Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-03-07
OST2iCHES IN FLORIDA.
An Attempt to Raise the Giant Birds
for Their Feathers In this Country.
New York Sun.

Js
New York Sun
A few days ago Mr. Charlton Jones
Of Sylvan lake, Florida let this city
with three pairs of fine ostriches. which
he recently received from Nubn. MIR.
Jones intends to raise ostrirhes for
their feathers. Although TIL, climate
Of Florida is not quite Ike
that OF Nubia, vet he thinks it is very
probable that the giant birds will
thrive and multiply in their new dwell.
ing place. In different places in North
and South Africa there are many o.
erich farms, where the birds ere raised
specially for their feathers. The faath-
ers are l!suallv cnt off only once a
year. bat ostrichcs which re-
'elve special care weld annu.
ally two and even three crops of
feathers. When it is considered that
ostrirhes live from forty to tiftv wears,
and that vearling birds Weld remaraa-
bic feathers, it il clear that an ostrich
farm ought to be profitable. The arti.
fetal breeding of ostriches is perhaps
the best paving branch OF agriculture.
About three years ago chicks Just ont
Of the egg were sold at $40 t. SO
apiece; at month of age they brought
$50 to SO: at t. months. 500 TO SlUU;
Mt year, 500 to $50, and at 2
years about 500 4 pair Of o,trichcs
of full age that is. > wears old thea
commanded $500 to $40. But now. rs
the number of ostrich farms has been
greatly increased, a pair OF good os-
trichc7 can be bought at $2o
Tho 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 i'll Cape Colony, Natal and
the Transvaal. countries living at tho
same distance from the equator "a
Florida. During the last twenty years
the number of domestic ostrichcs in
those countries has increased up to
100000, and their yield of feathers
amounts to about $4,5oO.O00 worth.
Egypt raises only about $1,oo0OOO
worth OF feathers. and Algeria. Tunis
and Tripoli altogether Lard! 100000
worth. True, the ostrich feathers
raised i'll the latter countries are supe-
rior to those raised in South Africa. but
the difference is not very great, and
the feathers of Cape Colony are often
sold for those of Egypt.
The matching of ostrich chicks takes
forty-two days. The eggs are about SIX
inches long and five inches wi lie, anl
are equal in bulk to twentv-four len 8
eggs. The ostrich chick in a few DAYS
reaches the size of an ordinary hen. 1t
is covered with light brown down,
through which. on the back and wings,
project black needles like those Of tho
hedge hog. The chick of | month is
OF the size of turkey, and its down
has begun to change into minute feath-
ers. The body of an ostrich half n
year old IL about the size of that of an
average man. Its feathers reach a
good size. but they are not cast off be-
fore it becomes yearling
Young ostriches are usually kent
separate from the grown up ones They
feed upon grass, corn. and leaves.
They ara kept in small hocks of from
twelve to fifteen birds, in place sur
rounded by ditch or a
fence Of creeping plants. How
ever insecure the fence may be,
the ostrirhes 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,
feet. Such blows are very dangerous.
There have been cases in which the
spine of horse has been broken by
them. If man has 10 arms to defend
himself. and no way to escape, the bes-
thing for him to do is to throw
himself on the ground. for then the
ostrich cannot strike him q 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
circumstances n man has only one
means OF escape, namely, creeping to
some place of safety, such as tree, .
river or ditch
The fights among male ostriches are
very savage and bloody. The males
piH'ViS Neiclt tftll ueStS, allu t1cN SlL
on the eggs from p. IN. to s a. m,
when the females take the post and re-
main on the nest until p. IN. While
on the nest the ostrich lays its neck on
the ground. so that an inexperienced
person might mistake it for q heap Of
earth. On leaving the nest even do
nestle ostriches make several Jumps
and curious motions calculated to mis-
lead their enemies. In case of danger
ostricnes try to hide themselves in
bushes or behind stones. Wildcats,
hyenas, jackals, wolves and tigers are
the enemies of ostrichcs in their native
la.I. The tricks to which these beasts
resort IA order to break the ostrich
eggs are we'll known. Ostrich farmers
usually bait tho beasts with poisoned
meat to save their flocks.
Florida abounds in alligators, which
are near cousins of the croc6diles Of the
Nile. Why, then, may no. ostriches
thrive in Florida?