Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-14
FEATHER FARMS.
Ostrich Cultivation as 1t is Carried on
in South Africa.
From the London Mail.

In south Africa.
From the London Mail
The ostrich is one of the treasures South
Africa possesses. But perhaps he is at his
best in the north of the dark continent: for
a Barbary bird is an edition de luxe COM
pared with the Cape variety. Also he is
less valuable than once he was, when the
incubator was an unknown resource and
Matching out chicks a more hazardous I'M
dertakinG than 1t is now. Though in the
old DAYS $500 passed hands often for first
rate pair of birds, which now f1o will pur-
chase, and '.plucking" will go for fl los.
that in palmy times would have fetched
EDS, ostrich farming is not a played out pro-
fession. No stock farm can be greater
disappointment and anxiety to its owner
than one devoted to ostriches-the most
extraordinarily "pernickety'' birds magma
BILE, the most willful and the most obstinate
Any one who fancies that because the
creatures can digest such things as glmiets,
soap and old gloves, and in consequence
argues that they are the hardy brutes they
may appear to be, is very wrong, Indeed.
The birds suffer from mysterious Ills in eX-
treme childhood that carry them Off by
f1ocks. and in adult age. are so quarrelsome
of temper and brittle of leg that the ANAL
gamation is all too frequently the cause OF
an untmely end.
Little Hottentots are employed to herd
the CHICKS ana Ieeu tlSH WLel lley are
ready to go out of doors. and these custod-
ians being of the same lazy nature as their
elders are dreadful trouble to the farm
ers. One of their vasaries is to neglect
their charges, another to Kill them because
they are troublesome.
When the chicks grow up. as they
speedily do, they take their revenge upon
their whilom guardians. They steal their
kill them If the children did not carefully
keep out of their way. and WELD the
'tackey' when they encounter the 1rate
birds. This is weapon without which the
most valiant man is as babe before an
ostrich that is ''quef'-in other words vi
cious 1t is simply a branch of the mimosa,
with the prickles left on the head of 1t.
When the ostrich runs amok the 'tackey'
is brandished in his face: he shuts his eyes
instinctively to avoid the long prickles, and
the attacked victim promptly lodges him
as he proceeds on his headlong and infuriat-
ed rush.
stamp out the destruction of rare and beau
tiful birds, because of the sacrifice of their
lives for the sake of their feathers do not
object to ostrich plumes because the life
of the bird is not forfeited: neither, they
are persuaded is the process of plucking
severely painful one. They are right.
Though the birds when they are driven
into the box that cabins them while they
are deprived of their feathers exhibit in
tense and foolish alarm, and would wreak
no end of vengeance on one another ana the
hands engaged IN piucki1S tnein IL tney
had the opportunity, no sooner are they out
of the box than they dance off. apparently
much more frightened than hurt. They be-
have, indeed, precisely like sheep brought
to the shearing shed. Like sheep. too, they
are branded.
After the plucking the feathers have all
to be sorted and tied up, a piece of work
ordinarily performed by professional sort
ers. Again the services of the farmers
wife, who plays an active part in an
ostrich farm. may be called into requisition
to wash those plumes that are badly soiled.
In each wing there are a couple of dozen
long white handsome feathers.
The ostrich Is on such big scale ali
round that he is a most formidable Great
ure to deal with in peace or "quei." Twen-
ty-four hens eggs go to the one that in
closes him as chick. so that before he is
Matched ne Is a handful. His height is
huge: with his two toed feet he can stamp
and kick with tremendous force; he runs as
swiftly as q horse, and his stupidity Is coll
ossal.