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Ostrich eggs are the largest of all eggs, [4] though they are actually the smallest eggs relative to the size of the adult bird — on average they are 15 cm (5.9 in) long, 13 cm (5.1 in) wide, and weigh 1.4 kilograms (3.1 lb), over 20 times the weight of a chicken's egg and only 1 to 4% the size of the female. [5]
The major female lays on average 2 eggs per day and will spend a subsequent 15–90 minutes incubating, then will periodically leave the nest unattended to allow minor females to copulate with the territorial male and lay eggs in the nest. The male will often spend more time incubating the nest than the major female. [10] [4] An upwards of 18 ...
The female common ostrich lays her fertilized eggs in a single communal nest, a simple pit, 30 to 60 cm (12 to 24 in) deep and 3 m (9.8 ft) wide, [66] scraped in the ground by the male. The dominant female lays her eggs first; when it is time to cover them for incubation, she discards extra eggs from the weaker females, leaving about 20 in most ...
The male and female alternate to sit on the eggs with the female doing duty in the day and the male in the night. Some birds can lay up to 100 eggs during the breeding season with an egg being laid every one or two days. During this period the male ostriches become very aggressive protecting both the female and the eggs. [citation needed]
A multi-purpose opening terminating at the vent at the posterior of a bird: birds expel waste from it; most birds mate by joining cloaca (a "cloacal kiss "); and females lay eggs from it. Birds do not have a urinary bladder or external urethral opening and (with exception of the ostrich) uric acid is excreted from the cloaca, along with faeces ...
The female ostriches will lay their eggs at the same time, leading to having too many eggs in the nest. [2] The major hen is able to detect which eggs belong to her, and will push the other eggs to the perimeter of the nest, which is not looked after. This adaption of abandoning these eggs protects the well-kept eggs from predators. [2]
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South Africa produces about 70% of global ostrich products, [5] with the industry largely centered around the town of Oudtshoorn. Ostrich leather is a lucrative commodity, and the large feathers are used as plumes for the decoration of ceremonial headgear. Ostrich eggs and meat have been used by humans for millennia.