130 OSTRICH-FARMING IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



Incubating every egg was my constant practice for 

 many years, when I never knew what it was to have 

 any trouble in rearing. The bii'ds were never fed and 

 were never allowed to sit for a day. In the extraordinary 

 increase, particulars of which I have given in the chapter 

 on Artificial Hatching, the birds scarcely ever saw a 

 mealie or any sort of artificial food. They had a good 

 camp, and fed themselves entirely. 



A remarkable and apparently proved fact, and one 

 which bears strongly in favoui' of this theory, is that, 

 of the chicks that die of fever, an immense prepon- 

 derance are cocks. 



But what is to be done when an outbreak of fever 

 comes? will be the question on every one's lips who 

 has had a tasta^of it. First, we may state that all 

 physicking has as yet availed nothing ; it has only ag- 

 gravated the disease. By changing the food, and by 

 giving them aloe and prickly pear leaves cut up fine, 

 Duion or shallot tops, every effort should be made to 

 keep the bowels open, whilst we should avoid lowering 

 the system either by physicking or by giving them, as 

 some do, Epsom salts in their water to drink. Redouble 

 the care in not letting them get wet or cold, and keep 

 them warm at night. Do not give them boiled wheat, 

 wet bran, or any sort of cooked food, but give them dry 

 wheat or Kaffir corn ! ! Above all, see that neither the 



