Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1893-12-05
YOUNG osTRIcHes IN CALIFORNIA.
Success OF the Enterprise at the Anaheim
Farm Habits OF Ostrich Chickens

Success OF the Enterprise at the Anahe i'm
Farm Habits Of Ostrich Chickens
fCor San Francisco Bulletin
Last spring, when there were young
ostriches to be looked after, it was
found necessary to close the farm
against all spectators. The parent birds
became so much excited on the 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 pair of birds in corral
on the south side of the inclosure.
These were placed in nest followed
out in the sand. The natural way of
Matching had been concluded to be the
best. In fact, tho artificial incubators
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-l looking
little ostriches struggled out through
the thick shells and began to strug-
gle for living They were not larger
than 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 81 ed
eggs. They stood on their feet after a
few trials and preser ed comieal sight
They had quills more like those of
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, an contin-
ually developing something more like
feathers For the first week the happy
father hrooi led them. The corral was
open to the air day AMI night. There
was no covering overhead. and the wind
blew between the Stats as it would. But
the chickens passed the age which is said
TO be the most critical, six weeks 1t 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.
The chickens to-day are 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 ,oon as he can stand on his
post-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 shrt upon
the alfalfa and cabbage with a brisk,
swapping sound. The little birds ap-
pear to have the same voracious appe-
tite. How much they eat daily is
question with an unsatisfactory answer,
for they trample over their food
If the en- ever clucks to her chickens
after the manner of domestics fowls, or
if they pipe or peep an answer, upon
this occasion they were silent. The at
tendants say that the big ostriches do
not call to the chickens. The 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 domes-
tic fowls as a comfortable predecent for
the guidance of other birds. the soci a
bility existing in the ostrich family is
at a very low ebb. The care of the
family, so far as tho attendance is con-
cerned, consists in keeping strangers
and dogs away from the corrals, and in
throwing over to them their green food.
There are no ostrich diseases known.
IT 1T rains the chickens will get wet and
will dry when tho sun shines
Very soon the chickens will go by
themselves in separate corral When
they are about year old they will be
plucked for the first time. They are
supposed to have attained their full
size when they are years old, though
sometimes they seem to grow a little
after that. They carry their stomachs
on their backs and are all legs and neck
The head is funny little affair, about
equal in size to that of a young gosling
The head of full-grown ostrich is not
much larger than gander's head,
though perched on neck several feet
long. The brain of an adult is not
larger than walnut.