Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-11-02
Salt Gake Democrat.
NOVEMBER ?, 1886
OSTRICHEs AT LOS ANGELES.
successful Attempt TO Introduce
ostrich Farming in California,

is known as the old Temple street road
pr I. j., Sketchley has started an ostrich
larm' lie was one of the pioneers in
ostrlch farming in Africa, where he en-
gageu In the business for many wears,
ana Is the author OF many books on the
ostrlch, and the best methods of ostrich
farming. visit to Los Angeles con-
Vlnced the Doctor that ostrich farming
could be successfully carried on here,
ana he resolved to make the experiment.
lhe result is the Sketchley ostrich farm.
On the sixty acres of land devoted to
the ostriches there are thirty pairs of
these beautiful birds, besides a number
OF young ones recently Matched.
Their food consists almost wholly of
corn and alfalfa, which is beautiful
plant OF the luzerne family. Long expe-
Renee has shown that this bill of fare
VIII 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
Che Alfalfa, when they are transferred to
the other, being thus alternated between
the TWO. From the observatory tower in
the centre OF the Doctors residence the
ostrich grounds look like an immense
chess board, and the gigantic birds like
the big pieces scattered over it,
IAN the iull-grown ostriches you see"
SAID the Doctor, 81 imported directly
from Africa, landing them in this country
at Galveston, and bringing with them
TOUR Madrasese men and one woman, the
people OF that tribe being more familiar
with the ostrich than any native Afri-
cans. Thus lar my experiments has sue
ceeded beyond my expectations. Not
only are the ostriches quite as healthy as
IN Africa, but they are actually more pro-
life here than in their native country,
both in the number OF eggs they Law
and the number OF young ones they
hatch, and also in the quantity of feath-
ers they produce-results due, believe,
to this glorious climate, which seems
greatly to increase the fertility OF all ami
mails. The feathers are fully equal in all
respects to any grown in Africa.
"The height OF the birds is from eight
to twelve feet. Their weight varies from
800 to 400 pounds. The male is much
the larger, and is black, while the
female is gray. Where, then, you will
ask, do white ostrich feathers come from
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, Tor in some respects | con-
slider them inferior to the other feathers.
The female ostrich does not begin to
lay until it is four years old, but it pro-
duces its first crop of feathers at the end
OF its first year. Every seven months
thereafter its plumage is ready for mar
ket, yielding about twenty-five of the
very finest feathers, besides large num-
Der OF less valuable ones. The
cut off, quite close to the skin, with
large shears made for the purpose. No
pain whatever is inflicted in the opera
ton. Within few days after the
feathers have been cut the stubs dry and
shrlvel to such an extent that they are
easily removed. The longest and finest
white feathers are worth at wholesale 81
q piece, and good feathers are worth 5000
a pound. The first clipping of young
birds will average $40 in value. OF
course it requires good deal OF capital to
start large ostrich farm, as 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 in
vestment 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 proven false.
They drink frequently, and even battle.
We keep water trough in each pen to
enable them to do so. No one knows to
what age an ostrich may attain, but
believe they are little short of immortal.
In Africa have seen pair OF birds that
were known TO be over so wears of age"
reminded the Doctor OF a promise he
had made me to show me foot race be-
tween ostrches. 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 Doctors
call, two superb ostriches came running
to him. After caressing the gentle
creatures for few moments he showed
them n handful OF figs, of which they
are extremely fond. Two of his men
then restrained the birds by placing
nooses about their legs, until he and my
self had walked away about quarter of
a mile. Then, at signal from the Doc
tor, the birds were released, and the race
began. 1t was rare sight Ornitholo-
gists tell us that the stride OF the ostrich
when feeding is from twenty to twenty
two inches; when walking, but
not feeding, twentysiX inches, and when
terrified, from eleven and half to four
teen feet. 1t seemed to me that in this
race for handful OF figs from their mas
ter, these gigantic birds covered the last
named distance Mt every stride. Like
the wind they came, their great necks
stretched forward and upward to their
utmost length, and their wings working.
They kept well abreast for nearly half
the distance and then one began to forge
ahead. lie increased his lead till within
Il short distance of us, when he turned
his head and, seeing that his competitor
was considerably in the rear, he slack
encd his pace, and jogging up to the
Doctor received his reward in figs and
caresses.
Besides DIR, Sketchley's farm there is
another ostrich farm near Anaheim, n
town on the Southern Pacific
Railroad, twenty-five miles from this
city.-NeW York Sun.