The sun., 1878-04-28
OSTRICH FlRlfIyg,
How the Business 10 Carried ON in South
AfrIea.-The Incubation -rIuckIng.

residing near Grahalnslnwn, III Capr Colony.
conceived the project ni whit Is now known as
ostrich lurnllug HAVING rNIcrimnntru WIN
lew wild birds. and found that they would ny
ia confinement. lic next set 10 work 70 devise
some method uf nrtlilcinl hntching. For three
years he p'cl with but little success. but iinnliy
no Invented the pnicnt incubator. since when
pc has prosecuted his scheme in II manner that
has made him famous.
By means Of the incubator the eleven birds
win whlch the experiment was first tried have
been Increased To 300 and these being scattered
throughout the district. have nude ostrich
lnrinlng nearly ~ popular among the residents
Ol Cape Cnluny rs dlnnond- mining or shcrp-
ralslh@ Thr farnl of Mr.. Douglass Is situated
short distanr" from Grahnnlstuwn. and oc-
cupics about ,2I0 acres pi rough ground for
around was. until within short period, used
ns sheep walks. hut y certain dttcriOratiUn ia
NE grnss:sc rendered it unproilaldc fur such
purposes. Thruuility II yet. however. sufficient
" good to satisfy the ustrirh-a much less fas-
tidpus creature than sheep.
Ihcr. 4re at pr' sent on the farm nhou, 800
urCs. One OF these ~ 3,uOu ucres III size aud
has within it Il troop of 2iO birds. Once week
armed with largo boughs Of thorn to keep the
birds of rs many nrc very savage. and their
Kick is dangerous. ono man go,s y IN front. with u
pack-h9rsr loaded with Indian corn. to lead
them. The iarIn itself Is divided into puddocks.
and. with those which arc breeding, one cock
with two hciis o.r.upics each paddock. The
youn. bir,ls-for they do not breed ill they are
thrcc years uhl-or those whi II are not paired.
run IN llo'ks oi thirty or forty cach. They are
somctiurs breaking their own huncs and get
ting Themselves caught IN the wirg lenrcs.
Otherwise they are hardy creatures, which can
stand much heat Hnd cold. can do for long
periuds without water. require no drlicatr ircd-
for the care bestowed upon them.
The first necessity IN art illcill ostrich hatch
ing Is I" pro urr the "gEs For this purpose
the farmer provides himself with AN us-urt-
mrnt ul dummy eggs consisting Oi egg shulls
blown aud il.lcd with sand 3y means y'thcsc
hr Is lsnally successful IN ullurlng the hens to
ourn that there is little difficulty in Watching
their nianUuvrcs and obtaining the cgss assoon
ns they ure in existence A. each egg IL worth
from s2u To- s25. there will in course Of time he
naturally much temptation To- theft. As yet.
however. there is no market for the rcc, ption
OF the stolen goods. and TO steal an ostrich egg
with no means Tor hatching 1t would be Il use
less piece uf dishonesty.
The incubator II ratl"r AN awkward pccc Of
pine furniture. some eight or nine feet long.
aud standing on four legs. At each end there
are two drawers. Tn" eggs are FIRST covered
with some arrangement Of iAnncl and are then
laid in the drawers. the Inter being connected
with scrcwlng apparatus, 10y means of which
they are raised or lowered To the extent OF two
or three Inches. Abovn the drawers. nnd rN.
tending over the whole Of the upper part Of the
machine. Is ntank filled with hot water. Earh
drawer. when cvhtalns about iit"cn Gigs.
when llci nnd cl,scd. h screwed up - ~ 10
bring the side of the rg. in coutut with the
tank; ~ this way thg necessary warmth Is ap;;
Piled. Below iho maciln9 ana IN tue crnir' of
It lambs are placed. which keep the tempera
turc uf the water UP To- the right degree. The
lncunniing room is large building 50 con;
weather. Hrrr several incuhators are at work
The work OF hat hing the cSgs is most conipli-
caird aud requires not only carr but capacity
for tracing results. which is by no mcaiis Il
common glit. The ostrich turns her egg ire
qucutly. sothat each side oi Il may receive dueat-
irniion. The ostrich farmer mustihereiorc.tur
his eggs This ne does about three times II day.
\ certain amount oi moisture IL required, ua in
nature moisture cXudcs from the sitting bird.
The heat must be MODERATED according To- CIR
culnsiances. or the y9ik het9mes glue and the
Young hlri II choSed Again. when ia" mo-
mcnt arrives AT which tho Young ostrich is ready
to emerge from It's shell IL Is frequently nrcrs-
sary to assist ~ this diili 'ult perlormHncc. A.
ter they are Introduced into the world the young
os,rlinos require N" most tender care. De
prlvcd Oi the attentions Of their natural guar
di9n: II becomes necessary 70 rcpiace her by II
substitute. who is usually chosen from among
The coolies connected with the farm. To each
.ut OF about thirty birds u man is told of. who
rom sunrise 10 sunset goes about in the luccrn
fields with them. cutting. up the luccrn
for them. or breaking bones for them.
and nndin. them gravel and water. They be-
come immensely attached 10 their nurse. and
as u general hing. he Is devoted 10 them: for
each bird when harcilgd II supposed To hc worth
Of an ostrich s from s3dd to iiG0. The birds
AZ" plu'hri before they are year old. but the
age ai which they ccasr to yield thoir periodical
harvest uf graceful nlum"s has not apparently
been vet determined T+lcrc are uStrichn- OH
Mr.. Donglass's farm which hav" been rotbcd II
their ieaih ~ proprr intervals Tor sixteen
not lrprrciatr. When plurking timr hMs come.
the necessary number of birds nrc cnticcd by
corn ~ called in south Airica-into II pen. one
side Of which Is movable Tho birds will 80
Willingly aiicr mrali"s. aud Will run about their
paddurks after any one they soc. in tn"eNpcctA-
tion OF these d"licacirs. Whcn the pom Is fun.
the movable side IS run in. So that tho hirds are
compressed together beyond the power Of vio-
lent struggling. They canhot spread their
wings. or make the dart forward which is Gus
iomary TO them when a9ont t. Kick. Then men
~ fIl Ift IL
pluck or cut their feathers. Both processes are
common. but the former Is most So. as being the
more profitable. There is a heavier weight 10
begins To- grow ul:ain NJ once. whereas the lru-
cess T. delayed when nature Is called upon to
erect the stump. Apparently tho ostrich suffers
but little when his feathers are drawn. Tor he
takes scarcely any notice ot the OPERATION
Tho plucsinE has to bc endured hy the vic
tim twice year. that is. the tail and tue pri-
mary wing feathers. which are the only white
ones. are plucked. ana also the secondary
win. feathers. these brns the blacl. ones when
when the harvest Ot plum > has been collected
they are taken into th" feather room nnl sorted
INTO lois Of various qualities, Th' white, pri-
mary rim from undrr tho birds wing produces
the best plumes. These are frequently sold for
as high price rs Sl25 per pound.
nluln"s has mad" tho business Of producing
them ;" profitable that II NOT lnlrcIurhtly yields
an advance of fltv per cent. annually On the
capital invested, ct. on tue other hand. large
sums OF mo.n"y haNr been lost 10y rcrs9ns who
Trul,opc. who visited MIR. D0ugnss's farm in
ls1i,adduccs the following reasons which. as ha
says; rrndrr me n4rrinr,s Of ostrich farming u
precurlOus one: Ihr hlrds are OF such value,
aiull-grown bird in perfect health ltng worth
H. much us G7j. that thrrrarc oi course risks Of
great loss. And ! Doubt whether the industry
mas Is ycl existed long enough for those who
employ Ito know all H. conditions. The Two
great things 10 do are To hatrh III" es.;s and
send them to the market tliuk | MAJ say
ihn' ostrich farming without the use ~ an inru-