Biochemical composition of urine from farmed ostriches (Struthio camelus) in Botswana.

Biochemical and qualitative evaluation of the supernatant of urine from hydrated farmed ostriches (Struthio camelus) indicated that the urine was comparable to that described by other workers. The disparities obtained between the biochemical constituents in the present and previous studies were partly attributed to the state of hydration influenced by climatic factors. Results of the cytological examination of the supernatant and the sediment concurred with the observations of other workers. It was therefore concluded that parameters from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses could be used as a guideline to monitor the health status of farmed ostriches in Botswana.