Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-10-09
YOUNG osraIcAEs IN CALIFORNIA.
Success Of the Enterprise at the Anahsim
Farm Habits OF Ostrich Chickens.

success OF the nnterprise nt the Annheim
Farm Habits OF Ostrich chIckena
Icor. San Francisco BuIletln.l
Last spring, when there wore young
ostriches to be looked after, L was
found necessary to olose the farm
against all spectators. The parent birds
became so much excited on tho approach
Of stranger that they stepped on the
chickens and killed them. Since then
precautions have been taken TO protect
the parents from annoyance. A little
more than three months ago eleven eggs
were allowed a pair OF birds in q corral
on the south side Of the Enclosure
These were placed in nest followed
out in the sand. The natural way of
Matching had been concluded to be the
best. In fact, the artificial inoubators
on the farm have been taken to pieces
and apparently discarded. The eggs
were sat upon BY the male ostrich at
night and by the female ostrich by day.
In six weeks eleven scraggy looking
little ostriches struggled out through
the thick shells and began TO strug-
gle for living. They were not larger
than a black Spanish game fowl, per
haps not so large, but still of sufficient
size to make it wonder that they
could have been contained in such sized
eggs. They stood on their feet after
few trials and presented aeomical sight.
They had quilts more like those of a
porcupine, only stubs, than like feath-
ers. They soon went to eating and
were fed Egyptian corn, not cobble
stones. They were eleven odd chickens,
growing bigger every day, and contin.
ually developing something more like
feathers For the first week the happy
father brooded them. The corral was
open to the air day and night. There
was no covering overh sad. and the wind
blew between the slat, as it would. But
the chickens passed the age which is said
to be the most critical. six weeks. II had
been demonstrated that the California
winter, with what rain may fall, and
there was enough of it in 1888, does not
hurt ostriches. So these young ones
went along without coddling as others
have done. .E
The chickens to-day arc not so large
as prize Thanksgiving turkey, but they
are already equal to an ordinary turkey.
They are all gray. All ostriches are
this color until later, when the males
grow black with some white feathers
They have the inherited tendency of
their kind as markedly developed as the
baby elephant has when he begins to
weave as soon as he can stand on his
lpost-shaped legs They feed with their
parents, but that the parents feel any
| pride in their offspring is not evident.
The big bills of the old birds shut upon
the alfalfa and cabbage with brisk,
swapping sound. The little birds APP
pear to have the same yoracious appe-
tite. How much they eat daily is a
louest!on with an unsatisfactory answer,
for they trample over their food.
II the en- ever ciucks to her chickens
after the manner of domestics fowls, or
If they pipe or peep an answer, upon
this occasion they we're silent. The at,
PENDANTS say that the big ostriches dc
not call to the chickens. Tho parent
birds did not scratch in the sand for
delicacies for the chickens. Such a
proceeding with their big and bony
legs, would have sent the alfalfa and
pieces of cabbage flying about as if dis
charged from mortar in fact, TAX.
ing the customary procedure of domPs
tic fowls as a comfortable predecent FOL
the guidance of other bir1s, the socia
biiity existing in the ostrich family is
at very low ebb. The care of the
family so far as the attendance is con
eerned, consists in keeping stranger;
and dogs away from the corrals, and in
throwing over to them their green food
There are no ostrich diseases known
lit rains the chickens will get wet an(
Z will dry when tho sun shines.
Very soon the chickens will 90 by
themselves in separate corral Wher
they are about year old they will b.
plucked for the first time. They ar
supposed to have attained their full
size when they are years old, though
sometimes they seem to grow littl
after that. They carry their stomach
on their backs and are all legs and neck
The head is a funny little affair, abou
ual in size to that of young gosling
I he head of a fill grown ostrich is no
much. larger than gander's head
5 though perched on a neck several fee
: long. The brain Of an adult is nc
larger than a walnut,