News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-12-02
OSTRICHES AT Los ANGELES.
Successfu Attempt to In'roduce. Ostrich
farming in California.

| farming in California.
Los ANGELES, California; Within six
miles of this beautiful place, on what is
known as the old Temple street road,
DR.. G. j. Sketchlcy has started an os-
| trich 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 a number of books
on the ostrich, and the best methods of
ostrich farming. A visit to Los Angeles
convinced the Doctor that ostrich farm
ing could be successfully carried on
here, and he resolved to make the eX-
pertinent. The result, is the Sketchley
| ostrich farm.
On the sixty acres of land devoted to
the ostrithes there are thirty pairs Of
| these beautiful birds, besides a number
of young ones recently hatched.
Their food consists almost wholly of
corn and alfalfa, which is a beautiful
plant of the Luzerne family. Long ex-
perience 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 trans
ferred to the other, being thus alterna-
ted between the two. From the OBJ
servatory tower in the centre of the
Doctors residence the ostrich grounds
looks like an immense chess board and
the gigantic birds like the big pieces
scattered over it
"All the full grown ostriches you
see," said the Doctor, 81 imported dl-
Iectly from Africa, landing them in this
country at Galveston, and bringing with
them four Madrasese men and one wo-
man, the people of that tribe being
more familiar with the ostrich than any
native Africans. thus far my expert
ment hes succeeded beyond my expec-
tations. Not only are the ostriches quite
as healthy as il Africa, but they are act,
tually more prolific here than in their
native country, both in the number of
eggs they lay and the number of young
ones they hatch, and also in the guam
tity of feathers they produce-results
due, I believe, to this glorious climate,
which seems greatly to increase the fer
tility of all animals. The feathers are
fully equal in all respects to any grown
in Africa.
"The height of the birds is from to
10 feet. Their weight varies from 300
to 400 pounds. The ma is much the
larger, and is black, while the female is
gray. Where, then you will ask, do
white ostrich feathers come from2 They
are found on both the male and female
bird among the loose feathers of the
wings and tail. 1t is the fact that they
are so much rarer that makes them SO
much more desired, and, consequently,
so 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
the end of its first year. Every seven
months thereafter its plumage is ready
for market, yielding about 25 of the
very finest feathers, besides a large
number of less valuable ones. he
feathers are not plucked, but are cut off
quite close to the skin, with large shears
made for the purpose. No pain what
ever is inflicted in the operation. With
in a few days after the feathers have
been cut the stubs dry and shrivel to
such an extent that they are easily re-
moved. The longest and finest white
feathers are worth at wholesale S. a
piece, and good feathers are worth 5000
a pound J he first clipping of young
birds will average $40 in value. OF
course it requires good deal of capital
to start large ostrich farm, as q full
grown pair of birds is worth from 500
to $500, and a single young bird six
months old costs from $3.50 to 5000;
but after it is once under way the return
from the investment is large one.
eve very seldom permit the ostriches
to do their own Matching, but most of
it is performed by incubators. The old
idea that ostriches seldom or never re
quire water has long since been proven
false. They drink frequently and even
bathe. We keep water trough in each
pen to enable them to do so. No one
knows to what age an ostrich may at
tam, but believe they are little short
of immortal. In Africa l have seen a
pair of birds that were known to be
over so years of age"
l reminded the Doctor of a promise
he had made me to show me foot race
between ostriches. We Immediately
went to broad, open space, between
the ostrich pens and the house. One of
the keepers opened the door of one of
the pens, and in response to the Doc
tors call, two superb ostriches came
to him After caressing the
gentle creatures for a few moments he
showed them handful of figs, of which
they are extremely fond. Two of his
men then restrained the birds by plac-
ing nooses about their legs. until he and
myself had walked away about a quar-
ter of mile. Then. at a signal from
the Doctor the birds were released, and
the race began. 1t was a rare sight.
Ornithologists tell us that the stride of
the ostrich when feeding is from 20 to
p inches; when walking, but not feed
ing, 26 inches, and when terrified from
11B to IA feet. 1t seemed to me that in
this race for a handful of figs from their
master, these gigantic birds covered the
last named distance at every stride.
Like the wind they came, their great
necks stretched forward and upward
to their utmost length, and their wings
working. hey kept well abreast for
nearly half the distance, and then one
began to forge ahead He INCREASED his
lead till within short distance of us,
when he turned his head, and, seeing
that his competitor was cons derabe in
the rear, he slackened his pace, and
jogging up to the Doctor he received
his reward in fios and caresses. i
Besides DR.. Sketchley's farm there is
another ostrich farm near naheim
town on the Southern Pacific
Railroad, about twenty-five miles from
this city.