• Incubation and Hatching of Ratites - University of Florida
• Incubation of Ratite Eggs - Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University

Production Management

• Gamebirds and Ratites - Mississippi State University Extension Service
• Ostrich, Emu and Rhea Productions - Rutgers Cooperative Extension, State University of New Jersey
• Raising Emu & Ostrich - National Agricultural Library, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Ratite Production - Ostrich, Emu and Rhea - Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, United States Department of Agriculture
• Ratite Farming in Ontario
• Snapshot of the Canadian Ostrich, Emu, and Rhea Industries - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Virtual Farm Tour – Ratites – OFAC

Ostrich

• Commercial Ostrich Production - North Carolina Cooperative Services
• Ostrich Production - Texas A&M Veterinary Extension
• Ostrich - North Dakota State University
• Ostriches On Line - Ostrich Farming Database and Reference Library Index
• Ostrich Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension
• Poultry - Emus and Ostriches - Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, AU
• Recent Developments in Ostrich Farming - M.M. Shanawany, United Kingdom

Rhea

• Rhea Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension

Emu

• Emu Farming - Department of Primary Industries: Queensland, Australia
• Emu Production - Texas A&M University

Health

• Avian Influenza Prevention in Ratite Facilities - Kansas State University
• Bio-Security for Exotic Fowl - Texas A&M University

Nutrition & Feeding

• Nutrition Guidelines for Ostriches and Emus - Iowa State University Extension
• Ostriches: Their Nutritional Needs Under Farming Conditions - Queensland Poultry Research and Development Center
• Ratite Nutrition and Feeding - Virginia Cooperative Extension

Manure and Nutrient Management

• How Many Nutrient Units Do I Have? Ratite Operations - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,Food and Rural Affairs
• Pub 831- Case Study - A Mixed Farm Example: Your Livestock Operation Under the Nutrient Management Act, 2002

Marketing

• Federally Registered Establishments - Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Provincially Licensed Abattoirs - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Ontario Independent Meat Processors
• Agricultural Business Management

Producer and Industry Groups

• The America Emu Association
• National Ostrich Processors Association of South Africa
• Ostrich Producers of Ontario

Resources & Publications

• Ostrich Bibliography - University of Saskatchewan
• Ratite Bibliography - University of Saskatchewan

Legislation, Regulation and Policy

• Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act & Regulations - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Statistics

• Alternative Livestock on Canadian Farms - Statistics Canada
• Number of Alternative Livestock and Gamebirds Processed for Meat in Ontario Federal/Provincial Combined Statistics - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs