New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-13
RAISING OF OSTRICHES.
ROTH SEXES TAKE TURNS IN BROODING
THE EGGS-PROFIT FROM PLCMAGE
RAPID GROWTH OF YOUNG.

A bird that can lay an egg large enough to make
an ornelet for a whole boarding house and can
haul y man a mile in less than two minutes and Il
half is somewhat out Of the usual line. But these
are only two of the desirable quantities or the
os+-ich II bids fair to become rival of not only
the horse but the automobile. for the long. bony
legs have natural pacing gait which puts the
average horse in the shade when II comes to con-
test of speed and endurance. Then the owner can
MUCK enough feathers from his bird yearly to more
than nav for the cabbage leaves gravel. shells and
other things which he lives.
Most persons familiar with circus ostriches-
the two or three birds confined in cages until half
dead They arouse curiosity merely because OF
their size while the attendant may say that kick
eroro one of their great claws would knock man
.,nseless Show ostrches differ decidedly from the
species which now being raised In California
and Florida In these States. ostrich farming has
made such progress that it is no longer an expert
mont and proves that the birds can be grown as
,o,oeerpiiv and profitaby in the United States as
anvwbere else in the world. The average ostrich
over a year old has such fine plumage that the an
ral crop feathers is worth from $50 to $40 after
plucking Made into boas, collars and other adorn-
rnen for the fair sex. the plumage of single bird
viii retail the large cities at 500 and over III
q man has a flock Of hundred adult birds he
is sure Of a comfortable income from the plunase
alone. But there several other products winch
are also profitable. The average egg weighs from
TWO to four pounds. and is actually more palatabie
than the ordinary hens egg. Those which have
been made into omelets and served in other forms
are pronounced by epicures TO be OF delicious
flavor. Only The rich, however can dine on ostrlch
eggs as they worth from IS TO $40 apiece fresh
laid for the reason that they be Matched either
in the natural way by the birds or in incubators.
and very few unproductive.
When il comes to Matching and raising chicks the
ostrich give the average barnyard fowl many
points In the first place the male bird does
large share of the work, sitting the nest from
hours pI,fO Of he TNpnt N-fO
his consort q chance to get some rest and scratch
around for something TO eat Although when full
grown they weigh from 275 to 400 pounds each they
balance themselves upon twenty thirty eggs.
rarely is a shell broken. Their long legs form
huge springs which keeps them just enough to
the eggs to maintain an even temperature without
pressing down too hard. Almost as regularly as
the clock strikes the hour the male ostrich comes
the nest at noon and again at sund9Wn to relieve
Che female Inc nfst "auch usuaiiE ASS ot ne
From sunset until nearly dawn, however. he again
Hbus they take turns day after day until forty
days have elapsed. when the chicks begin to ap-
pear - $1,000, -. -,
average ostrich chick 1t begins to eat almost be-
away at the grass and tender leaves which may
and one can almost see it grow upon this diet
After the first week it wants something more solid:
aHa its other food This goes into the long bones
which make up its legs and gives it kicking and and
will grow the rate of nearly foot i month
after the first three months, that when II is
year old il stretch its head seven or eight feet
above the ground 1t generally attains fun growth
BY the end of year. and then is ready TO have its
piumage piucked. TO begin to sit on the nest, and
can be broken to harness or the saddle Ostrich
riding may rival horseback riding when people
realize how easily OF these creatures can be
guided the rein and the endurance they have.
The first lot Of ostrfches imported TO this country
from South Africa. and were placed in Cali
fornia- Most Of them died but from the twenty
which were left over one thousand have been bred
already. They Very vigorous, and when full
grown afraid of horse. Dur
ing breeding time they especially vicious.
While the eggs being Matched they gen.
e1ally examined two or three times to see If any
have been damaged by the cold weather or by acct
dent The only way do this is go to the
nest when the birds changing. Two or three
men hold the pair Of birds away with forked sticks
while another looks at the eggs bur IL requires the
strength OF powerful man 10 keep off an average
sized bird until tho examination is completed Ere
ouently the are knocked down in this work.
and recently much of the Matching has been done
with incubators which are similar those used
in Matching ordinary chickens. but on a much
larger scale.