The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-04-11
VALUABLE FEATHERS FLEW.
Fight Between Birds That Can Kick Il
Hole Through IN inch. Plank.

There was a terribly earnest fight al
the Coronado ostrich farm across the
bay from San Diego, CAL, recently be-
tween two of the largest and uglicst
cock ostriches in the hock of thirty or
forty birds. The lighters weighed about
300 pounds each. They were evenly
matched a%neyery plucky and did their
best to kill other.
There A'elty about an ostrich
fight. Tn hderous birds are quick
as cats. fuse their feet more dex-
terously til n pugilist uses his fists,
and with nore effect. One of these
birds can Slst his bony pointed toe
through an .siach board with very slight
effort. Such u blow is enough to Kill
an on. With a single kick one OF
these ostriches would disembowcl a man
instantly.
The fight started over the division of
cabbage leaves which Keeper Campbell
had thrown to the hungry birds. Sell
dom have two bipeds fought with more
desire to kill than did these %ostriches.
And a royal fight it was in the eyes OF
the keeper, rs he saw plumes worth $40
each soar from the body of n bird in re-
Spouse to the kick of the enemy aud
fall crumpled and worthless in the dust.
Feathers didn't count for much in tho
flashing eyes of the ostrlches.
They wanted blood.
Nothing but pure gore would satisfy
their sense of honor.
Blood they did get, and enough to
satisfy Gov. Waite ere the battle ceased.
With a deep hiss and outstretched wings
ostrich Jim bore down or Colonel like
a forty-footer in a gale, sheered to the
right, and caught Colonel on the left
thigh, ripping the thick hide off the bare
leg and causing it to bleed freely. Col
onel retaliated, and almost crippled
Jim's wing with a kick that nearly cap
sized him. They then spared with feet
and beaks, picking and kicking feath-
ers from one another, until Colonel dealt
a terrific blow on Jim's stomach which
seemed to literally lift him from the
ground. Only the thick mass of feath-
ers prevented the awful toe from pene.
trating Jim's abdomen.
Jim was game. R~egainipg his breath
he knocked Colonel over with a side
kick, breaking his wing. Colonel re-
covered his feet before the attack was
renewed. Both birds had by this time
lost their plumes, and looked us if they
had been plucked. Both were tired and
weak from loss OF blood. Their attacks
grew feebler. and finally. as if by com.
mon consent, they ceased fighting and
walked off among the bushes to recu.
perate.
The fight was a draw and the anx-
ippc eoaI,o,. folt ,n1;aynI tb,+ tho lI,l.
lived.
During the fight no man dared trust
his life near the fighters. Experienced
keepers seldom try TO interfere. If
they do the concentrated anger OF both
birds is likely to fall upon the luckless
meddler and end in his death. An in
terfering keeper once had his spine
shattered by a single kick from an
ostrich.
Ostrich farming is one of the grow
ing industries Of southern California.
Ten or twelve years ago several farms
were started with Il total of seventy
birds imported from South Africa.
There are now 600 TO 700 birds in that
State, each yielding about $50 worth of
undrcssed feathers annually. 1t costs
three cents Il day to feed each bird. All
eggs are Matched in i%ncubators, about
80 per cent. Matching successfully. The
chicks are allowed to run about in the
sunshine Il few hours after Matching.
Several days after birth they begin eat
ing tender vegetable sprouts. For nine
months or SC they are kept away from
adult birds lest their elders should kill
them. Until three months old Il chick
can be bought for $25. In several years
they attain maturity and sell for $500 to
$500 each.
Selected feathers especially the long
white plumes, sell for 800 Il pound.
The birds are vegetarians, with a pref
erencc for alfalfa, but if allowed to get
very hungry they would eat an old hat.