Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-05-29
ON AN OSTRICH RANCH.
OF RAISING THE
BIG BIRDS.
The Queer Diet That suits Fuli-Grown
t;ird-EatiDg n Lighted Nicer
sciiaum Pipe Waiting aud
breaking Leg.


ostriches are supposed to have passed
all the dangers of youth. and are then
turned into the kraal with the old
est and biggest male OF the flock looks
upon them as his special charge. He
shows them about the kraal and points
out every place OF interest, such rs the
softest bed OF sand the best roosting
ground. where flies are the most
plentiful teaches them to waltz, and
acquaints them with the Keepers gate
and the hour Of feeding. At meal time
he stands guard and sees that his pro-
teges. have undisputed possession of
whatever there may be--after he has
had his fill.
The female natures in four years
and the male in five. They are then
paired, and each couple put in kraal
of about an acre in extent. and expect
ed to set up housekeeping on their
own account. The breeding season
lasts about three months. and the
keeper promptly takes charge of the
eggs until the full number are laid
which is usually from ~ to 10. After
the breeding season the birds are put
back into the large kraal and expected
to raise feathers. Each ostrich yields
about 80 feathers, not counting some
smaller ones taken from the breast and
tail. Formerly they were pulled out,
| the process being known as plucking;
! but rs the feathers were liable to be
broken, recourse was had TO cutting.
! The quill is cut two or three inches
from the flesh, and after few weeks
the stubs are pulled out
The feathers are sorted into four
parcels. namely, white, black, gray and
tail feathers. a full-grown ostrich
will yield from $50 to 1925 worth of
feathers in u year. But this depends
very much upon the quality and the
market prices.
Their diet for the most part consists
OF vegetable food and bones-the two
extremes. They will eat anything
green, from alfalva to the flowers on a
lady's hat. They are particularly fond
of lettuce and cabbage leaves, and
large quantities of these are used at
the ostrich farms in San Diego county
Considerable lime and broken bones
are given them.
In eating. they have q peculiar habit
OF gulping everything down whole
Even in drinking water they swallow it
in large gulps, as though ii We're solid
instead of a fluid. They are remarka-
bly, expert in catching in their mouths
anything thrown to them. They eX-
pect every visitor TO feed them, and
| mt ~ ha, ~.
feed out a bunch OF grapes by throw
ing one grape at time in their midst.
The grape never touches the ground.
A dozen heads dive for it. the one with
the longest neck usually gets il, and
the others get anything from a mouth
full OF air to the head Of another os-
trich. Throw a few apples or oranges
in quick succession to an ostrich and
you will see an equal number of Jumps
few inches apart working their way
down the long neck.
The keeper of this farm relates a
story OF gentleman who came into
the kraal smoking heavy meerschaum
pipe. He had been cautioned TO look
out for il. but he thought no sensible
ostrich could possibly have any use for
n meer schaum pipe. The ostrich came
about looking for something TO eat. but
nothing had been provided. and 'Old
Lightning" rather looked upon it rs a
breach of etiquette. Watching his
chance he grabbed the pipe, made one
gulp. and was out of sight. The keep
er had seen the movement in time TO
catch the ostrich around the neck and
trip him to the ground. AS the bowl
of the pipe was large and the stem
crooked. it had not got far on It's Jour-
ney. BY pressing on the neck below
the pipe it was recovered none the
worse for the adventure and the tobacco
in il still burning The gentleman now
values that pipe very highly, not so
much on account Of its intrinsic value
az its associations.
While the healthy ostrich is not at
all particular about his diet and will
eat anything swalowable, let him be
taken sick, and he positively refuses to
be comforted or dosed with medicine
He will NOPE about all day. and neither
eats nor drinks, and unless the sickness
be slight and of short duration he
usually SttiNts HtIhStli W ucdJI' DuJ
as the;' are very hardy birds il is very
rarely that one Is taken sick, especially
after having reached the age of year
The greatest danger is from the break
ing a leg. Strange as il may seem.
bird has never been known to recover
from an accident of this kind. They
have peculiar habit Of Waiting that
often results disastrously. When any
thing particularly pleases them they
go round and round till overcome by
dizziness, when they fall. and the
chances are two To one that their long
legs get tangled up and the bird falls
on one and breaks it