Salt Lake Herald-Republican | 1915-04-18 | Page 16 | Raise Ostriches on Many Farms

RAISE OSTRICHES ON MANY FARMS Count Shows There Are Specimens Most of Them in Arizona The first flit Importation of ot ostriches into tho United States was m made de In 1582 from South Africa Into California Califor Califor- nia Several SC other Importations followed fol fot- lowed lowe and It was one of oC the later Importations Importations Im Im- im- im that brought Into this countr country the North African African nn or Nubian bird captured In the province pro of Nubin Nu Nu- Nu- Nu bin bia orth Africa The majority of birds in it this country today toda arc are the re result of these few tew Importation J of nC birds Into California and consist al almost almost almost al- al most who wholly II of oC the tho South African l breed I The ostriches arc 10 no longer confined to one ono locality but hut are ire rapidly spreading through h the south and are being successfully kept as far north as aa Pennsylvania Ostrich farms arcIn are arc In California Arizona Texas Arkan sas Florida and Pennsylvania There are nrc about ten farms that have hS more than birds each five 1 farms that have navo more than birds each and andone andone andone one farm that has more than 2000 birds In all nil there are arc about twenty twenty- five I farms In the thc United States that thet arc are making ri It business of ostrich farming The total aggregate ate of at birds birdson on these twenty five farms farm amounts amount to about of C which are In Arizona Approximately of ot all the tiro birds I are arc plucking plucking- birds and nd give I c on an nn average a of or one and one fourth pounds i of ot feathers to the bird him which figured I at 20 n a pound I s some seine Idea of the value of the feather crop op of this countr coun coun- tr try Besides this a pair of or breeding g b birds will easily bring bring- each an and e eggs gg for tor hatching soil soH on the average n of ot 10 apiece E Ego I shells find a limited market as curios at t from Crom 50 cents to 1 each The most valuable feathers are arc the main wing In feathers of or the thc male bird and It if exceptionally flue fine and the th market market mar mar- m r- r ket good these ma may bring as as' as high as s to 1300 a n. pound Th The average run of or win wing goods on the tho market Is from 85 S to a pound The first plucking of reath feathers rs Is taken when tho the chick li III from 6 to S months old The first plucking Is of ot little value alue and only the main wing winS feathers are cut Successive s take place about er e every el eight ht months aft after r the first the feathers being cut every six months and the quills left lefton lefton lefton on t the Ie bird two months longer at nt the end of which time the they arc are drawn Generally the main wIn feathers are arc cut and the first tInt and second row of wing coverts erts floss and tall tail feathers are arc plucked The food feel fed to ostriches varies the most common being green alfalfa chopped alfalfa ha hay bran milo mUo maize corn oats wheat barley oil oil- meal meat cottonseed meal beets shells and bones Birds will consume about four pounds of grain a da day The Tho ostrich Is the largest living bird unable to fly fb but possessed of great speed being capable of or thirty miles an hour and more and weighing on tho the thoa a average araSe raSe of pounds