San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-02-15
begin to mend their ways until after
the third knock down."


the third knock-down."
Ostrich Farming...Its Adaptation to the
South.
Baltimore Sun.
Allusion has been made in The S,n
from time to time to the proposed in
PRODUCTION of ostrich farming in Cal.
ifornia. DR.. Prothroe, the owner,
and Mr.. Sketchly, his assistant, from
Cape Town, South Africa, recently
came overland to California with ten
males and twelve female ostriches,
valued at $4,000, and SO, 900 railway
charges. After being exhibited at
Woodward's Gardens in San Fran
cisco, they were taken to their homes
In Fresno county, where the new en-.
terprise will be conducted under the
direction of G. @. Briggs, whose name
is considered guarantee for success.
Mr.. Sketchley showed to the Califor.
MIA correspondent of The San how to
treat the birds, and explained every
process of plucking and sorting the
feathers, incubating the eggs artifi-
cially, giving the wonderful increase
of production, with the yearly sales
of feathers and eggs, the cost of keep
ing and the very small loss of casual
ties. On account of superior even
ness of climate the Doctor feels as
sured of larger production, almost
total exemption from ricks, and finer
feathers than at Cape Colony. He
introduced the same Syrian variety
of birds in Buenos Ayres, where his
expectations have been fully realized.
The male birds as well as the females,
are plucked at two years. At Cape
Colony one male and two females
make a family. The average weight
of these birds is $50 pounds, each.
The males are black and white; the
females mouse colored. Every seven
or eight months after the first laying
each bird gives 100 first quality feath-
ers from it's wings and tail, valued at
$3.50, besides inferior ones from the
oack and breast. Ostriches begin
to lay turnip-sized eggs, in sand
nests, at five years old. Each
family of two hens lay about 1870 eggs
year, from which 115 chicks are
raised by artificial heat. In three
weeks after leaving the nest they be-
gin to lay again, Till three months
old the chicks are tenderly cared for
They run in focks Like sheep, being
very hardy, till five years old, when
those for breeding are kept apart
Except in breeding time they are easy
to approach and handle, but theil
eyes are hooded for blucking. An
expert seizes the quill end low down
and with a sudden slap twists it out
They say it is not exactly painful,
but very smarting. Each family is
inclosed with high fence, which an
eight-foot bird cannot overlook. The
market value at the Cape may be
quoted Birds at three months, $50;
at two years, $3.50 each bird; when
ripe, at five years, $1,000 to $1,000
for family Of three. DR.. Prothroe
sums up his anticipated results from
this adventure at the end of five years
at 2,4OO birds, and cash for 24O-
900 feathers. A year later, $4,000
birds, and 100000 feathers, and so
on yearly ad .intinitum = during the
twenty-five remaining years of the
average birds life. An idea of the
possible profits of Ostrich farming
NAV be derived from the fact that
Cape Colony derives six and a-quarter
millions of dollars year from ex-
ported feathers. DIR. Prothroe says
the ostrich is not a bird for the
mountains, but in all the plains of the
South it will thrive. A second farm
is to be started in Los Angeles county,
and an expert is now on his way from
South Africa with fifty birds, with
which to stock it. The American
consuls at Cape Colony and Buenos
Ayres say the "bird is very hardy,
and will thrive in any of the southern
States where there is no great excess
of heat or cold.
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