The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-07-02
MONEY IN OSTRiCHES.
Experiment TO Re Made in Florida TO
Raise These Eirds.


Raise These Eirds.
1T occurred to me many years ago
said Mr.. II. j. Tifiin to Jacksonville
| Citizen reporter. that if ostrich farm
| ing could he successfully carried on in
| California the same might be done here,
especially if it were simply question
Of climatic adaptability, for the climate
of east Florida is more similar to that
| of South Africa, the habitat of the
| bird, than is that of California. | have
| closely watched the progress of these
latter farms. becoming more interested
| yearly, so that last fall, when, III At
| 'anta. had an opportunity TO purchase
some ostriche8 | secured two, male and
| female. and brought them to my Indian
river place on Merritt island, which is
about latitude 28. These birds dii SO
! well, seeming so perfectly al home
and well adapted to the conditions, that
| went back 10 Atlanta and bought the
lot, fifteen in all, some of them very
| large and valuable. and I now have
them all at home. Most of them we're
raised on q Los Angeles farm, but few
are native African birds.
The value of an ostrich in South
Africa is about $500. I bought mine
for little more than 800 apiece, so that
| may be said to have made quite a bar
gain The birds seem to be perfectly
at home, and feed upon the grass which
grows pIentifully upon my place. |
also give them large quantities of corn
| and other grain. and occasionally try
them with a little meat of some kind.
of which they eat sparingly, for the
ostrich is strictly gramnivorous
feeder When | first brought them
| down they eat little, and | concluded
l must give them an appetizer, which
did, each one, III the shape of a good
sized asafOetida pill. Since that time
they have eaten rayenOusly.
"Ostriches are like quails, in that they
pair off and need a run to themselves
separated from other pairs. At pres
ent mine are altogether. as l have not
had time to arrange their quarters. In
Africa on the large farm a pair has
about forty acres to run in. shall give
mine only about two acres, which may
be small for them at first. but to which
am sure they will readily adapt them
selves in time My birds have already
begun laying. l have gathered about
six eggs and the season is just begin
ming. Fifty eggs are laid during the
season, one laying season to the year
The average weight of an ostrich egg is
| n ipf of q
much larger, and it has the appearance
of a ball of ivory. The shell is thin
and delicate and smashes easily il
dropped when containing the yolk. but
II the yolk is removed the shell is a.
durable as china, and is largely used
among natives as a drinking cup.
'.Ancients used them commonly an,
the famous draught of the pearl dis
solved in vinegar is supposed to have
been taken from an ostrich egg. Tht
female sits on the egg during the day
the male at night. This seems TO b
nature. but most ostrich farmers nov
use incubators, especially as the male
bird manifests an unaccountable grudg,
against the young one and kills it i
possible. | shall introduce the incu
bator when I begin raising birds. Os
trich eggs sell for $40 apiece, so fit.
eggs year make bird very profitable
aside from the plumes. which bring il
about $500 per year. The finest feath
ers grow under the wings. Those o
the male are usually black and are tn
} finest of all; the female plumes ar
tighter in color and permit dyeing. Tai
and breast feathers are also valuable
The finest feathers produced by the os
trich are the three plumes used rs
headdTess by the ladies of the court 0
ST. James and those who are presente
TO the queen. Certain feathers are !.
demand for this, the finest on the bird
and they Ging. of course, the ligEes
prices