The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-12-05
Fowls of Gigantic Size.

Among the most novel, and appar-
Phlly profitable, of the newer pur-
sans in California is ostrich farming.
ll1Ts Sketchly, the manager of the
Ipflncipal farm in this county, some
HeW years ago was proprietor of
ke and profitable one in South
Hica. During the Transvaal war
sis rancho was devastated by the
EBoefs and Zulus, and thinking that
Io9uthern California might possess
qualifications, he came
to spy out the land. He found every
thing satisfactory, organized stock
'c0mDany, went to the Cape, and less
than three years ago brought back
twenty-five birds, ten males aud
itgW,,tAnty-two hens. Since then he has
ln.-SS flrly birds, which. consider
ing the many difficulties he had to
contepd with at first, is satisfactory
progpss. His rancho is about tWen-
~ one miles south of Los Angeles,
near tie village of NorWalk, on IA
spur ofhe Southern Pacific roilroad.
AS th visitor reaches the entrance,
two sigtbOards meet his gaze. The
first rule "Each visitor will be charg-
ed fifty cnts," was made necessary
by the crwds that at first poured in
to the plce. The other, "All dogs
found on his ranch will be at once
destrOyed,' was OccasiOned by the
fact that e-en the best bred dogs will
suck eggs land when rotten eggs sell
for 81 each and good ones are worth
from $50 + 500 each, the undesira-
bility of dogs is apparent. The farm
consists of?00 acres, of which eighty
are sOWn Il alfalfa, thirty are in corn
and the remainder occupied by the
pens, corras, employees quarters, etc.
The frs object of interest is a
rather larg corral containing flock
of sixteenmonth-o old birds. They
stand about six feet high, and are
quite timid These birds were Iluck-
ed three months ago, and their plum
age is abundant and glossy already.
| My guide tOld me that only seven
months tine was necessary for the
new plumaee to mature in, ana that
these ''chicES" produced feathers al
their last rlucking over two feet
long, which beats the record in Afri
ca. Next come the pens where the
adult birds are kept. Each pair i;
! allowed a space Of about twenty bS
| iDrty feet. The females are OF (
! sneckIed brownish color, and have I
1 h0mely domestic appearance. The
males, on the contrary, are bril-
/ liant, glossy blacH, with one row o
superb white feathers, ringing eact
wing and the tail. They are rakish
gallant looking fellows, and can com
/ fnrtably stretch their necks oyer tht
/ eight foot fence which forms the sea
/ of their pens. A barrier in front o
/ the pen keeps visitors at a safe dis
/ tance from them, as these older bird
are always dangerous. The Superin
/ tendent told me that he knew o
several men being killed and thre
horses disemboWelIed by them. Thei
feet are armed each with two toes
one of which is very long, and has a
| its extremity an immense claw
Their mode Of attack is always b.
kicking, and as they are known +
be able to maintain for long time
gait faster than that of any race hOrS
the muscular power of their legs cal
4 be imagined.
( asked how the picking of thes
big ones was managed.
! "Well, we catch their necks in
forked stick, draw leather stOckin
over their heads, and four or five {
US grab them. But it's no fun, ca
tell you, for one square kick Woul
send fellow to kingdom come TO
quick. You hear me?"
Strange to say, they make no a
tempt to jump over the fence, br
when very much excited or enrage
will brush away strong board fen(
with their breasts of bones, like 6
much paper.
The only use they make of the
alleged wings is to steer themselv'
around a corner or sharp curve, du
ing when operation they look muC
like a sail boat when it "luffs."
Up to recently patent incubato
were used, but so unsatisfactory we
they that the birds are now permi
ted to increase and multiply in Il
orthodox manner. Each pair is e.
pected to hatch three broOds yea
the hens averaging fifteen eggs at
setting, but sometimes running I
to as many as thirty. About S