The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1884-01-03
osTRicHEs IN FLORIDA.
zn Attempt to Raise the Giant Birds
for Their Feathers in this Country.

an Attempt to Raise the Giant Birds
for Their Feathers in this Country.
New York SUM-
A few days ago Mr.. Charlton Jones
Of Sylvan lake, Florida, left this city
with three pairs of fine ostriches, which
he recently received from Nubia Mr..
Jones intends to raise ostriches for
their feathers. Although the climate
of Florida is not quite like
that OF Nubia, yet he thinks it IL very
probable. that the giant birds win
thrive and multiply in their new dwell
ing place. In different places in North
and South Africa there are many os-
trich farms. where the birds are raised
specially for their feathers. The feath-
ers are usually cut off only once a
year, but ostriches which re-
ceive special care yield annn-
ally two and even. three crops of
feathers. When it is considered that
,ostfiehes.live from forty to fifty wears,
and that .yearling birds yield renarl1a-
bic feathers, it is clear that an ostrich
farm ought to be profitable The arti-
fetal breeding of estriches is PERHAPS
the best paving branch of agriculture.
About three years ago chicks Just oa5
aIiece; at month of age they brought
$50 to $50; at months, $50 to 800:
at year, 500 to $3.50, and at =
years about $3.50 A pair of ostriches
of full age-that is, years old-theD
commanded $500 to $3.50. But now, IS
the number CT ostrich farms has been
greatly increased, a pair of good os-
triches can be bought at 5000.
The ostriches yielding the best feath-
ers are found in North Africa, but their
number is rather insignificant. Since
1862 the ostrich farms have greatly
multiplied in Cape Colony, Natal and
the Transvaai, countries lying at the
same distance from the equator as
Florida. During the last twenty years
the number of domestic ostriches in
those countries has increased up to
100000, and their yield of feathers
amounts to about $4,500,000 worth.
Egypt raises only about $1,000,O0O
worth of feathers, and Algeria, Tunis
and Tripoh altogether hardly 100000
worth. True, the ostrich feathers
raised in the latter countries are supe-
rior to those raised in South Africa, but
the difference is not very great, aud
the feathers of Cape Colony are often
sold FOR those of Egypt.
The ,hatching of ostrich chicks takes
forty-two days. The eggs are about SIX
inches long and five inches wide, and
are equal in bulk to twenty-four hens
eggs. The ostrich chick in a few days
reaches the size of an ordinary hen. It
is covered with light brown down,
through which, on the back and wings
project black needles like those of the
hedge hog. The chick of l month is
of the size of a turkey, and its dow
has begun to change into minute feath-
ers. The body of an ostrich half
year old is about the size of that of an
average man. It's feathers reach a
good size, but they are not cast off be-
fore it becomes yearling.
Young ostriches are usually kept !
separate from the grown up ones. They !
feed upon grass, corn, and leaves
They are kept in small focks of from |
twelve to fifteen birds, in a place sur
rounded by ditch or a |
fence of creeping plants. How
ever insecure the fence may be, |
the ostriches never attempt to pass it. |
1t often happens that domestic ostriches
attack men, and particularly strangers,
although in the wild state they usually
shun man. When attacking a man an
ostrich strives to strike him with It's
feet. Such blows are very dangerous
There have been cases in which the
spine of horse has been broken bv
them. If man has no arms to defend
and no way TO escape, the best
thing for him to do is to throw
himself on the ground, for then the
ostrich cannot strike him a hard
blow. When enraged, however, the
ostrich does not leave its victim, but
watches him until he rises, and then
furiously renews the attack. Under the
q man has only one
means of escape, namely, creeping to
some place of safety, such as q tree, a
river or ditch.
The fights among male ostriches are
very savage and bloody. The males
bravely defend their nests, and they sit
on the eggs from 3 p. IN. to 8 a. m,
when the females take the post and re-
main on the nest until p. m. While
on the nest the ostrich lays its neck on
the ground, so that an inexperienced
person might mistake it for heap of
earth. On leaving the nest even do
mestic ostriches make several jumps
and curious motions calculated to mis-
lead their enemies. In case of danger
ostriches try to hide themselves in
bushes or behind stones. Wildcats,
hyenas, jackals, wolves and tigers are
the enemies of ostriches in their native
land. The tricks to which these beasts
resort in order to break the ostrich
eggs are well known. Ostrich farmers
usually bait the beasts with poisoned
meat to save their focks.
Florida abounds in alligators, which
are near cousins of the crocodiles of the
Nile. Why, then, may not ostriches
thrive in Florida?