Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-28

/ lady ostrich, and her husband got
angry. The neck. head and legs of the
| old cock turned as red as blood, ant
| he snapped at me with his bill like
| an angry dog. He tramped up anc
! down the pen, lifting his big two-toet
| hoofs high, an dthe turbaned Egyptian
who went with me told me that a kick
from him would kill II horse or knock
my head from my shoulders
MATCHING BY INcuBAToRs.
1t was on the Egyptian farm that I
first saw ostriches Matched in incuba
tors. The farmer told me that the
eggs were taken from the nest every
day. leaving one for nest leg Just
as we do for chickens. About 20 eggs
are allowed to each pair of ostriches
torty-odd eggs, which the hen lays.
goes in the incubators. saw several
hundred eggs. Each was as big as tho
head of a six-month-old baby. 1t was
Of a smooth ivory white, freckled over
with little black specks.
In the incubators the eggs arc laid
IN padded boxes and arc kept IN "
room where the temperature Is just
about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. AS tho
time for Matching approaches they arc
tested day after day by placing them
In a hole in the wall of a dark room.
This hole just ilts the egg. SO that the
light shines through and shows its
zed the light comes through, the shell.
II It is there will be only light at
the larger end, where the air chamber
Is
Tho eggs are turned every day, and
when the chicks are Just about ready
to hatch the shells arc broken with a
tack hammer. The baby ostriches are
ioI- 1ni II "a ar
hours In boxes OF warm cotton. Be
fore going further they have their
eyes tested, and If they are lightish
in color they are killed, for the light
eyed ones are albinos and are OF no
good for laying.
Tho most of the farmers Of South
Africa now, use incubators. but many
let the birds hatch their own eggs, and
on nearly all the large farms you may
see these great creatures sitting on
the nests which they have dug out OF
the sand. Tho breeding season begins
in June and lasts until the end Of Sop
TENDER, but If the birds arc well fed
they will continue to breed all the
year round. AS the time for breeding
approaches the breeders are camrsed off
in pairs. a field OF six acres or less be-
ing given to each cock and hen. The
fields are often separated by double
jealous when their mistresses are lay
ing and they will fight one another and
often break their legs In their attempts
to kick through the wires.
The cock always picks out the place
for the nest. He then kneels down on
his breast bone and kicks out q round
dlshshaped hollow in the sand. When
1t is fixed to his satisfaction he coaxes
the hen ostrich to it and gives her in
structions to lay. If satisfied she goes
to work and lays ono egg every other
day for about 20 days. She may then
take Il rest, and begin to lay again
keeping on until she has laid 40 or
more. When she thinks she has enough
she begins to set and here the old cock
comes again on the job He sets on
the eggs fully half of the time, and as
Il rule. takes charge OF them at night
If the hen stays off too long he grows
angry and drives her back to the nest.
At the end of AZ days the eggs are real
dy for Matching and the chicks begin
to kick their way out. In this the cock
often assists them by breaking the
shells with his breast bone and the
farmers sometimes so from nest to
nest and gently tap or crack the shells,
that the chicks may break them apart
The chicks, when first born, are dear
little things with feathers of the
downy nature of chicken just hatch
ed. They are as big as a full-grown
hen, and seem to be all eyes and neck.
They waddc about like little ducklings