South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-09-12
The u. S. Govern
ment Plan to Help Solve Wars High
Cost Of Living by Adding to Our
Tables Bird That Weighs
as Much as Cow and Lays
the Equivalent Of 600
Hen Eggs a Year ~
By w. H. BalIou, SGD.
TINE United States Government is con-
considering plans to put ostrich on
the everyday menus of everyday

considering plans to put ostrich on
the everyday menus of everyday
families The intention is to make the ostrich
help out the hen. not only in its task of pro-
viding white and dark meat but also in eggs.
To this end an investigation just completed
shows that the average ostrich is the eQuiva-
lent of 175 broilers-ths includes the long
neck and legs, much of which can be used
for soup-and that one female ostrich will
Law the equivalent of 600 hens eggs per
year
Furthermore. great parts of our south
western desert region provide ideal places for
ostrich farms Thus, the Government will
point out in It's report, not only can new
food staple be added. which will bring the
cost of chicken down and with it, its own
price. but put into use vast stretches of land
which now raise nothing but sand, sage
brush lizards rattleSnakes. bugs, horned
toads and cactus.
Criousy enough. the thing which turned
attention to the real possibilities of the
ostrich was a discovery not long ago. Of the
egg of prehistoric ostrich in China. This
egg is now in the American Museum of
Natural History in New York, and it was
the comparison of its size with the size of
eggs laid by modern oStriches that set the
wheels of inquiry going.
II was known by scientists that the ancient
eggs were much larger than those of to-day.
But in making the comparisons it was dis
covered that while ostriches in the wild state
lay eggs equivalent to 20 hens eggs under
ideal conditions and intensive cultivation.
they have within twenty years. increased the
size of their eggs to the 5-pOund mark; that
IS an equivalent of more than 30 hens eggs.
Furthermore II was found that under cult
walton in the same time. the birds have in
creased one-thrd in size and weight
This remarkable response, not only in
growth of body, but of egg content under
domesticity set the Government experts
thinking OF course there would be limit
10 growth both of bird and egg, but il seems
that ostrieheS can be Hed double the size
they now are and with truly monStrOus eggs,
equivalent to perhaps 90 to so of those of the
hen.
All tins can be done simply by giving them
proper environment-and as has been said
the American desert regions offer an ideal
location for their breeding-the taking of
parental care Of them shielding them from
the rigOrS of nature curbing their own ten
denotes of destroying and manning one an
other I'M their natural fierce cOmbatS. and
supplying them with proper foods
But what does an ostrich taste like Al
though western cities have been enjoying
ostrich meat on their tables for several years
the novelty was first introduced I'm New York
by the large hotels last New Years EpcureS
voted the meat as superior in flavor to that Of
venison OF turkey
The female ostrich averages fifteen eggs
annually. the equivalent of 450 hens eggs
equally delicious as food and equally as
valuable for all culinary purposes. The
ostrich. as a market Supplyer. however, pre-
Sents no such possibilities as Its keep like
that of hens or other domestic animals in the
back yard 1t is, like cattle and sheep an
animal of the ranch 20 be grown in herds
and cared for by keepers. The bird thrives
principally upon alfalfa. but in addition.
likes vegetables fruits. etc where il is pos
sible 10 get them. In addition. it requires
quantities of ground glass or an equivalent
of gravel, which makes for It's digestion.
The cost Of keeping an ostrich is the same as
that of COW.
Ostriches go in pairs. the male solemnly
taking a wife and keeping her during life
II should interest the romantic mind TO know
that the male courts his choice as regularly
and as lovingly as man is himself supposed
10 do but without mans materialiSm OF
financial and social demands Thus the mat
ter Of keep, cost of keep. food supply mating
and housing are matters of well settled and
established principles
AS to possible waste from the long legs and
neck Of the ostrich, there is no concern, since