Maricopa County AZ Archives History .....Ostrich Farming In Arizona 1896
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 7, 2005, 12:23 am

  OSTRICH FARMING IN ARIZONA. The ostrich farm of J. Harbert is situated four
miles northwest of Phoenix, on what is known as the Alhambra tract, and. within
one-half mile of Alhambra station on the S. F., P. & P. R. R., where there is a
thriving little town situated in the heart of the country and only two miles
from the end of the street car line from Phoenix. The daily attendance at school
is 35. It has a large warehouse, 75x150, storehouse, blacksmith shop and two
other places of business. In interviewing Mr. Harbert, we give his experience in
ostrich farming in his own words. He says:

  In the spring of 1891 I started with one pair of ostriches worth $600, which
have increased until they now number 69. I raised them on alfalfa, not feeding
anything else but bone and gravel, except the breeding birds: these are fed
about a pint of corn apiece per day. It requires about ten acres of alfalfa in
the growing season to keep the flock, and the last crop on about the same amount
of ground to carry them over the winter. The birds are all well grown and
healthy, no disease whatever among them. I have never lost one yet from disease,
but lost two or three by getting cut on a wire fence. I think we have the best
climate (for ostriches) in the United States, being warm, dry and free from
fogs. Men from Africa inform me that they never saw better birds in that
country. Many of the birds in my flock will, I think, weigh from three hundred
to three hundred and fifty pounds each. When the birds are six months old we
make the first plucking of feathers, and every eight months thereafter,
averaging a pound of feathers to the bird at each plucking. Feathers bring on
the average about $20.00 per pound, and would bring double that sum if
manufactured by ourselves, as the feathers after passing through the hands of
expert feather manufacturers, readily sell at a large margin. Eggs that do not
hatch are blown, and we sell the shells at $1.00 to $1.50 apiece, and have
always sold all we had of this kind. The gate fees have paid for taking care of
the birds, leaving the increase and sales of feathers and egg shells clear profit.

  The hens do not generally lay until they are four years old, and there is no
certainty of the eggs hatching, as they do not seem to be fertilized, but the
eggs laid when the hens are five years old generally hatch. The cocks alternate
half and half time in setting on the nest in shifts of twelve hours each during
the hatching season. The eggs hatch in six weeks. I have eight hens that will
commence laying this season.

  During the time I have been engaged in ostrich farming, I have sold about
$3,300.00 worth of feathers and egg shells. I consider the pair I started worth
$600.00 at the time, and I consider the flock now worth $8,000.00, and they have
not cost me a cent in taking care of them.

Value of birds at present                 $8,000
Receipts for feathers and shells           3,300
Total                                    $11,300
Cost of two birds at start          $600
Interest on same four years          288
Total                                       $888
Balance for pasturing                    $10,412

  I think I am now prepared to go into ostrich farming right, and ready to raise
birds, as having only one pair to start with made it slow work. It will cost but
little more to care for a thousand birds than what I have got. I consider every
bird I have worth to me $30.00 per year in cash. I will sell the birds and farm
or the birds alone, as I am getting too old to look after them.
                                         J. HARBERT.


Additional Comments:
From:

A Historical and Biographical Record of the Territory of Arizona
Published by
McFarland & Poole, Chicago, 1896

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/az/maricopa/history/other/gms12ostrichf.txt

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