Book review
The Ostrich: Biology, Production and HealthD.C. Deeming (Ed.); CABI Publishing, Wallingford Oxon (UK) and New York (USA), 1999, 360 pp., £ 55.00, US$ 10 000, hardcover, ISBN 085 199 350 8
In the last few years the ostrich has increased in importance as an agricultural animal. In the last century, the production of feathers was the predominant reason to keep ostriches. However, today ostriches are reared for the production of meat and leather. Indeed, ostrich meat is increasingly popular in western society because of the low fat content, and helps explain why there is an increased demand for that farm animal.
D.C. Deeming has edited a text on ostrich management. It contains articles from various authors from different parts of the world where ostrich production is of special interest, e.g. South Africa, Europe, Israel, and USA. The authors are experts concerning ostrich biology, production, and health management. The book is well structured and each chapter contains a considerable review of the available literature on the topic. Largely because there are only a limited number of review papers dealing with the ostrich, the present book gains its importance because it covers different ®elds in a highly valuable and insightful way. For instance, results from diverse studies are well integrated into the concept of the book.
Special intention was given to subjects in different chapters according to the scienti®c and economic relevance of the reproduction, rearing, management and product quality of ostrich products. Furthermore, other ®elds like anatomy, physiology, genetics, breading, animal welfare and health have not been neglected. Indeed, highly interesting information can be found there as well.
The book ``The Ostrich: Biology, Production and Health'' represents a most needed review in the ®eld of ostrich production, with many interesting scienti®c and practical tidbits as well as some open questions worth contemplating.
Caspar Wenk*
Institut fuÈr Nutztierwissenschaften, ErnaÈhrungsbiologie EidgenoÈssische Technische Hochschule ZuÈrich, UniversitaÈtsstr. 2 CH-9092 ZuÈrich, Switzerland
*
Tel.:41-1-632-32-55; fax: 41-1-632-11-28.
E-mail address: caspar.wenk@inw.agrl.ethz.ch (C. Wenk).
Animal Feed Science and Technology 88 (2000) 135
