alpacas and ostriches

gridfaniker · #1 04/23/09, 12:44 PM

I have two alpacas that right now. The kids have a chariot and they hook it up to the alpacas and ride around the enclosure every once in a while. Someday I hope to be able to figure out how to shear them and make mittens but for now they're pretty much just pets. I have a neighbor who has some ostriches and he has offered to sell me several chicks. Apparently ostrich meat is good. The only time I've had it is in soup but you can't really tell what something tastes like in soup, can you? And it probably just tastes like chicken anyway. LOL out loud! So my question is, can these ostriches co-habitat (sp? word usage?? grammar???) with the alpacas I already own. My alpacas are pretty mild and well-mannered. Years back I went to one of the zoos where you can drive your car through and this ostrich stuck his head in through the sun roof and pecked me in the head and stole my ice cream. Will they peck my alpacas? I really want to get the ostriches because I think they would be a good source of protein, but I can't compromise the quiet, sunny disposition of Leroy and Maude (that's the names of my alpacas). Should I segregate them? The other thing I'm worried about is hissing. I've heard that ostriches hiss a lot and can be very loud. Our little barn and pen is right next to our house, right outside our bedroom window and during the summer we keep our windows open and we can hear pretty much everything that goes on in there. If there are ostriches hissing, we'll here it, you bet! The other option would be to pen off an area down yonder, away from the house and away from our beloved alapacas, but that brings up a whole new concern: coyotes. They are out there. I hear them loud and clear at night screaming. My wife says it is bobcats but I'm pretty sure it is coyotes. Those coyotes would tear those poor ostriches to bits and pieces for sure. And even if she's right (my wife) about the bobcats, what's to keep them (the bobcats) from chewing up the ostriches? They (bobcats) may be small, but I hear they are fierce. Fiercer than wombats. Speaking of wombats, where can I get one. I hear they (wombats) make great watchdogs. Except they're not dogs so you really couldn't call them watchdogs. What would you call them? Hmmmmm. brb.

ostrichlady · #2 04/23/09, 01:11 PM

Hey Gridfaniker, You have asked some good questions, we had alpachas for a very short time, we ended up getting rid of them quite quickly after one of them spit at on of our birds spooking her into the fence where she ended up breaking her neck and dying. If you were going to do both make sure that they are seperated. Are you sure you want to grow out a bird? The one thing is that you need to know is that they are NOT pets like a alacha might be. Thease birds have been known to kill people. With that being said. There meat is a very good sorse of protien and very low on fat, and by the way it taste like beef!! What ever you make with beef you can make the same recipe with ostrich. Yes the birds hiss but we can't hear that from the house only when were at the fence feeding. The bobcats have never really bothered the big birds just our chickens. As for the coyotes I haven't had a problem with the muture birds, Its the chicks they have gone after. When we have lost a bird by an attack it has come from the neighbors dogs.

gridfaniker · #3 04/23/09, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ostrichlady

Hey Gridfaniker, You have asked some good questions, we had alpachas for a very short time, we ended up getting rid of them quite quickly after one of them spit at on of our birds spooking her into the fence where she ended up breaking her neck and dying. If you were going to do both make sure that they are seperated. Are you sure you want to grow out a bird? The one thing is that you need to know is that they are NOT pets like a alacha might be. Thease birds have been known to kill people. With that being said. There meat is a very good sorse of protien and very low on fat, and by the way it taste like beef!! What ever you make with beef you can make the same recipe with ostrich. Yes the birds hiss but we can't hear that from the house only when were at the fence feeding. The bobcats have never really bothered the big birds just our chickens. As for the coyotes I haven't had a problem with the muture birds, Its the chicks they have gone after. When we have lost a bird by an attack it has come from the neighbors dogs.

I'm so sorry to hear about your alpaca. I didn't know ostriches were so agressive and I certainly didn't know they spit. Guess I won't be getting any of those chicks. Still, the ostrich meat intrgues me and I want to try it. Perhaps I'll tell my neighbor I'll pass on the actual birds but would be more than happy to buy some meat. I want to try to make Buffalo wings but they're probably too large. Unless I used a turkey deep fryer or something like that. LOL on the floor!

brb

cjb · #4 04/23/09, 03:23 PM

I had ostrich meat several times in South Africa and it was wondeful. It looks and tastes like a very nice steak as it is red meat, not like poultry at all.

From everything I've read, raising ostriches is not for the weak of heart so I would give it alot of consideration first.

Ostrich lady - I have always wondered what people do if an Ostrich gets out!

ostrichlady · #5 04/23/09, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjb

I had ostrich meat several times in South Africa and it was wondeful. It looks and tastes like a very nice steak as it is red meat, not like poultry at all.

From everything I've read, raising ostriches is not for the weak of heart so I would give it alot of consideration first.

Ostrich lady - I have always wondered what people do if an Ostrich gets out!

We catch it. It usally takes about two of us, we use an extened sheep herders hook (very long handel), Dh hooks the birds neck and then grabs the head. You need to keep the head and neck down. this keeps the bird from being able to kick. Ds or myself come in and push from behind.