El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-01

GIANT POULTRY KEEPING A GROWING AMERI
CAN INDUSTRY
Introducing the Zebu From India, to Gross With Our
Own Cattle-Trying to Combine the Horse, the
ASS and the Zebra in One Animal-Prospect
of Demonstrating South American Rhea.
wv 7AsHINGToN, D. c., April L.

~
animal industry has taken a
| census of ostricles, which reveals the
fact that there are now in this country
somewhat over 6100 of the giant birds,
of plume-bearing age. Fourth fifths of
them are in Arizona, and the bulk Of
the remainder in California, with a few
small flocks scattered about in Texas,
Arkansas and Florida.
As vet, however, ostrich farming in
the United States is only in its infancy,
having made its first beginning in
1882. Twenty-Five years from now
there will be at least 100000 ostriches
in this country. There is money in the
business, an average bird yielding S25
worth of feathers per anntin. Exten-
sive areas of our territory seem to be
well adapted for the purpose, the sue
cessful rearing of this huge species of
poultry being by no means restricted to
hot and arid regions. Only a few
months ago, ". 81. Hile imported from
South Africa six ostriches of superior
breed, with which he is starting a flock
in the neighborhood of Bloomsbury,
Ny
One finds it difficult to realize that
so years ago all the ostrich plumes that
came to market were obtained by hunt
ing the wild birds in the interior of
Africa In other words, the crop of
ostrich feathers was exclusively q wild
crop. At the present time nearly all of
the plumes required to meet the de-
mands of fashion are plucked from
domesticated birds, the wild ostriches
being reduced in number to such an
extent by ruthless hunting that, in order
to keep a remnant of them alive, the
French government has recently estab
hshed large preserves in, the Sudan,
within the limits of which they are not
allowed to be killed.
Captive 0striches Number 1900.
Although the dOmestication of
ostriches was begun only so short a time
ago as 1860, there are today $4,000 of
them in captivity, breeding and produc
ing feathers, in the Argentine republic
All Of these are descended, of course,
from African stock. During the last
year'about 100000 pounds of the plumes
were shipped to various parts of the
world from Cape Colony 1.-THE principal
source of supply, representing value
of about s8,000,000.
Having a greater appetite for luxuries
of all kinds than any other people, we
buy much more than our share
OF the output of ostrich feathers. In
1909 we imported S3,600,000 worth of
them, raw and dressed. The quantity
produced in this country is so small
relatively as scarcely TO affect buyings
from abroad. Indeed, the demand for
ostrich plumes is steadily increasing, and l
the prospect is that the American pro-
profitable in the not distant future.
Protected by Tariff.
Protected by duty of 20 percent on
raw" feathers, and 60 percent on those /
dyed or otherwise prepared, ostrich !
farmers in the United States have every /
to make money The de- /
that the industry from this time on will /
advance with rapid strides. It has been !
proved that many parts of this country /
are well adapted by climatic and other i
conditions to ostrich raising. and, now
hat experience has shown how such
farms can be managed successfully, there !
is every reason to look forward to a
swift geographical expansion OF this
Kind of enterprise Some capital IS !
needed to begin with, OF course, a pair
Of breeding birds being worth $500, !
while Chicks" six months old sell at
100 apiece.
Two Separate Breeds.
There are two breeds of ostriches IN
5he United States-the so-cailed South
African (originally from the southern
part of the Dark continent) and the
which was fetched from
North Africa. The former is the more
popular. The birds are spastured on
lffalfa runs" enclosed by double fences
IL feet high One acre of alfalfa will
support four oStriches. but a common
practice is to supplement the pasture by
eeding more or less grain, thus keeping
greater number of birds to the acre.
young ostrich is plueked when six
months old, and thereafter at intervals
# from eight to IL months, averaging
rom Il to 20 ounces of feathers at each
,lucking.
Eggs Weight 1-2 Pounds.
If allowed to sit, an ostrich will lay
dozen or 10 eggs, and then rear a
rood of young. But if the eggs are
tolen from the nest, she will go on
aying, and will produce so or more in
eason. An ostrich ego weighs 8 IL
-ouRds, or as much as q hens eggs of
rdinary size. As the female begins to
ay when three or four years of age, and
eeps on until she is 35 or more, the out
ut during her lifetime is enormous. In
ubators are used by most breeders for |
atching the eggs, which requires AZ
avs. Toward the end of this period,
hen the chick "peeps" in the shell, the
after is slightly cracked, to help the
OCCUPANT to escape. In all cases the
Dung ones are reared artificially.
Government Is Importing.
The government is at the present en-
aged in importing into this country
arious already domesticated animals :
-hich seem likely to prove useful Thus,
Or example, a woolless variety of I
heep, whose mutton is of a superior
ua.hty, has been fetched from Bar. ]
ADDE'S, and several kinds of mich goats
nd mich sheep have been brought from ]
europe. But work of this kind has to I
e carried on with utmost precautions,
order to avoid the incidental introduc-
on of diseases. A number of very de-
rable mich goats were imported not J
,ng ago from the island of Malta; but I
was discovered while they were still E
/ quarantine that they were infected
18th the dreaded Malta fever" a
alady due to a germ, and which is
ften fatal to human beings. Conse-
Iently, all of them were killed; and g
he department of agriculture now
commends that mich goats introduced :
to the United States from abroad in
lture shall be of the Toggenburg or q
her kinds native to Switzerland They s
'e not less excellent as milk -givers, t