The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-06-15
The Ashcyille Ostrich Farm.

The experiment OF conducting an
,0stlich farm, at an altitude OF 1000
feet above the sea, and, on noun
tain plateau, in western North Caro-
lima, undertaken at the beginning of
the year 1902, was surprise, and It's
success has been a revelation. The
idea was conceived by William A.
Schoenheit, secretary of the
Winyah sanitarium, of Ashcville, NC.
The location is ideal . miles from
Ashcville, or beautiful plateau, shut
in by lofty appalachian peaks and
picturesque valleys. The enclosure
embraces many acres, and is provided
with the usual pens, stables and pluck
ing boxes. There i, also unique
little sales building wherein are dis
played all the varieties of the finished
plume product in fans, boas, single
feathers, etc, that sell for 50 TO 500
each. There are pure white boas cx
hibited measuring y inches in length.
On this Asheville farm there are
two hundred birds, including breed
ers, piucking birds, and chicks few
weeks old. Among the fullgrown
birds are several from the Arizona
farm, which are as fine specimens as
can be seen anywhere. They weigh
four hundred pounds each, are 20
years old, and worth 81 900 to $500
the pair. The feather product Of each
bird is of $50 value, to say nothing of
the offspring. The duty alone on
South African bird is $500.
The habits of the ostrich, rearing
the young, and the process Of finish
ing tie plumes for market are little
understood, and are quite as interest
ing as unknown.
When mating the legs and bills be-
come delicate pink and at times ap.
proach livii hue. The cock is often
vicious and will attack man without
fear. He has great strength and at
tscks with q forward and downward
kick, as powerful as @ mule--one
blow, if properly delivered, is sufi-
cient 20 put man out Of business.
Iron forks with handles IA feet long
are the Weapons Of defense used when
dealing with fighting bird. This
fork is placed against his neck, near
the breast, and the end of the handle
against the ground. This keeps him
at his distance; and it is something
magnificent 30 see him spread his
wings and kick hundreds of times
minute in his range to get at his vic.
tim.
Sometimes it requires two forks and
two good men to keep the bird at bay
until he has exhausted himself. A
short while ago the most vicious bird
or this farm completely exhausted
three men, gradually driving them to
the wall, and walking away tho victor.
He objeoted to their presence in his
pen, where they had come to give it
the daily cleaning. The photographer
who took their pictures, about the
time he was ready to snap this "bird
of evil" was suddenly rushed upon,
and narrowly escaped trouble by MIN
bly, climbing the high board fence,
topped with baTbed wire. Although
not afraid Of man nor Of large animals,
little dog will cause stampede of
IN entire farm Of birds.
This is accounted for By the foot
that they cannot fight effectively any.
thing close to the ground-hence,
when one bird in fight gives up, he
immediately lies close to the ground.
If man, unarmed, encounters an os.
trich who is looking for trouble, the
best thing to do is to hug the ground
Sc c!ese!y ss possible and cry for aa-
distance. The most insignificant
thing will alarm an ostrich. A little
boy in white shirt.waist caused O
stampede few days ago, and every
ostrich on the farm paced at rapid
rate round and round his pen for two
hours. The first bird frightened
sounde the alarm by swelling his neck
80 an enormous size and producing
three loud and long trumpetinge, that
are very like the roar of lion heard
from distance.
The cook builds the nest in the
sand by kicking the earth away until
hole is made foot deep and 3 TO 4,
feet in diameter. The hen lays four.
teen to sixteen eggs, weighing 81
pounds each. The cook and hen take
turns at setting.
He generously. takes charge of the
nest from O'Clock in the afternoon