January 28, 2020 Hani Zambry

OSTRICH : World's Largest & Heaviest Bird

Let’s get to know about this flightless big bird

Common Name: Ostrich

Scientific Name: Struthio camelus

Type: Birds

Diet: Omnivore

Group Name: Herd

Average life span in The Wild: 30 to 40 years

Size: 7 to 9 feet

Weight: 220 to 350 pounds

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

Source by National Geographic.

**“Camel bird”**

The ostrich was once known as the “camel bird”, as suggested by its species name, camelus. Hence, it is called “burung unta” in Bahasa Malaysia.

For what reasons they are being called as “Camel bird”?

The same properties as camels, which is of its long neck, prominent eyes, and sweeping eyelashes. Also, its jolting walk too.

Besides that, like camels, the ostrich can tolerate high temperatures.

They can stand a certain period of time without water.

Heaviest living bird.

As mentioned earlier, ostrich is so heavy.

Thus, this flightless bird can never had a chance to fly in the sky like other types of birds.

Instead, this bird is meant to be a great runner.

They have long, thick, and powerful legs which can cover great distances without much effort.

Besides that, their feet consist of only two toes for greater speed.

It’s amazing to learn that their kicks can kill a human or even a lion with their powerful, long legs. Isn’t that great?

If they can't fly, what are the wings for?

To help them in balancing when they run.

Ostriches will hold their wings out, especially if they suddenly change direction.

Thus, they wouldn’t fall off easily while running.

Besides that, along with the tail feathers, the wings are for displays, as well as courtship.

Diet

Basically ostriches that live in the wild eat plants, roots, and seeds but sometimes they will also eat insects, lizards, or other creatures available.

To help grind up food in the gizzard, the big birds will swallow sand, pebbles, and small stones.

An interesting fact is that since they get what they need from the plants they eat, thus they do not need to drink water. But of course, when there is a source of water, they would drink too.

Now that we have known a bit about the big bird, let’s dig out what BENEFITS do human get from this amazing bird.

Ostrich Eggs

They are famous for their size, (20 times the size of a domestic chicken’s.)

Although an ostrich’s egg is the largest of any birds, yet they are small in relation to the size of the adult.

The egg shell is 3mm thick and quite strong.

Approximately, an ostrich egg contains 2000 calories, which is consisted of 47% protein and 45% fat.

They have a vitamin almost similar to that of chicken eggs (a study in 2003 in the British Poultry Science).

Therefore, per serving, an ostrich egg is a good source of choline and B vitamins such as vitamin B12, riboflavin and folic acid.

But to differ, ostrich eggs are richer in magnesium and iron than chicken eggs.

On top of that, they do not contain any sodium.

So, for people who is on a low sodium diet, ostrich eggs may be a better choice.

Ostrich Meat

Somehow, ostrich meat doesn’t taste like other birds (white meat).

They are red meat. Red like venison and the taste, maybe we can say, almost similar to the prime beef.

Ostrich meat is the best choice for red meat lovers.

The medical practitioners and dieticians are recommending them as ostrich meat is lower in kilojoules, saturated fats and cholesterol than chicken.

Besides that, they are also high in iron and therefore people with an active lifestyle will benefit more from it.

Ostrich meat has fat, but it is collected outside the muscle.

It makes them easily to be removed during processing.

Therefore, the meat is lean with low fat content guaranteed.

It is a wonderful protein source (approved by The Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa).

Wait. What’s more in the pocket?

The meat does not attract harmful bacteria like E.coli or salmonella. (Because of the ostrich’s ideal pH balance.) Incredible isn’t it?

Tasty, yet healthy!

Ostrich Oil

The main ingredient of our products!

How do we get the oil?

Typically, ostrich oil is made from the fat of the bird.

The fat is to be found in layers between the hide and the flesh.

Unlike beef, the meat is not marbled with fat. They are all together in layers.

Ostrich oil is high in Omega 3, Omega 6 ( Lineic ) , Omega 9 ( Oleic ) Essential Fatty Acids (EFA's) and certain vitamins and amino acids.

These components are essentials in maintaining the health of the skin membranes.

Another component, Oleic Acid(Omega 10) has a local anti-inflammatory effect on dermal tissues.

The balancing of the cell membranes will be restored by all these fatty acids working together.

It is also believed to bring improvements to patients with multiple sclerosis, as they are the results from the nerve cells that rejuvenated.

Let’s look further for the BENEFITS of ostrich oil:

Moisturize the skin.

Ostrich oil is widely used as an excellent moisturizer for the skin.

It can be absorbed quickly by the skin, thus will not leave the skin feeling tacky or sticky.

Gentle and comfortable to the skin.

It can go right through the skin barrier, and carry other active ingredients with it deeply into the body.

Skin ailments treatment.

Ostrich oil also benefits in helping to heal and repair the skin.

It helps to heal burns and reduce scarring, and heal lesions.

They are great in offering relief to skin irritations such as eczema, rosacea, dermatitis, psoriasis, as well as other discomforts like skin rash, cuts, abrasions, burns, sunburn, blisters or insect bites.

The ostrich oil is naturally soothing to the skin.

Effects in Anti-ageing.

It is believed that ostrich oil was used by ancient cultures as a part of cosmetic or beauty regime.

Cleopatra is thought to have used ostrich oil as part of her beauty regiment for maintaining her beauty and attractiveness.

Ostrich oil is useful for elderly people and also for those who are concerned to maintain their youthful appearance, as the oil has potent anti-ageing properties.

It works by lowering the formation of several symptoms of ageing, including wrinkles and the ‘panda eyes’ (eyebags).

The group of several fatty acids we discussed earlier, are vital for cell division, recovery and growth.

Anti-fungal agents.

It is important in keeping the skin free from any germs.

The anti-fungal properties of ostrich oil would assist in this effort.

As it is non-comedogenic, which is does not clog skin pores, this special oil may be used as a major part of skin cleansing.

Relief of joint pain

Another component of the ostrich oil, the Linolenic Acid(Omega 3) can provide temporary relief of joint pain and aches, and also sprains.

It will give the soothing effect and relieve the discomfortness.

Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effects of the ostrich oil are useful in fighting psoriasis and arthritic joints.

To promote relief of many other ailments, it is suggested that the ostrich oil to be combined with other essential oils (for optimization).

For those who are looking for ways to relieve the ailments that they may be experiencing with their skin, this ostrich oil is highly recommended as one of the treatment method.

This oil is considered as non-toxic or will not bring any harm in any way.

As a matter of fact, unlike petroleum based products, the oil’s special properties of penetrates deeply into the skin, making it luxuriously moisturized for hours without clogging pores, has made the oil as the first choice by our customers.

Undoubtedly, it is natural and soothing, highly penetrating, with natural anti-inflammatory characteristics offering natural pain relief, as well as brings comfort with excellent moisturizing capability.