Effects of environmental enrichment on ostrich behaviours

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate the behavioural differences of ostrich (Struthio camelus) breeders reared under environmental enrichment with natural vegetation in farm conditions. The effect of enriched environment with vegetation on eating, drinking, foraging, pecking, defecation, walking, running, alert, standing, sitting, sleeping, dust bathing, preening, head shake, thermoregulation, kantel, mating, laying, threat and fight behaviours of ostriches were found similar (P > 0.05). The ratio of boom, courtship and displace behaviours were found higher in enriched than in gravel floor (P=0.050; P=0.028 and P=0.001). The foraging, dust bathing, boom, laying and displace behaviours of ostriches were affected by gender (P=0.029, P=0.040, P=0.050, P=0.025 and P=0.001). The eating, foraging, standing, sitting, dust bathing and laying behaviours of ostriches were affected by time of day (P=0.010, P=0.023, P=0.049, P=0.026, P=0.018 and P=0.009). There was a significant interaction of enriched environment and gender effect on eating, standing, boom and displace behaviours of ostriches (P=0.047, P=0.031, P=0.050 and P=0.001). The pecking and standing behaviours of ostriches were affected by enriched environment and time of day interaction (P=0.027 and P=0.023). As a conclusion, enriched environment with natural vegetation in paddock only affected ostriches’ courtship behaviours, also affected male and female eating and standing behaviours differently.