THE RATITE ENCYCLOPEDIA Ostrich * Emu * Rhea Claire Drenowatz EditorCopyright © 1995 Charley Elrod & Helen Wilborn Published by Ratite Records, Inc. Post Office Box 790365 San Antonio, TX 78279-0365. First Edition Reproduction or translation of any part of this work beyond that permitted by section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be directed to Ratite Records, Inc. Unless otherwise noted, drawings and illustrations are by Brian Wessels. Unless otherwise noted, photographs were supplied by the author of the chapter or by the publisher. Designed and typeset by Alphabet Soup, San Antonio, Texas. Cover design by John Bader. Photo in upper left of cover courtesy Jerry and Susan Jones, JJ Rheas, Bergheim, Texas. Printed on acid-free paper, in accordance with the standards of the American National Standard of Permanance of Paper for Printed Library Materials. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 95-72092 Includes biblographical references and index. ISBN 0-0642940-2-8 Printed in the United States of America 10987654321Just a short time ago, rheas had no commercial value whatso- ever Now the meat and hides are ing sold, and the next major juct will be rhea oil. Rhea oil, with its perceived therapeutic qualities, is destined to become as important to the value of rheas as emu cil is to the value of emus. There are presently five po- tential uses for the oil: + nutritional supplements, + machining cutting fluid, + leather conditioning and penetrating oil, * cosmetics, and + anti-inflammatory, analge- sic products. Each product will require a different grade of oil, specifically refined for the intended pur- pose. No fat should be dis- ‘Carded—all of it should have a ‘commercial application. WHAT IS RHEA OIL? Rhea oilis simply the rendered and refined adipose tissue of Rhea americana, or common thea. On the bird, the fat is deposited mainly around the stomach and intestines, across the rump, and ‘on both sides of the ster- num or breast bone. Small quanti- ties can be found adjacent to most muscles. Rhea hatchlings have about 3 x of fat distributed over the ster- num, stomach, and rump. Typi- cally, with present nutrition s, males do not begin to build fat stores until 12 months of age, and there is a marked in- ‘crease in fat after sexual maturity. Harvested fat ranges from three to fifteen pounds per year- ling male, usually about ten cont af body weight. ¥ REFINING ‘To be able to sell the oil in the commercial market, standards must beset for each grade of al, a ypriate its particular Pleaton. The lighter the stand ards which are set, the more impurities must be removed, with less oil being recovered for sale. Refining costs are increased, and value of the more refined product is obviously much higher 2as RHEA OIL Donna Fezler Grand Cypress Ranch Jacksonville, Ilinois than the simpler product. Cost of refining can range from pennies a pound for edible grade to as high as $10 per pound for small batches (500 pounds) of highly-refined pharmaceutical grade. The rhea industry will want to consider four grades of oil, each with its own refining and per- formance standards. The stand- ards will define the minimum level for color, clarity, specific ‘gravity, viscosity, refractive index, doud test, peroxide value, melt point, fatty acids, and iodine value, to name several of the tests routinely done on oil. Without standards, customers cannot be asured of consistent product quality and performance. Setting and defining standards will require a significant financial investment before we can con- sider a commercial market. ‘THE GRADES The oil will go through several increasingly-stringent refining stages to produce at least four grades. Each grade will have de- tailed specifications listing its physical and chemical properties.246. GRADES Non-food Food Cosmetic Pharmaceutical TABLE 1; PROPOSED GRADES FOR RHEA OIL POTENTIAL USES Cutting fluid, leather conditioner Nutritional supplementation Skin preparations Bum and post-operative creams; analgesic creams, parenteral medications. The higher the grade, the more stringent and difficult to meet the specifications and the more costly to refine. ‘A.commercial buyer has speci- fications that must be met to en- sure the quality of their final product; buyers routinely reject out-of-specification raw materials. The refined rhea cil now available would be dassified as non-food grade (Table 1). PROCESSING THE OIL Processing the oi] for home use is best done by rendering the fat in the microwave, filtering it through a coffee filter to remove any organic matter which would support microbial growth, and storing it in the freezer. This will produce a white, nearly odorless product. Rendering the product Ina crockpot will overcook it, pro- ducing a yellow oxidized oil which is actually in the beginning stages of rancidity. ‘Home-rendered oil should never be rendered for sale. The product will have met no quality- control parameters or testing standards. Contaminated or poor- quality oil could do great damage to the industry. ‘To fully refine the oil, special- ized equipment is needed to filter it quickly and thoroughly. The processes will include bleaching auRIC €12:0 nevnisnic €140 PALMITIC 16:0 PAIMITOLEIC €16:1 STEARIC C180 ounce Cree UNOLEIC C 18:2 UNOUNIC C183 ICOSENOIE € 20:1 ARACHIDONIC C2066 BEHENIC C220 ucNocec ¢240 FATTY ACID COMPARISON OF RHEA AND EMU OILS By Per Cen Comparison DAIAON HEAL FROM XAT FOGD INGREDIENTS AND WOODSON TENET LABORATORIES, INC. 2 25 mas a mew Figure 1. Analysis of fatty acids in rhea and em cil by gas chromatography. ‘The Ratite Encyclopedia to remove color bodies, deodoriz- ing to remove all odor, distillation to produce the highest quality pharmaceutical grades, and tem- pering to prevent or control crys- tal growth. it will take some time before these properties are defined, and even then they willbe proprietary, so the producer will not partic- pate in the refining of the oil. For rendered oil, the recovery rate is about 89 per cent of fal; non-food grade refining will be close at about 86 per cent. Cos- metic grade may drop to 65 per cent, and there are no estimates for pharmaceutical grade. The price of the oil will reflect the re- duced recovery rates and in- creased purity of the product. PROPERTIES OF RHEA OIL FATTY-ACID PROFILE In our research, sixteen sam- plesof rendered rhea oil were ana~ lyzed by gas chromatography. ‘The samples were from home and commercially-slaughtered and rendered birds from various areas of the country. Initially, there was such a great variation in the fatty-add profiles of the samples that no standard could be published with confi- dence. Of the adultbirds that died from accidental causes, it became apparent that there were actually two general profiles that could be called standards for the rhea. One type of profile had 14 to 18 different fatty acids in similar proportions. The other had as few as faity acids, with no long-chain fatty acids at all. Interviews with the farmers revealed that the birds with the low numbers of fatty acids were the only birds fed one particular brand of feed. The three samples, from birds fed that brand of feed are not included in the standard (Figure 1).Rhea Oil 2a7 Itwas feltthat the diet of these birds may have been deficient, causing a change in their lipo- genesis, the formation of body fat A POSSIBLE DIAGNOSTIC TOOL Juvenile animals typically have different fatty-acid profiles than adults. The rhea is no differ- ent, but what was interesting was where the changes, or enhance- ments, occurred Inanother test, the adipose tis- sue from three malpositioned chicks from the same hen, one at the start of the season, one at the middle, and one at the end of the season was analyzed. The hen was fed a 7% fat diet and it should be noted that there was no reduction in chick survivability through this hen’s last egg of the season. The later-hatched chicks showed decreasing ratios of long- chain (C20-C24) fatty acids in their adipose tissue. These long-chain fatty acids are the precursors of powerful, important hormone- like substances called eicosanoids. See Table 2.and Figure 2 In chickens, reductions in the levels of certain yolk lipids have been identified with metabolic disorders and embryo survivabil- ity, Although chicken hens have large essential-fatty-acid reserves, when these reserves are depleted, the surviving chicks will show im- paired viability and growth even when fed adequate diets. Since later-hatched chicks are historically more difficult to raise, further study of the fat of rhea hens, hatchlings and chicks may yield some answers. Further unusual discrepancies were noted in fatty-acid profiles of chicks with abnormal bone devel- opment, hemorrhaging and/or aneurysms, rotated legs, stunting, abnormal gait, abnormal feather- ing, and abnormal leg scale and beak development. They may re- flect a major problem in the meta- bolic process of adipose tissue formation when compared witha normal rhea, FDA APPROVAL ‘The process of planning to get FDA approval of rhea oil as an active ingredient hasbegun. Itwill be expensive and time-consuming but itis an absolute necessity. What happens if we don’t get approval? The worst-case sce- nario would have a pharmaceuti- cal company developing a formulation using rhea oil, obtain- ing the patent and FDA approval, and paying the producer two pen- nies per pound of rhea fat. This is a very real possibility unless the industry commits re- sources to a placebo study at a ‘university to ascertain that rhea oil does have pain-relieving qualities. This will not stop anyone from patenting their own formula. It TABLE 2. LONG-CHAIN FATTY ACIDS IN RELATION TO EGG NUMBER % OF RATIO OF CHICK 20-24 FATS C20-24 TO ADULT ‘Adult Rhea 0.43 Standard Chick #1, Egg #5 175 44:1 Chick #2, Egg #23 1.49 35:1 Chick #3, &eg #52 1:12 26:1 will simply allow us to hold aim to rhea oil’s unusual proper- ties—claims that cannot be made at this time—and ensure that pro- ducers get paid for them. Only by working together as members of a growing industry ‘can we hope to fund such a pro- ject. We have everything to gain. The value of the oil to the pro- ducer will depend on FDA ap- proval as an active ingredient, minimizing refining, costs and maximizing marketing efforts USES FOR RHEA OIL LEATHER CONDITIONING OIL ‘A formulation for leather con- ditioningis currently being tested in Oklahoma. Produced from a Declinin; Fatty Acids in Mal 20 15 10 0s 00 Egg #05, Levels of C 20-24 itioned Chicks from a Rhea Hen in a Single Season Egg #23 Egg #52 Figure 2, Decrease in fatty acids in the adipose tissue of chicks from one rhea hen, from early to late in the hatching season. Se248 combination of neat’s-foot oil and the dregs of rhea oil, itis an excel- Ient use for poor-quality oil. The maker states that it penetrates bet- ter and keeps leather supple longer, increasing intervals be- tween leather conditioning, Sometimes laziness can be a great motivator: since oiling Teather was not one of his fevorite tasks, the leather-oil maker re- quested some unusable rhea oil to see if he could restore riding tack and increase time between appli- cations. He is thrilled with the product's abilities to reduce his chores. Another leather oil manu- facturer in Texasis testing rhea oil for his formulation. CUTTING FLUID ‘The North American Rhea As- sociation recently contracted with the Institute for Advanced Manu- facturing Sciences to test rhea oil as apossible component of a metal cutting fluid, After much delibera- tion, it was decided to test a drill- ing operation, one of several processes that can be used to shape piece of metal into auseful object. Rhea oil performed equally as well as the conventional oil in the Grilling operations, although it was recommended the study be repeated for other metal-working procedures. ‘The surprise came when, in a blind test, oil was sent to an ordi- nary machine shop for practical experimentation. It was found to eas good as conventional cutting fluids for stainless steel, with one major difference—the machinists loved using it. Conventional fluids have sul- phur and phosphorus additives ‘which, according to the machin- ists, are brutal to the skin. The ma- chinists were thrilled that this product notonly got the job done, but the cutting fluid wasn’t haz- ardous to their health, and it was biodegradable. ‘Themetal products are still be- ing tested, and will be examined microscopically over a period of time to determine if pursuing this use for our non-food-grade oil is advantageous. NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT Research on lipid nutrition over the last thirty years has shown that certain types of fatsare vital to health. Deficiencies of es- sential fatty acids can result in a wide variety of symptoms indud- ing growth retardation, depressed immune systems, sterility, kidney damage, bleeding tendency, skin problems, impaired vision, and central nervous system function. In rapidly growing infants, es- pecially pre-term infants, a defi- Gency of essential fatty acids can have serious consequences. Baby formulas have typically not ad- dressed the essential fatty acid blem. Rhea oil closely approximates the fatty-acid content of human breast milk, with the nutritionally- critical fatty acids listed as polyun- saturated fatty acids. See Figures 3 and 4 for a comparison of the con- tent of fatty acids in rhea oil and human milk. This aspect of rhea oil has ex: citing and far-reaching implica- tions, but developing this product will require extensive work and communication with researchers in the field tis not feasible simply to call up baby-formula makers and tell them we have the perfect solution to the problem. Much more re- search needs to be done at the university level before we havean actual marketable product ‘The value of the oil to the pro- ducer will depend on scientific data to back up this theory. This will be expensive but it is neces- sary if we are tobe able to sell rhea oilas a nutritional supplement. ANTL-INFLAMMATORY AND. PAIN-RELIEVING ACTIONS Rhea oil is beginning to earn recognition for itsanalgesic, thera- peutic and cosmetic potential. The The Ratite Encyclopedia oil is being informally tested by various people around the coun- try, and testimonials to its effec- tiveness are as glowing and positive as the results that have been seen with emu oil. How the oil works is not known, butmany people find itto be helpful. Rhea oil has been shown to have dramatic anti-in- flammatory action in thea chicks. The many uses of rhea oil are so far mostly supported by anec- dotal evidence. Much research is needed in many fields to prove that the oil does what people say it does. Review of the data available for chickmortality, comparingitto the purported activity in humans, seems to suggest the fat is a pro- staglandin-leukotriene inhibitor. Prostaglandins and leuk otrienes are the pro-inflammatory chemicals the body makes that produce many intense changes such as redness, swelling, blood- vessel dilation and constriction, pain and heat. They are involved in many more reactions, but these are among the most visible and un- comfortable to us. Drugs such as aspirin and acetaminophen are used to reduce their effects. Many of the testimonials can be ex: plained by applying known prin- ciples of prostaglandin and leukotriene actitivity. ‘Obviously, many people are using thea oil for a wide variety of conditions and feeling that it is effective. Itis thrilling to hear this, but it wil take distribution efforts by each producer to gain wide- spread acceptance of rhea oil HOW DID THE FAT EVOLVE? ‘One must wonder why heas have evolved such a unique fat. + Whatis the evolutionary ad- vantage of having an anti- inflammatory agent as part of a ready energy source? + How does it help rheas sur- vive in the wild? eeRhea Oil + Can we control the pharma- cological activity through dietary changes? + Are we overlooking this unique feature when we look at the nutritional re- quirements of rheas? DEVELOPING THE MARKET Each producer needs to take an active role in promoting the oduct. If you produced one ired birds this year, consider that the products of those hun- dred birds need to be used or sold. We have no distribution chan- nels yet, so consider this an oppor- tunity to sell the product that you produce. + One producer leaves sam- ples at nursing homes, re- furns in a few weeks, and sells oil at a reasonable cost. + Ahealth-food store is selling thea oil on consignment. + Chiropractors and physical therapists are logical choices in the health field. + Fitness clubs and high school and college athletes are natural choices. + Give samples to people who tour your farm. CONCLUSION ‘To make end marketsa reality, each thea producer must be will- ing to help create the market, to sell the product. Producers often do not recog- nize that the intrinsic value of their birds depends on a unified marketing effort. ‘The products do not sell them- selves—they must be actively pro- moted by each and every fucer throu; mal use Ma pesondl eter Use this wonderful product and offer it to other people. Your industry depends on it. 249 Fatty Acid Comparison of Rhea Oil and Human Milk Fat by Per Cent w 15 2 2% 30 35 4 45 Figure 3. Graphical representation of fatty acids found in rhea oil and human milk, in relatively large amounts. See Figure 4 for comparison in lower ranges. Long-Chain Mono and Polyunsaturated Fatty-Acid Comparison of Human Milk Fat and Rhea Oil by Per Cent Figure 4. Comparison of the nutritionally-critical jatty acids, which appear in smaller quantities than those in Figure 3. C18:3 is repeated in both charts for ‘a comparison of scales.250 The Ratite Encyclopedia x ) ‘An attractive hors d‘oewore arrangement by Chef Hubert Sckmieder, featuring ostrich meats. (Photo by Doris Linemann, courtesy Department of Restaurant, Hotel, Institutional and Tourism Management, Purdue University)