OSTRICH FARMING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 489, 23 April 1909, Page 8

OSTRICH FARMING.

•■ln an -article' on' ostrich farming,..'-'printed,' jihithe. "Journal':of Agriculture;' \V.A.,'';by "veterinary - of ' :Gerialdton,! occurs the -following. note-concern-; .-ihg.New Zealand (Operations':— ? ';-; -, "' ~-.'•■ | -.-'-. "About 22\years ago ; Messrs'.' L. D. 'Nathan /and Co:, :of Whitford Park,' Auckland, . N.Z:, j 'imported : some, thirty-five birds - into that, : I Now'.they' are' able .'to" : boast, of one ibf-the.largest-farms in the world, and cbnitaining.-. fully, 2000 \: birds. ':b They 'have'' • factories : for.';,the: ; :man'ufacturV jof .feather trimmings/, dyed, feathers, dusters,. boas, and ..fan's/,' ,The consumption of OSt trich ■; feathers is so great. '£ha_t .oven . now the' wants tif - the home .market, in New i','larid 'cannot .be.; half : supplied, and there is .still a- large' import trade in that- country. TAbbnt'3o pairsHof breeding birds are here ■kept, each ;■ pair,; being accommodated'' -with a fenced"; paddock of about three-quarters, of ah acre, withJ-a-small ti-treo,shelter;she'd in. which' nest. This is required in' a; 'wet■ : country like New. Zealand. - : The 'male, bird' sits about' 14,; hours daily,. and -.'tho hen Inrd;, does, rcluty'' for the remaining 10. They have-not yet come under union 'rules, although -New \ Zealand, is' a Labour country. The eggs' take six .weeks to,.hatch'.;. Owing to;:the; luxurious;, growthi'-;of. vegetation V New Zealand,'' cattle ' areivk'ept toi eat;'.down the ,feed,..as the-birds which thrive here .-..0n, natural grasses" and'.lucerne// prefer;' short' feed'.;; The industry has now become so' great' that; from, so small a beginning ,a limited liability ;•'. company has been formed, with : a very large' capital, and is- already' paying remunerative dividends." - ;, ' : '.-■:;,