170 



THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 



September, 191,3 



(Continued from pag€ 167). 



otherwise an effort would have 

 been made to bring a few birds 

 from there — he decided upon a pur- 

 chase from the South Australian 

 Australian Ostrich Com'panv of 

 Port Augusta, where nine birds 

 (four cocks and li\e tens) from 2 

 to 3 years old were secured, and 

 transported bv train to Temora, 

 where some land had previously 

 been purchased. The localitv was 

 not considered the most suitable 

 part of the State for an industry 

 of this kind, but the price of land 

 was tempting at that time. The 

 ostrich industry here was coupled 

 with wheat-growing, and sometimes 

 a few. sheep were run with the 

 birds, which it was found all work- 

 ed well together. 



The birds could be turned on the 

 forward crops in the winter, and 

 run until the middle of the spring, 

 and do well also in the stubble 

 paddocks after harvest. The pro- 

 perty at Temora was disposed of 

 last year, and the birds removed 

 to the Yanco Irrigation Area. The 

 prssent farm consists of 408 acres, 

 of which 108 are irrigable. It is 

 intended to lay all this down with 

 lucerne. One paddock of 12 acres 

 was sown wieh rape in. the spring, 

 and carried forty-five ostriches 

 right through the sunmier. This 

 fodder is well suited for rearing 

 voung birds, and is to be pre. erred 

 "to lucerne for very young chicks. 

 The Hock at Yanco now numbers 

 ninety birds. 



Last year twelve Soudanese os- 

 triches were imported from North 

 Africa and brought to the Yanco 



Engineer, General Machinist, &o. 

 Corner of 



FRANKLIN AND MORPHETT ST.. 

 ADELAIDE 



Maaufacturer ol Centrifugal and 

 geared forced I'umpe— Eepairi to all 

 claaaet Steatp, Oil and oftBoline 

 Enjfinei -i Speoiility. 



A TRIAL SOLICITED 



Experiment Farm, where they are 

 being m.ated with a South African 

 strain purchased in South Austra- 

 lia. 



— Management of Ostriches. — 



The ostrich reaches maturity at 

 4 years of age, although they 

 often breed, as stated, at the age 

 of 2% and 3 years. They will con- 

 tinue breeding to a great age ; 

 in fact, the older they are the 

 more steadily do they sit, and 

 hatch out a larger percentage of 

 chicks,. The age to which an os- 

 trich lives has not been fulh- de- 

 termined. Some scientists main- 

 tain that this bird lives to the age 

 of 100 years, though others ha\"e 

 put it as low as 40 years. 



Breeding birds are generally con- 

 fined in small paddocks from i 

 acre upwards, according to its 

 carrying capacity. The larger the 

 area is, the better, if no provision 

 is made for feeding on lucerne or 

 other artificial grasses. 



In fair-sized paddocks they will 

 lay and hatch oi'it their chicks 

 without any artificial feeding ex- 

 cept; in winter or in dry seasons, 

 when a little grain, such as maize, 

 wheat, or barley, should be given 

 — 3 lbs. of either of these, if fed 

 daily, will keep them in good con- 

 dition. A pair of birds isi usually 

 put in each paddock, though two 

 OT three hens ma)' be run with one 

 cock, and an increased number of 

 chicks obtained, btit in this case it 

 will be necessary to have an incu- 

 bator, as more eggs will be laid 

 than can be covered. The ben does 

 not sit at night tinv.-. The cock 

 bird takes charge of the nest from 

 about an hour before sunset and re- 

 mains ijitting .until the hen returns 

 the next dayo, which is usually 

 from about 8 to 9 a.m., according 

 to the temperature. If the day be 

 cold she will be later ; if warm, 

 ea:riier. If it should be raining, 

 the cock will sit right throughout 

 the dav without leaving the nest. 



The best i)osition for the pad- 

 docks is where there are no public 

 roads near, and where the birds 

 can remain undisturbed as far as 

 l)ossible. When they caminence 

 l)airing the cock becomes vicious, 

 and on entering the paddiock it is 

 well to be armed with a good 

 strong 'stick to keep him off. The 

 most suitable weapon for the 

 work is a polo stick— Indian cane; 

 it is light and can be used on 

 hor.seback or on foot. If the bird 

 .shotild make a rush, give him a 

 smack on the neck. It will prob- 

 ably knock him doWi.n ; but it will 

 not be recpiired to be done very 



often, as he will soon learn who 

 is his master. 



The nest _is generally found in the 

 open, and if made in a spot where 

 it is likely to be swamped during 

 heavy rain, the eggs should be 

 taken out and the level of the nest 

 raised, so that the water from the 

 surrounding ground may not (low 

 into it. A shallow trench dug 

 iround the nest will effectually pre- 

 vent this, and the birds often 

 throw up this protection ro|.md tlie 

 nest themselves. They generally 

 lay from twel\e to fifteen eggS' be- 

 fore they begin to sit, and in a 

 favourable season lay two or tbree 

 hatchings. The period \oi incuba- 

 tion is forty to forty-two days, 

 though during artificial incubation, 

 when temperatures are run above 

 normal, they will hatch out in 

 thirty-eight days. The date the 

 birds begin to sit should be noted, 

 in order that the time when the 

 chicks appear may be known, as 

 sometimes they will leave the nest 

 before the hatch is quite complete, 

 going off with what chicks they 

 have out. The remaining eggs, in 

 the absence of an incubator, should 

 be brought away and placed be- 

 tween several thicknesses of 

 blanket or feather i;illows, when 

 they will generally hatch out suc- 

 cessfully. The chicks after being 

 kept warm for a couple of days, 

 can be returned to the remainder of 

 the l)rood with the parent birds, 

 if tbe\- are not to be brought up by 

 hand. The subject of rearing will 

 be dealt with later. 



Where a number of birds of ma- 

 ture age is kept in large paddocks 

 it is necessary to keep a good 

 lookout for the nest, as if the 

 chicks hatch out and get a week 

 or two old before they are found, 

 it is rather a difficult matter to 

 catch them. If allowed to grow 

 up with the old birds, they be- 

 come very wild and, consctiueutly 

 are much harder to manage than 

 birds that have been reared about 

 the house. The best plan to adopt 



KALGOORLIE ■ HOTEL, 



HINDLEY STREET. 



CHARLES HONES, Proprietor 

 (Late of Theatre Royal Hotel). 



Good accommodation for Country 

 visitors. TarHSF, 25/- per week ; 4/fi 

 per day. 



QmiM, 1/6 p«r nifht. Meals I/- 



