Till-: i.)STKi(.ii i-i-;ATii i:r lXl)L'^■n-:^ . 2";^ 



namely, thai the eggsliclls of this cross were only pitted in 

 certain patches, other patches being quite smooth. 



Domestication. — Until recent years it was thought that the 

 Ostrich was first domesticated in South Africa, the approximate 

 date of this domestication being 1863. In recent years it has, 

 however, been discovered that the Ostrich was and is kept in a 

 state of domestication in the Soudan, and has been kept in this 

 state, as far as can be ascertained, for centuries. The method 

 of keeping birds in domestication in the Soudan is, hoxAever, 

 entirely different from that practised in South Africa. 



Both methods started in the same way, viz., by catching- 

 chicks of the wild birds and raising these by hand; in the Soudan 

 this practice has always been continued. Chicks are caught, 

 raised by hand, and kept until the birds become too old to 

 produce feathers of paying quality, when in many parts they are 

 killed and eaten in exactly the same way as cattle or any other 

 class of stock. The system of farming these birds is to enclnse 

 each bird in a small circular mttd wall or enclosure, about 8 

 feet in diameter ; the birds are never given an opportunity to 

 breed, and this practice, being continued for centuries, has led 

 to the belief that the Ostrich will not breed in captivity. This 

 state of affairs is now being remedied, both in Egypt, British 

 Nigeria, and the French territory adjoining British Nigeria. 

 The system practised of removing the feathers from these 

 domesticated birds was the crudest possible, and, in fact, was and 

 is governed by the fact that if one of the native farmers requires 

 money, he pulls as many feathers from the bird as it possilile to 

 remove and sells these. The stage of the growth of the 

 feather is not considered to any extent, and for this reason the 

 feather sockets are damaged, and in the course of two or three 

 years the bird ])roduces worthless feathers. This practice is 

 being remedied, and in course of time will undoubtedly be re- 

 ]jlaced by the methods practised in South Africa, where the 

 Ostrich is the best-cared-for and most pampered animal in 

 existence. In .South Africa the practice dift'ered from the North 

 in this way : that when the wild chicks reached the age of ma- 

 turity these were allowed to breed, and from these our domesti- 

 cated stocks have been produced, and, due to the careful handling 

 and selected breeding, the feathers have been vastlv improved. 

 The methods of handling and the taking of the feathers will be 

 dealt with under the headings of clipping and quilling and 

 management. 



Chick-Rearing and Artificial Incubation. — As before stated, 

 the Ostrich was domesticated in 1863. There are several claims 

 for the post of honour of the first domesticator of Ostriches, 

 and it is difficult to decide as to which farmer reall\- first 

 .domesticated the Ostrich. Prior to 1863 all the feathers ex- 

 ported from South Africa w^ere taken from wild birds which 

 were killed by hunters. 



Incubation and Chick-rearing may be classed under two 



c 



