on Ostriches.



175



I was going to feed the Ostriches he accompanied me into the field.

The adult hen spotted his boil, as the poultice had slipped off it.

She had one good snap at it. I heard a terrible yell, and on inves¬

tigation I found that the boil had disappeared, saving me the trouble

of using the knife when he came again to consult me. The adult

Ostriches are capable of making a loud, booming sound, but the

young birds are mute. They are polygamous, several hens laying

in the one nest. In their native land the cock and hen birds brood

alternately. In this country they are easily hatched in a Hearson’s

incubator. The eggs, weight 3 to lb., are creamy-white and

deeply pitted. My birds laid every other day, anywhere in the field,

and as soon as the egg was laid went away and left it. My hen laid

eighteen to twenty in a season. They generally hatch in from five

to six weeks. Ostriches are extremely fond of a grass that is called

“lucerne,” and which I had my field planted or sown with. I

hatched four young birds out of nine eggs, although there were chicks

in all the eggs. I fed my chicks on coarse chicken meal (scalded),

ground meat crissel (scalded), cardiac powder (Spratt’s), about two

teaspoonfuls to twelve chicks, increasing the quantity as they grew

older. Mix well together, and dry out to a crumbly state with

barley-meal, chopped lettuce, and any insect food, such as clean

gentles, dried flies, or ants’ eggs.


Ostriches suffer from parasites and intestinal worms. I used

to give them the following mixture:


Sulphur, 1|- lb.


Salt, i lb.


Sulphate of iron, \ lb.


Arsenic, f oz.


Grind all to a powder, and mix well; keep in a box perfectly

dry. If wire-worm is present add \ oz. of copper sulphate.


Dose.


Adult birds, one tablespoonful for each bird.


Young birds, six to twelve months old, £ tablespoonful daily

for each bird.


Chicks less than six months old f tablespoonful daily for each

chick. If birds will not take this powder put it into an orange. I



