The Portland daily press., 1886-11-05
AN OSTRICH FARM.
How ostrIches are Raised In South
ern California.
New York SUM-

About six miles from Los Angeles, on
what is known as the old Temple street road
DIR. c. J. Sketchley has started an ostrich
farm, He was one Of the pioneers in ostrich
farming in Africa. where he engaged in the
business for many years, and is the author
of number of books on the ostrich and the
best methods Of ostrich farming. A visit to
Los Angeles convinced the Doctor that os-
trieh farming could be successfully carried on
here, and heresolyed to make the experiment.
The result is the Sketchley ostrich farm.
On the 60 acres Of land devoted to the os-
triches there are 80 pairs Of these beautiful
birds, besides number Of young ones re-
Gently hatched.
Their food consists almost wholly of corn
and alfalfa, which is a beautiful plant of the
lucerne family. Long experience has shown
that this bill of fare will cause the ostrich to
produce more feathers and of better quality
than any other diet Each male Is mated,
and the two birds have two acres of ground.
The land is fenced off into lots of one acre
each. The two birds are kept in one of these
lots until they have eaten off all the alfalfa,
when they are transferred to the other. thus
being alternated between the two. From the
observatory tower in the centre Of the doc
tors residence the ostrich grounds look like
birds like the big pieces scattered over it.
"All the fuIl-grown ostriches you see, ="
said the doctor, Il imported directly from
Africa, landing them in this country at Gal
weston, and bringing with them four Mad.
rasese men and one woman, the people OF
that tribe being more familiar with the os-
| trich than any native Africans. Thus far
| my experiment has succeeded beyond my ex-
| pectations. Not only are the ostriches quite
as healthy as in Africa, but they are actually
40 bar ha in thar pati
try, both in the number Of eggs they lay and
| thenumber of young ones they hatch. and
also in the quantity Of feathers they pro-
| duce-results due, believe, to this glorious
fertility of all animals. The feathers are fully
! equal in all respects to any grown in Africa.
1.-The height of the bird is from eight to
twelve feet. The weight varies from 800 to
| 400 pounds: The male is much larger, and is
black, while the female Is gray Where,
then, you will ask, do white ostrich feathers
come from? They are found on bJth the
male and the female bird among the loose
feathers on the wings and tail. Ii is the fact
that they are SO much rarer that makes them
much higher in price than black or gray
| feathers, for in some respects l consider
them inferior to the other feathers.
"The female ostrich does not begin TO lay
eggs until it is four years old. but Il produces
its first crop Of feathers at the end OF its first
year. Every seven months thereafter its
plumage is ready for market, yielding about
% Of the very finest feathers, besides large
number OF less valuable ones. The feather:
are not plucked, but are cut off quite close to
the skin with large shears made for the pur
pose. No pain whatever is inflicted by the
operation. Within q few days after the
feathers have been cut the stubs dry anC
shrivel TO such an extent that they are easily
removed, The longest and finest whit
feathers are worth at wholesale 81 piec,
and good feathers are worth $500 a pound
The first clipping Of young birds will average
$40 in value. or course 1t requires a gooC
deal Of capital to start large ostrich farm
as a full-grown pair Of birds is worth from
500 to $500. and a single young bird ST,
months old costs from $50 to $500; but afte
it is once under way the return from the in
yestment Is a large one.
'sWe very seldom permit the ostriches Il
do their own Matching, but most Of 1t is don