The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-08-17
| Ostrich Farms
/ In Arizona
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c&A
Ell is said that more than h # the
Il oSu'iches now in the United States
~ are tie progeny of single pain
owned in Arizona in 1891. From
'hls fact one may judge how young
the industry of raising these birds is
IN this country. There are now over
200 oStriches on farms In Arizono
Cailiornia, Florida and Kansas. About
tlfee-qarters of them are in Arizona.
Ihere Is Il curious story connected with
the breeding of many of these large
teatlered animals from one pair. 1t
was i'll the year 1883 that Arizona first
saw oS'lIch|S. y troop of thirteen were
brought 20 the territory from Califor-
ma and the number proved unlucky.
The flock included two Old birds and
eleven young ones The men who took
Them from the railroad station to the
ranch which formed their destination
Knew nothing about ostriches. and
thelr chief aim was to prevent them
from escaping. TO make sure they
would not get away they not ONLY put
canvas over the wagon. but hoods
over the heads of the birds 1t was
very hot day, and ten of the young
Dlrds died of Suifocation before they
had been taken five miles on their
journey. To make the breeding prof
ect still more difficult of execution it
happened that before the old pair could
make their nest the female bird died
from an accident. Then the flock was
reduced TO the old male bird and a
young female. Ostriches are not like
smaller birds. \ single season does
not suffice for their DEVELOPMENT. 1t
takes about four years for the male
bird to come to maturity and about
three and half years for the female.
SO it was not till 1891 that the first
ostrich was hatchcd in Arizona. In the
fifteen years Intervening since that
time over LOCO birds have come from
that single pair and their descendants.
All lined up in n row or by companies
they would make Il formidable looking
army, as an ostrich stands about eight
feet high and sometimes attains
height Of ten or eleven feet. There
are now six ostrich farms in Arizona,
while the industry of raising oStriches
is becoming an important one in the
four states already mentioned. AS
ostrich feathers sell for as high as
SIG per pound. the pluckings from the
big birds form product of consider
able value annually.
The ostrich is a very interesting crea-
ture, ANA its habits are often curious IN
the extreme. The ostrich nest is IA
round hole in the ground which the
male scoops out with his feet. 1t may
happen that his mate will not take to
the nest AT once, but will lay her first
eggs on the ground In that case Mr..
Ostrich goes about collecting them and
places them in the nest. After few
hints of this kind Mrs. Ostrich makes
up her mind to lay in the home pre-.
pared for her occupation. In Matching
the eggs the male plays an important
part. He shares with his mate the duty
of sitting on the eggs, and they work
OH night and day shifts, so to speak,
Mr.. Ostrich covering the eggs from
about o'clock in the evening to s or
half past s in the morning. The female
covers them during the day. but her
turn is not so long as that of the male
1 ;,,I I,
ment on the theory that the male, being
black, is not 50 easily seen at night as
the female. which is nearly the color of
sand and therefore better adapted to
sitting on the eggs during the daytime
in the desert. OF course on a ranch
the same reasons for day and night
shifts do not exist. but the birds do not
take this into consideration and follow
the instincts Of their race. On some
ranches the birds ere not allowed the
privilege of Latchng the eggs, the latter
being placed n incubators and care
fully ATTENDED until the artificial hatch
Inc takes place.
The plucking season ID an interesting
one on an ostrich farm. An ostrich is
pluckcd the first time when six months
old and every eight months thereafter,
but only wing and tail feathers are re
moved one row OF the largest quill
feathers in the wing is cut with
pruning shears. When he is wanted FOR
plucking the ostrich is driven into
pen about four feet high. open NJ one
end and closed with door at the
other. 4 hood is placed over his head
and he stands facing the closed door
The plucker stands behind him to do
his work and is perfectly secure from
kicks. because the big bird always
strikes in front and does not know how
to hit any one who is behind him.
The Original Paul Pry.