More Than Just Feathers

      More Letters From Paradise
        More Than Just Feathers

Have you thought about ostrich lately? Probably not, neither had I until yesterday. My friend Gene told a story of how he had visited an ostrich farm in the western part of South Africa, and Oudtshoorn is called the "Ostrich Capital" of the world. Fairs are held with  ostrich races. Visitors are invited to race on an ostrich. Gene was selected, because he was small and light in weight. All others in his company were  bigger and heavier.

Men held the wings of the bird back, and he was lifted onto the bony back of the bird, and its wings folded around him. A leather strap was placed around the bird's stomach for the rider to hold with his left hand. Why the left hand? Because the right hand is used for steering the bird. The bird's neck is used like a joy-stick. Moving the neck forward the bird will go straight ahead. Move the neck left and the bird will go left, and to the right, and the bird will turn to the right. To stop, push neck back. And so it was. He was told that he had ridden really well. How many people can say that they have ridden an ostrich?

Gene's story caused me to do a bit if digging about ostrich farming and such. I found that the first ostrich farm was established in 1860 for harvesting ostrich feathers! The feathers could be harvested every six or eight months. The ostrich feathers were used to decorate hats for women. Long feather plumes, causing women to look more lovely. But in 1906, Queen Alexandra of England threw out all her feather decorated hats and feather boas. However, the use of feathers continued, and the boom years were the 1920's. But the decline in the use for feathers on women's hats was due to the fact that women had begun to cut their hair, and there wasn't enough hair to hold up a large hat decorated with feathers. The 1940's and 1950's saw further decline in the use of feathers. And by the 1960's most women were no longer wearing hats.

The ostrich has many more uses than feathers. The bird's meat is lean, red in color. Ostrich leather is used to make bags, belts, and shoes. And there is more.

Ostrich eggs have many uses. First, a fried ostrich egg will equal twenty-four chicken eggs, and will feed twelve people for breakfast! And ostrich eggs are decoupaged and sold around the world. The shell is also thick enough to be carved.

The ostrich is not always docile, but dangerous. A stick with natural barbs is sometimes used to get the bird's attention. They have large claw-like feet that can cause injury.

The ostrich is a bird worthy of admiration,  use, and respect.

     Aloha
     Grant