48 OSTRICH-FARMING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



everything was studied to lessen the amount of the dead 

 capital, and the expenses were pared down to the lowest 

 possible shilling", whilst the farmer worked terribly hard 

 with both hands and head, and thoroughly understood 

 his business. 



But this was before *' fever" in the chicks was 

 known, and when ostriches altogether were healthier, 

 and kept their condition with less feeding. Even then 

 the returns varied exceedingly : thus, whilst in 1872 the 

 net profits were considerably over 100 per cent., in 

 1873 and 1874 they were under 50 per cent. 



One of the best items of profit to a farmer is the 

 increased value of his troop of plucking birds. Thus a 

 bird twelve months old, value say £22, would be at 

 four years old worth £50, besides having given on an 

 average £12 a year in feathers ; so that, allowing a loss 

 of 10 per cent, per annum in deaths, the return is 

 grand. 



Each bird should give one pound weight of feathers, 

 if plucked as advised in the chapter on Plucking. There 

 should be fifty quill feathers : this includes, say, four 

 fancy-coloured in each wing. The tails vary exceedingly 

 in the number of feathers — from 75 to 100. A good 

 average all round is, say, quills, 5 ounces; tail, 5 

 ounces ; blacks or drabs, 6 ounces. 



