The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-06-06
ON AN R RANCH.
The Queer Diet That suits = Fuii-Grown
Bird-Eatinx . Lighted Nicer
schaum Pipe-WaitxIng and
breaking "a Leg.

ostriches are supposed 10 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 as 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 be has
had his fill.
The female natures In four years
and the male In five. They are then
paired, and each couple put in n kraal
OF about an acre In extent. and expect
ed 70 set up housekeeping on their
own ccoun 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 II TO 10. After
the breeding season the birds are put
back into the large kraal and expected
20 raise feathers. Each ostrich yields
about 36 feathers, not counting some
smaller ones taken from the breast and
tail. Formerly they were pulled out.
the process being known "a plucking;
but as the feathers were liable 90 be
broken. ecourse was had 10 cutting.
The quill is cut two or three inches
from the flesh. and after Il 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 fron $50 20 1925 worth OF
feathers In a year. But this depends
worry much upon the quality and the
market prices.
Their diet for the most part consists
o; vegetable food and bones-thc two
extremes. They win eat anything
green. from ~alfalva % the flowers on a
lady's hat. They are particularly fond
OF lettuce and cabbage leaves. and
large quantities OF these are used nj
the ostrich farms in San Diego county.
Considerable lime and broken bones
are given them.
In eating, they have a peculiar habit
OF gulping everything down whole.
Even in drinking water they swallow IT
I'm large gulps. "a though IL were "A solid
instead Of a fluid. They are rcmarka-
bly, expert in catching In their mouths
anything thrown 10 them. They ex-
poet every visitor 10 feed them. and
one wants no better amusement than 10
ing one grape nj "A time In their midst.
The grape never touches the ground.
A dozen heads dive for IL. the one with
the longest neck usually gets II. and
tho others get anything from n mouth
full OF air 10 tho head OF another o.
trich. Throw q few apples or oranges
In quick succession TO an ostrich and
you will see nm equal number Of Jumps
a few inches apart working their way
down the long neck.
The keeper Of this farm relates a
story OF n gentleman who came into
the kraal smoking "A heavy meerschaum
pipe. He had been cautioned to look
out for II. but he thought no sensible
ostrich could possibly have any use for
a meer schaum pipe. The ostrich came
about looking for something TO eat. but
nothing had been provided. and "Old
lightning rather looked upon it n n
breach OF etiquette. Watching his
chance he grabbed the pipe. made one
gulp. and was out OF sight. The keep
err had seen the movement In time TO
catch the ostrich around the neck and
trip him e the ground. As the bowl
Of the pipe was large and the stem
crooked. Il had not got far ON its Jour
ney. BY pressing on the neck below
the pipe IL was recovered zone the
worse for the adventure aud the tobacco
In IL still burning. The gentleman now
values that pipe very highly. not so
much On account OF its intrinsic value
as It's associations.
While the healthy ostrich II not at
all particular about his diet and will
eat anything swallowable. LEI him be
takon sick. and h positively refuses TO
Do cOmforted or dosed with medicine.
He will nope aboutall day. and neither
eats nor drinks. and unless the sickness
be slight and OF short duration he
usually starves himself to death; but
rs they are very hardy birds IL Il very
rarely that one II taken sick. especially
after having reached the age OF / year.
The greatest danger II from the break
ing OF a leg. Strange as IL may seem.
"A bird has never been known 10 recover
from an accident OF this kind. They
have "A peculiar habit OF waltzing That
often results disastrously. Whom any
thing particularly pleasos them they
go round and round till overcome by
dizziness when they fall and tho