Houbara

The founder stock was obtained in 1993 under a license to harvest eggs from the wild. 153 eggs were collected, resulting in 138 chicks that were transferred to Agadir. The 1995 breeding season gave the first indications of the success of the production and breeding techniques, with 29 females laying 169 eggs. The 1996 season again confirmed the successful techniques followed with 309 chicks hatching, and retained for the breeding stock. The breeding department is responsible for the ongoing management of 320 females and 100 males that forms the Houbara bustard breeding stock. Over the last number of years the centre has managed to produce between 1,000-1,500 birds each year. The breeding department is assisted by a team of professional veterinarians and a team of well qualified genetic and molecular biology scientists.

Caring for young chicks is a skill that requires the “love for the bird” since staff must act as “surrogate mother” hand feeding and caring for young chicks until such time they can feed on their own. The care for the new breed is a constant and daily process.

Semen collection and Insemination

The experienced and skilled team in the field of semen collection and artificial insemination keeps the Foundation at the forefront of Houbara bustard breeding. Semen collection is perhaps one of the most consuming jobs, as it requires skills, dedication and patience and years of working with males to “imprint” the males to give semen. Once the semen is collected then the breeding lab takes over, preparing the “correct insemination samples ” and start the daily rounds of inseminating the females, based on daily updated femal egg laying and production chart.

Hatching is also a key skill that require knowledge of the species and also of the modern incubators, developed and produced by the Foundation's own staff. The hatchery is fully equipped facilities with its own stat of the art, air handling and climate control system and all machines are fully computerized and monitored continually through out the breeding season.