The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-08-07
OSTRICH FARM.
A Picturesque and Profitable In
dustry IN Florida
The Eggs OF The Big Birds Fetch
twenty-five Dollars Apiece


triches, seven females and eight males,
and carried them 10 bis Indian river
home.
This was the initial move toward
the establishment Of this most piclur-
esquo aud profitable industry in the
South. The ostrichca soon became nc
chmated and are now as happy and
thrifty a colony as one would wish to
see. Thirteen Of the birds we're raised
on a farm in southern California, aud
the other two we're raised in South
Africa and we're imported to this
country. Tho hens have been laying
since early last spring and ioriy-two
eggs arc now Matching.
Major Tinln uses an ordinary chicken
incubator for patching, and just forty
two days are required to hatch an
ostrich egg. A number of eggs are
being Matched by the hens in the
nests.
The incubator is heated by a kero-
sene lamp with thermometer attach
menL A temperature of 10 degrees
will kill the eggs, and an electric bell
contriyance warns major Tifin in his
house of any undue rise in the tenn
perature. "AIineral wool a compo-
sition of Stag and other rocks, is used
as packing around the eggs The
vitreous substance is converted into n
fibrous condition for this purpose. In
appearance it consists Of innumerable
tiny cir cells formed by the inter
twining Of the fibres
The birds are separated by pairs,
each pair or family requiring a half
acre run. The runs or lots are pro-
vided with plenty OF gravel, dry sand
and grain food. A hose furnishes cool
and fresh water for the pool and stall
in each run.
The gravel was secured in Atlanta.
The ostrich house is a round structure,
sixty feet in diameter, and is located
in the centre Of the ten-acre farm.
Radiating from the centre OF the house
are sixteen stalls extending to the limit
of the enclosure, giving each bird a
room to itself, the sixteenth stall ex-
tending into the house yard of major
Tifin and serving for an avenue into
the ostrich domain. In the very CEN
ter of the ostrich house, under a large
central draught shaft, is circular cham
Der, with doors opening into each stall
thus affording q means of transference
from one stall to another without GO
ing outside of the inclosure, and
through which tue ostriches may be
changed at will. A three-foot open
ing extends along the walls near the
caves, A similar opening is left il
the cupola, and these openings will be
screened with fine netting. The house
entrance to each stall is closed by {
heavy door, thus shutting up the os
triches at night and keeping the mos
quitoes out. The ostriches are per
mitted to run during the day, and a
night they are confined to their rooms
for repose. A female ostrich Begin
laying usually when she is five year
old, laying after that period during
each year exactly so eggs, weighing
"a ounces each. These eggs sell TO
$50 apiece anywhere in the world tina
there is market for them. Thus
after hen reaches her fifth birthda.
she earns by her laying 81, 600 year
as much as a railway. clerk or a
much as some bank cashiers-to sa,
nothing Of newspaper correspond
ents earnings
This is not all the earning capacit
of this famous bird, for the ostricI
feather is always sold at good prices
The fertilizer that is obtained from a
ostrich farm is very valuable, an,
major Tifin will hereafter use it ex
clusively on his extensive farm
Major Tifiin will soon begin the train
ing Of two of his ostriches to draw
cart on his farm. In Africa ostriche
are frequently put to such use, an
the same is done in California to som
extent of late. The ostrich is yer
strong, standing from FIVE to six fee
high, and is sometimes vicious and III
manageable. A careful and experience
trainer soon gets even the most v