The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-06
Eagle
ON AN OSTRICH FARM.
AN AFRICAN INDUSTRY TRANSPLANT
ED TO CALIFORNIA.

There are at least half dozen ostrich
farms in southern California. They have
ceased to be curiosity there, and each
now represents a commercial enterprise.
Americans buy one-half the millions of
ostrich feathers produced annually. 1t
is estimated that this country expends
$4,000. 900 a year for these ornaments.
Each ostrich when full grown yields a
feather income Of from $500 to $500 per
annum. The elegant, long black and
white plumes sell for s. each at the farms,
and readily bring $40 each at retail in
New York or Chicago.
Every feather has a value. If it is
sufficiently large for use it is worth at
least 10 cents. The very small ones,
otherwise useless, make up into cheap
souvenirs and are eagerly purchased by
visiting tourists at prices varying from
10 cents to 81. The plumes produced in
southern California are fully as valuable
as those from the far away Cape Colony.
The eggs, if fertile, sell for S25 each,
and generally from IS TO so per cent. of
all eggs produced Will hatch. If not fer
tile the shells are in demand at from 81
to 50 each as curios and ornaments. A
young ostrich just out Of the shell Is con-
sidered equivalent to $50. and his value
increases until he is full grown, when
$500 is a low market price.
The expense Of maintaining an ostrich
farm is comparatively slight. The birds
in this country are usually healthy.
Their appetites are appalling, but they
are satisfied with alfalfa, cabbage and
crushed bones for a regular diet. On
occasions they expect large and small
pebbles, bits Of iron, old shoes, tin cans
and such delicacies. a hungry ostrich
is not particular about his food. 1t is
merely a question of deglutition with
him. If what he eats viii go down-or
rather up-his somewhat elastic throat
for he eats and drinks head downward)
he feels safe to trust his digestive organs
10 do the rest.
The ostrich has long been maligned.
In our schoolboy days natural history
taught rs to despise the ostrich, first, be-
cause of its lack of sense. and second, for
its want Of parental instincts. We were
odd that this great, ungainly bird, when
.hased by a native South African upon
the back Of feet horse OF a tame os-
tsich, would hide his weary head in the
sand, under the impression that if he
could not see his pursuer the pursuer
could not see INN. This fable is no more
! true, at least Of the domesticated bird,
than the other, which actually says that
the mother ostrich lays her eggs in the
hot sand and leaves them to the tender
care Of the sun and the Hottentot
The ostrich egg shell Is sometimes one
sixteenth of an inch thick. 1t is fully
,weutyfour times the size of an ordinary
sens egg. Incubation requires forty
days, during which period the male and
female alternate IN the domestic duty Of
keeping the eggs warm. Most Of the
Matching is now done by incu0ators. A
200 egg incubator has a capacity for but
y ostrich eggs.
~ the farm near Santa Monica / saw
fhe birds on tAe nest, however. and the
5oung ostrlches after they were removed
rom the nest. The eggs at this sit
ng nearly AL Matched, and as | visited
che farm frequently grew very much
interested IN bo.l parents and children.
The nest consisted Of a pile OF sand in the
center Of the field assigned 10 the two
breeders. The male bird manifested tie
almost interest in the business In hand,
ma devoted more than fifteen hours a
lay to the maternal duty of sitting on
ihe eggs.
When his mate was on the nest he
would shield her from the excessive heat
6f that semi-tropical sun by extending
his ample wings over her The two os-
trches were models Of parental affection. /
The exemplary conduct of the male /
specially won my admiration. for he was
ever on the alert to render assistance to |
his patient spouse and when the little I
fellows pecked their way through the
hard shell he kept vigilant watch over 4
them. The old story Of neglect of its
offspring is clearly disproved. There
are no feathered animals more dutifuL
The old birds are not awkward. but
he young ones have no sense whatever,
Snd so 1t is necessary to remove the lat I.
Ter as soon as possible after they escape
from the shell to prevent them from
wandering into danger. 1t requires
skllful coaxing and no little maneuver- (
ing to entice the fond parents from the
nest. but this accomplished the young
Dstriches are transferred to a sand box in
the sun, where they must have close at .
tention all day long to keep them from
uishaps which their utter lack of dis
'retion and extreme awkwardness would /
certainly bring upon them.
At night they are placed in an incu-
bator. Until they are several months
Old the absurdly needless and tender
things require very great care. After
they pass from infancy. however. they
generally thrive. The losses usually oc-
cur within the first month.
When the birds are seven months old
the first p.ac king occurs, and from that
time forward they give up their feathers
twice year The females begin laying
eggs al three years Of age, and produce
from thirty 70 ninety eggs each an
nualy.
In south Africa. until about thirty
years ago, the natives killed the ostrich
for ms piumes, Since that date the
d0rneslcated birds have furnished most
81 the feathers OF commerce.
Each bird when fully grown has
twenty-five pl1nes on each wing. with
two rows of f.ss feathers underneath.
Above the white plumes are a row of
long feathers and under them are .
smaller size. In the male these are
black and in the female drah. The tail
has also a tuft Of tea.lers similarly ar
ranged. The first feathers are not
usually as fine in quality. as large in
size or as great in quantity as those Of