274 '^'^^'- OSTKR'II FEAT II KR IXDLSTK^'. 



headings, '* Natural " and " Artiticial." In the natural order of 

 things, when the Ostriches reach their full maturity (generally 

 from two to three years, they make their hrst nest. Jf un- 

 limited hens are available, a cock will usually mate with at least 

 two ov three hens for a single nest. Under improved farming 

 conditions, however, it has been found that the best results are 

 obtained b\- mating a cock with one or two hens, and enclosing 

 these in a small paddock about two acres in extent. The birds 

 usually select a sandy spot for their nest, which consists of a 

 hollow or saucer-like depression in the ground made by the 

 cock bird, and it is not an unusual sight, when Ostriches are 

 nesting, to see the cock bird resting on his breastbone scratching 

 up the ground for this purpose, in much the same manner in 

 v,hich the ordinary barndoor fowl does when taking a sandbath. 

 In the completed nest the hen lays anything from 8 to 20 eggs, 

 at the rate of one every second day. Incubation is then started ; 

 the hen hatches by day and the cock by night. This is con- 

 tinued till the fort3-second day, when the chicks make their 

 appearance. 



Artificial incubation is carried out by means of incubators. 

 The heat is general!}' conveyed to the eggs either by means of .a 

 hot-water tank or by hot air. In both cases the heat is generated 

 b\' an oil lamp, which is placed at the side of and connected 

 with the incubator by means of pipes. The temperature in the 

 egg drawer is kept at from 09° to too° F. (the normal tempera- 

 ture of the Ostrich is 103^ F.). The eggs have to be turned 

 twice a day to prevent the germ adhering to the side of the 

 shell. As the evaporation from the eggs is very great, moisture 

 must, in artificial incubation, be supplied from time to time. In 

 natural incubation this moisture is al)sorbed from the ground 

 and the body of the bird, but in artificial inculiation it must 

 either be supplied by damping the eggs from time to time, or bv 

 means of a tray of water inserted imder the drawer which 

 contains the eggs. It has been found that if the temperature 

 in the incubator is kept fairly high the chicks hatch sooner, 

 and z'ice versa; but. as stated above, the best results are obtained 

 bv keeping an even temperature of 99° to 100° F. In this case 

 the chicks Avill generally emerge from the shells on the forty- 

 second day. After the chicks are hatched they should be kept 

 without food for about three days (until the swelling behind 

 the head disappears) : they may then be allowed to pick up 

 broken eggshells, grit, finely-ground bone, crushed mealies, and 

 a moderate amount of green food, such as lucerne, rape, etc. 



In natural rearing they are allowed to run with the parent 

 birds, who teach them to eat a great variety of foods, and 

 thev are also given a great deal of exercise. This has. up 

 to the present, been found to be quite the healthiest method 

 of rearing the chick, but may i>ossiblv be superseded by 

 an improved method of hand-rearing in the near future, should 

 the experiments in this respect prove wholly successful. 



