OSTRICHES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2074, 27 February 1889, Page 2

OSTRICHES IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

From the yearly report of the South Australian Ostrich Farm Company it ap« pears that the venture has been fairly auooeasfuU There are now upwards of 500 birds, the inorease having baen 74 la six months. Shipment! of feathera to London had realised more than their antioipated value. Dusters had bean made> from the common feathera, and had sold at payable prloei, but arrangements were being made to juke the doater Industry pay even better than lc had done. In his report the manager stated as follows t— (( Tbe past half-year, whloh ia the breeding season here with the oatrlohes, has not been a very favorable one m that respeot ; the rains came late, and were light. Still, m the months of June, July, and August we had an abundance of green aucoulent feed, and tbe birds, commenced laying freely, and the early* batohed chicks, whloh are now from two to fonr months old (about 100 of themX are growing fine, strong, healthy birds, and have been reared almost entirely on the natural herbage of the place. Beside* these there are fifty younger ones, raogtng ■ from six weeks down to a few days bid. These are being fed on the lucerne grown here by irrigation. Id spite of the drynesa. of the Reason the whole of the birds are In first rate oondition so far, and feed is fairly plentifal, although very dry. Out paddocks show a marked contrast to the surrounding country m this respect, which I attribute to tbe faot thai the ostriches do not tramp out tl\o feed like other stock. The country seems well adapted to tfc* birds ; and, with a little additional rainfall, would be bard to beat for oatriohesy the feathers grown being m every respect equal to Cape feathers, as evidenced by the report from London on our last shipment." It is ezpeoted that the out-turn of feathers for the preßent year will largely exceed that of the past, a number of birds) having arriven at feather-prod acing ages. It would be interesting to learn whether the ostriches m Auckland are doing as wall as those of South Australia.— («" N.& Herald.") .