Telegram-herald., 1889-05-10
OSTRICH FARMING.
How the End or the BeAut.sssl
PlQmsge = BASED
a C@tfsrai@ tsasssy lat Seturxs Coed
fEo1ts. 1bosaSe tn~ Hlsks Ars CfsNE-
k-1rS "a t5S N&ys Aaa Sh4x=s~
tertsliSz ~ 49, osssSel-


Anaag TIE ns4ay s,o.nts Il 5,terest aboat
tals c.ts - --v FAs-Geu4 Csgrieh Para,
DE.Lss . Nll.-ll.zs. Es.g -ilsr esrresp-uoe1t
sreal f-sa1slas g. A. Il - e14y s-ers sl-s
fF1l1 Iowa
"a ole - tAe ta4eIer4oie sl2ny, clc-1
les e-ys -l-I 1eale ~ Ss-tteIa Ialforlsl@
we VISITED lie cstrlcA f-ra. Over TIE en-
tr4a~e gate Are ne words, .Aoulsslaa
taeuts nse celts We had ueea luNited
g. iooG ~ t1e rare uiras. - e-r purses were
Hcae the glter 1gr sae ylsl-
Before Us Was = gieEegc1 iuclosere, over
enc s-de - 81 licac4nf - - t--eAs's, t--At tEe
car.o-s p.4sssr, b. may uot have View &
the ostriches W.th.-t pas lng t-e admission
lee.
Leaving the carnage we walked along 70
the lar side II tae inclosGre. As We stool
before The fence the keeper gave . peculiar
call ana The ostriches hurried toward us
We had en- pecteo such gre al birds 70 move
asskwardiy. Instead. they move with a.
easy. gliding gait not ualike the camels.
Perhaps bota acquired IL ia the same way
from walking over the deep sands ia their
native land.
There must have been twelve or fifteen
ostriches IN tie corral They are strange
looking creatures, with long, bare legs.
bread, fiat bodies. and long serpent hke
necks, well suited 10 their small heads and
bright eyes. The body Of The ostrich Is
from four 10 iye feet high, and tie head
rises high above the back, eight or ten feet
from the ground.
As we cared az the strange birds one Of
our party remarked. laGghingly, that the
saving, "A bird "a the hand, ETC." seemed
10 have lost its meaning.
Standing before eight or ten Of the queer
birds, with their small heads darting here
and there, by the quick twists and curves
/ Of the snake-like necks, Is enough 10 make
one uncomfortable. The legs are so stilt-
ike tnat, for time, only scaly, bare legs
and writing necks impressed rs.
We offered few oranges IA our out
stretched hands. The necks wriggled over
the high fence and quickly the oranges
were snatched from our open hands and
swallowed whole
We know that this is true. for we saw
them passing down through the long,
slender necks. The most fortunate OF the
ostriches showed two or three distensions
of the neck
The BIRDS foot has two toes indeed, it
/ nav be said 10 have one great toe with
| another seemingly undeveloped.
! But it is for its plumage that tho ostrich
! is noted. We turned our attention 10 the
! plumage.
The great bodies are thickly covered with
| overlapping feathers, looking somewhat
! like thoroughly worn-out tips. The male
| birds are black; the females a brownish
/ gray.
We were greatly surprised 20 see the
number OF plumes on the wings-not less
than thirty or forty overlapping on the up
OF each wing.
The keeper threw several handfuls of
corn 10 the ostriches, also some alfalfa "a
kind OF hay), cut up and wet with water.
They seemed greedy. but we were told it
] did no, require great deal to keep them.
While the heads were darting about for
| the feed on the ground the keeper lifted
one OF the wings and ran his hand through
the mass of feathers, calling forth an ex-
camation of surprise and delight from each
Of US.
The finest, heaviest plumes in which
women always delight are the tail feathers
the soft white ones are from the tan of the
male bird. Long white feathers also tip
the wings Of the male, but the most Of his
wing feathers are black.
These are the three natural colors-b black,
white and gray-aud after cleaning the
feathers are ready for use, if the natural
color is desired. OF course, the white ones
must be bleached. and if some color other
! than those mentioned is desired, IL is OBJ
tanned by dyeing.
Atthe farm the wing feather may be had
for about $50. the price varying with the
size of the feathers.
An ostrich egg is about the length Of
ones hand and about as wide. in form like
! hens egg, excepting that il IS less pointed.
II IS heavy in proportion 10 its size, for the
! shell is very thick; in appearance 1t is Ike
| porcelain. We saw three shells "b.Cwn
out" like Easter eggs. The price Of the
empty shell IS $50 The fresh eggs arc
not to be had at any price.
Tourists buy the empty eggs. Some deco
rate them for their Eastern homes. But
they would certainly be much more pleas
ant without the decoration"
Here in California the eggs are hatched
in incubators We were told that hatcbed
in this way the young birds made their ap-
pearance after forty days and are then about
the SIZE Of a hen.
In Africa, the home of the ostrich. the
eggs are often left for days with no other
heat than that Of the sun. Here the nights
arc so cold that the only practicable way OF
Matching the eggs l. by tie U.S. OF an incu-
bator.
The birds Of which l have been writing
are about four years old. and were imported
from Africa The length of time required
to bring eggs TO this country from Africa IS
so great that it makes their importation
wholly lmpractcab.e.
Should the conditions here prove favorable
20 the raising u the ostrich il ought 80 be a
!. IN f..ra
so many plumes, and these may be gathered
yearly.
IT, many localities in Africa where the os-
trich was once found in great numbers. they
arc rapidly disappearing before TIC march
o. civilization
From early times their p'aues have been
admired and worn. The t,mand Ter them
seems to be increasing rather than dinin-
ishiug Their demand has made what is
called ooStrich farming very pr Stable in
Africa r. q wild state from fve 90 fifty
ostriches rlay De found together. The nest
isashallow pit scrnped out q the sand WITH
. their feet H. us nest From four 70 FIVE
females lar tbeir eggs When ten to twelve
eggs are iaio the cock begin. 20 brood
During the ight be- = surrounded ~ "a
wives THIS ia presuuscIv - guard the
nest from 5scsals and other w.d animals
rather than o. assist in Matching tle eggs. Tor
t..ev are often left Tor days to the heat a
tae SD only About thrtv eggs are laid
ir tho nest sud ss many Eaore are scattere1
around it
Hunters often cover themsslres Vlt1
uasss ~ ostrich feathers, sd lu tals way
arnr-a B tae say BIRDS. Gay tie yoa1-
t-s are captured
Tftfrrstrf-a p r. ~r1.hern Califerr a r. sss'