New-York tribune., 1909-05-23
UAS. SHOOLB BRED & GO.

sticks make fair eating. but the breast is all bone
and there is white meat around the wishbone
to tempt farmers 10 Thanksgiving crimes.
AS 10 the feeding OF these gigantic fowls, 1t may
be stated frankly that neither blue vtriol nor ten
penny nails ever included in their menu Like
a chicken. the ostrich must swallow sharp stones
to furnish his digestive organs with machinery to
perform their II IS perhaps this instinct that
leads the bird to peck at any bright object that
attracts his eyes
Generally speaking. his tastes are varied and IN
discriminating.
After all as a steady diet the bird does we'll on
alfalfa. When pastUrage is green he Is simply
turned in and grazes like a horse or COW. When
green feed is short three and half pounds OF
chopped alfalfa hay day and equal amount OF
bran and equal amount OF rolled barley
once a week viii keep the big fowl IN prime condi-
tiOn.
So far. in America. the ostrich has shown a re-
markabe freedom from disease. Measles distem-
per- pip and indigestion all pass him by. The
only fatalities have come from either smothering
accident.
No one seems to know Just how long he will
live. In Africa there are birds that have been in
captivity for forty years, and are still raising
feathers at the old stand. 1t is authoritatively
stated. however. that twenty years comprises the
profitable feather raising period OF the bird.
Feathers are first clipped when the birds
nine months Old and while both the first and
Ond pluckings salable at fair prices. 1t is
until the birds have reached their second birthday
that the valuable plumes at their best. After
that the birds are plucked regularly every eight
months. One and one-haR pounds OF feathers
plucking Is considered fair average. the feathers
being worth about go pound This is taking the
feathers they Plumes Of which II takes
from so to 12O to weigh pound worth up TO
$40 pound in the markets of London and New
York.
1t is assumed In American ostrich farming that
each adult bird Will produce $50 worth of feathers
per annum
The black feathers and the fine white pIunes
come from the male bird. the second quality white
and the gray ones from the female. The best
pumes come from the wings, the smaller ones
from the tail. and both wings and tail produce the
smaller feathers which go into boas. stoles. etc
The harvesting of feathers. is always spoken OF
pIucklng However. it is only the smaller
feathers that are pulled The larger ones are
carefully cut with shears. and the quill stumpS
pulled out later after they have dried. The oper-
alton Is painless
While the old theory that the ostrich hides his
head in the sand the approach Of danger is
the eyes has wonderfully soothing effect on the
birds nerves. This is usually accomplished by
pulling hood the ostrich's head, when he
be shunted about with comparative
Usually the pens OF the younger birds and those
Of the females can be entered without danger by
the keeper. With bad dispostioned old female
ii is different Then the keeper arms himself with
implement somewhat resembling garden rake
end heightened and slightly bent outward Should
the keeper desire to remove turbulent male
an adjoining pen. he places the U-shaped end Of
his forked stick against tine birds breast The
contrary old male will always push against IT,
The keeper then backs through the gate and into
the other pen The bird pushes after. his own
contrarness accomplishing the keepers desires
Should the keeper be attacked when unarmed
his only chance is to lie down and roll for the
fence. The SOO-pOund bird may break a rib or so
by jumping on him, but he cannot administer his
death dealing kick object SO close TO the
ground.
At first reckoning. the American farmer is alb
his fingers
fifty or sixty eggs a year. and that all OF them
will turn into ostriches. chick at six months is
worth $780, at breeding age $500 and upward a
pair II hen ostrich lays sixty esgs-sxty
eggs being sixty birds each worth 500 apiece
and each producing $50 worth OF feathers year
what would one hundred hen ostriches do? No
wonder the poor goes to bed with head
ache.
The cold fact OF the business is that on a we'll
conducted farm the increase is considered salts
factory if it averages from four 10 six birds a
pair year.
The business is being systematized. The energy
of the less fertile birds Is allowed expend itself
upon feather raising. The increase is coming from
the best stock. The result should be that not only
should the number of fertile eggs a bird be in
creased, but the quality of the feathers should
also show improvement.
So il would seem that these aliens from Africa
bid fair to become adopted citizens OF the United