Elk County Forum

Didn't find anything I wanted to read.

Read, didn't find anything worth discussing.

Quote from: Wilma on February 02, 2015, 06:23:35 PM
Didn't find anything I wanted to read.

Quote from: Mom70x7 on February 02, 2015, 08:53:51 PM
Read, didn't find anything worth discussing.

Ok, guys... here's something.  One of my favorite places to visit is our wildlife zoo here in Surprise. 
My favorites is the Ostrich's...



checkout the the place:  http://www.wildlifeworld.com/

You want a discussion?  Where did that guy in the last photo get his false teeth?

Whooohooo... 11 people signed in now and only two, Ross and myself, have posted.  I guess no one has anything to talk about.     

Ya wouldn't want me to do a quick lesson on apostrophes and simple plurals wouldja? No? I didn't think so.HA! Ostriches are fun though, aren't they?

Quote from: Diane Amberg on February 03, 2015, 03:44:11 PM
Ya wouldn't want me to do a quick lesson on apostrophes and simple plurals wouldja? No? I didn't think so.HA! Ostriches are fun though, aren't they?

Yeah... I blew that, Teach.  The Ostrich is quite a bird and fun to watch.  Here's some info:



Species: camelus
Subspecies:
    - camelus (North African)
    - molybdophanes (Somali)
    - massaicus (Masai)
    - australis (South African)
Height: males 6 to 9 feet and females 5 to 8 feet
Weight: males 230 to 400 pounds and females 200 to 300 pounds
Life span: 30 to 70 years
Egg: about 5 or 6 inches and about 3 pounds (that's about 24 chicken eggs)
Incubation: 42 days
In the wild multiple hens lay up to 25 eggs in the same nest.
Maturity at: 3 to 4 years

The ostrich is the largest and heaviest living bird. It cannot fly because it does not have a keeled sternum (breastbone), common to most birds. But an ostrich can run. Up to 45 mph. With this speed they can outrun many predators. They can also kick with much force. They kick forward. They have only two toes on each foot, but the big toe has a large claw. Their kick pack a lot of punch. Enough to kill a lion, and also us if we get in the way.

There are two varieties of wild ostrich, Red Neck and Blue Neck. The color of their necks and legs is where the names came from. The Red Neck is the largest. The South Africans developed a domestic strain almost 200 years ago. They developed it for better feathers and leather, and in the process, the bird became more docile and easier to handle. In the USA all three varieties are raised, along with crosses of all three. The 'African Black' (the variety developed in South Africa) is smaller. There is much discussion on which is better for farming. Docile is good for handling, but bigger birds have more meat. A cross of Blue Neck and African Black is a good bird. The discussion continues.

The males are black and white and the hens are gray brown. During courtship, the male get down on the ground, spreads his large wings, and rocks back and forth. As he rocks he bumps his head onto his body, on alternating sides. He is hoping the his chosen female will like his show and want to mate. Many times when you approach an ostrich pen, the male will do his displaying. This is most true when a woman approaches. He likes to show off to anyone that will look.

Ostriches do not make any vocal sounds. The most they can do is hiss. The male also 'booms'. This is also a mating thing. He inflates his neck to three times its normal size, and uses that air to make a sound like he is blowing a horn. This is a very low pitch and very loud sound, and can be heard for a great distance.

Ostrich feathers are different than most birds. Most birds have feathers that have hooks on the individual 'hairs'. This keeps the feather together as a solid unit, enabling them to fly. Ostrich feathers do not have these hooks so their feathers are very fluffy and light. They are used very effectively as dusters because they attract the dust.

Through the years, ostrich feathers have been used as accents in fashion. Women's hats was very popular. Ostrich farming started basically because of the use in fashion.

The leather from an ostrich is very unique. It has bumps on the leather every half inch. These are where the feathers were in the skin. Boots, jackets, hats, and purses are popular items made of ostrich leather. The fibers in the leather criss-cross making it one of the most durable leathers.

Ostriches are omnivores, and they eat whatever is available in their habitat and at different times of the year. They mostly eat plants, mainly grass, roots, leaves, and seeds, but they also munch on insects like locusts and small animals like lizards.

Ostriches are very effeciant eaters. Their nutrient usage is higher than most animals. This means that they use almost all of the nutrients in the food. The feed conversion ratio with ostriches is much better, saving money and resources. It takes 1.7 pounds of feed to produce one pound of ostrich meat

In the wild:
Ostriches like to live in groups, which helps with defense. With their long necks and keen vision, they can see long distances, so in a group at least one of them is likely to see danger coming. Ostriches sometimes gather in large groups of 100 or more, but most groups are smaller, usually about 10 birds, or just a male and female pair. The groups have a pecking order, with a dominant male that establishes and defends a territory, a dominant female called the 'main hen', and several other females. Lone males may also come and go during breeding season.

The dominant or 'alpha' hen mates with the territorial male, and they share the tasks of incubating the eggs and caring for the chicks. The other females may mate with that male or other wandering males, then lay their eggs in the same nest as the main hen's eggs.

The main hen puts her eggs in the center of the nest to make sure they have the best chance of hatching, but many of the other eggs may also be incubated. Usually the main hen takes incubation duty during the day, then the male takes over and incubates during the night. The nest is simply an indentation in the ground that the male has dug. It is about 4-6 feet in diameter and about a foot deep. The male lays his cheek on the sand of the nest to the temperature. If is is too hot he covers the eggs a little. If is it too cool, he exposes the eggs to the sun to warm them. A few days after the chicks hatch, they leave the nest to travel with their parents. The adults shelter them under their wings to protect them from sun and rain, and they defend the chicks against predators. --- American Ostrich Association

And Wilma.... this is Ozzie Ostrich... before: 

(http://farm1.staticflickr.com/173/436965596_21f7704ec1_o.jpg)


Ozzie would never smile so I gave him my upper plate.  He's a happy bird now... after:

The first time I ever saw a real ostrich egg I was amazed at how thick the shells are. No wonder they can be used for storing water and such.

Probably the babies need those teeth to help them get through the shells.

Ha! I hadn't thought of that. I think you are right.

Ostrich eggs are 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter and can weigh up to 3 lbs. (1.3 kg).  One ostrich egg equals 24 chicken eggs.  It is said that it takes 45 minutes to boil an Ostrich egg.  Eggs are laid in a communal nest called a dump nest, which can hold about 60 eggs at one time.  Males, as well as females, sit on the eggs until they hatch, which can take 42 to 46 days.  They use Harry, Ozzie's brother to break the eggs to get the chicks out.


Ostrich offspring are larger than any other bird baby.  At birth, chicks can be as big as chickens.  The males and females share the responsibility of taking care of the young, according to the San Diego Zoo.  During an attack, the male tries to lure the predator away from the chicks while they run for cover with the female.

By six months, a chick is almost at its full-grown height; at 3 or 4 years, it will reach maturity . An ostrich can live 50 to 75 years.

Warph,
Interesting info but do they taste like chicken ? Inquiring minds want to know .

Quote from: jarhead on February 05, 2015, 08:23:40 AM
Warph,
Interesting info but do they taste like chicken ? Inquiring minds want to know .

It sounds like the perfect food: Low in fat and cholesterol, high in protein, iron, and calcium, and tastes very similar to beef.  But you still have to get past one tiny obstacle: It came from an oversized bird.  You know, the one that gave us the feather duster.

Amazingly enough, ostrich is 90% lower in fat than beef and even has fewer calories than turkey, while still maintaining the richness and flavor of red meat.

Unlike its counterparts, ostrich doesn't shrink when you cook it, making it ideal for burgers and steaks. As an added bonus, ostrich meat naturally repels the harmful bacteria responsible for those memorable summer barbeque-induced food poisoning cases.

So why isn't ostrich more popular in the US?  Low demand means low availability, so help increase this easy swap-in's popularity by hunting it down at at farmers markets, small butchers, and specialty stores online.

It won't run you much more than high-quality beef or pork and most ostrich is naturally raised, so your inner hippie and carnivore can co-exist peacefully.  Oh, and Ostrich Eggs taste like chicken eggs.



A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him.
The waitress asks them for their orders.

The man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke," and

turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?"

"I'll have the same," says the ostrich.

A short time later the waitress returns with the order.

"That will be $9.40 please." The man reaches into his pocket and

pulls out the exact change for payment.

The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and

the man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke."

The ostrich says, "I'll have the same."

Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.

This becomes routine until the two enter again.

"The usual asks the waitress?"

"No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato

and a salad," says the man.

"Same," says the ostrich.

Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, "That will be $32.62."

Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and

places it on the table.

The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer.

"Excuse me, sir.

How do you manage to always come up with the exact change

in your pocket every time?"

"Well," says the man, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and

found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered

me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything,

I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money

would always be there."

"That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would ask for a

million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want

for as long as you live!"

"That's right...Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce,

the exact money is always there," says the man.

The waitress asks, "What's with the ostrich?"

The man sighs, pauses and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick

with a big ass and long legs who agrees with everything I say.."

Uh, just how big would that chick be?

Big enough to make a mess of fried chicken! lol ;D

      I had a great Australian Shepherd years ago that I had to get rid of. I got married and she hated the new wife. Killed all of my chickens to show me how much. Had never touched one before that.

      I should have kept the dog and got rid of the wife. :P

I'm sure by now she thinks so too. :angel:

       I got rid of her deceitful behind before a year went by, smarta##. Last I heard she was in a penitentiary back east.

      The dog was smarter than someone thinking with his crotch instead of his brain.

     Just couldn't resist a chance to be yourself , could you ? ::)

     

You were the one who took her in the first place. What does that say about you? HMMM? Who got rid of whom? You brought it up. ;D ;D ;D ;D :angel:

       Golly gee whiz, Warph. There's the answer to your question. :-X

                                      HAPPY VALENTINES DAY   HOWARD, KS and SUPRISE, AZ



         Gave the wife her flowers and a smooch. Gave the boy a hug. Fixing to go see my beautiful daughter and grandkids after the chores are done.

         Wilma, you might want to quit reading now, cuz I'm fixin to do a little barnyard talk.

        Someone's been chunkin clods at me and I'm a gonna toss a cow patty back.

        One thing I know for dead certain, I'm happy as a chicken in a yard full of grasshoppers that I aint bunkin with a fat, worthless, egotistical, narcisstic, big mouthed bitch that sits around stirrin up shit on the computer. If my dog had seen the likes of her, she wouldn't have killed the chickens. She would have gotten hold of some rump roast,( if she could get her mouth around it), and ran her off my place.

         That's all I got to say about that.  :angel: Angel I'm not, and neither is she. :-*

Thanks for warning me.

Bull,
Why don't you tell us how you really feel ? You do have a way of getting right to the point----and that I like. :D

Quote from: Bullwinkle on February 14, 2015, 07:34:28 AM
                                      HAPPY VALENTINES DAY   HOWARD, KS and SUPRISE, AZ

         Gave the wife her flowers and a smooch. Gave the boy a hug. Fixing to go see my beautiful daughter and grandkids after the chores are done.

Back at you, Bull... Beautiful day here in Surprise, 80° and calm wind... perfect for golf.  Cold weather moving in on Tuesday, the mercury will be dropping down to a very chilly 73° and although clear, windy conditions at 8 MPH, which means I'll be chasing golf balls all over creation.  Had an earthquake or two at my cousins in CA.  She said one elderly resident of El Segundo, Fionna F. Rushriddle, 86, told news reporters that 'one of the quakes was so strong that it plum knocked her dentures out of her mouth.'

She said that luckily they landed on her pet schnauzer Mr. Piddle and the dentures weren't damaged.

And a couple of earthquake experts who reside in La Brea say that they are concerned that if the tremors keep getting stronger there's a strong possibility that the La Brea Tar Pits could end up in western Arizona where I live.  That would really make it rough on golfing... but, then again, might improve my game.

I have friends in Brea, but Linda didn't say anything about the tar pits up and moving away. That area that always has it's picture taken is only about the size of a big swimming pool with water on top. It's very interesting though and has a good museum and covered dig site. If it moved to Surprise, I expect it would evaporate pretty fast. HA!
As far as cow patties, send 'em! I take them and dry them out and dig them into my veggie patch.I even had some bison ones from Wichita Falls.    80? Please send some this way. It was around 4 last night with another couple of inches of snow.... Even worse tonight and Monday. I'll watch Downton Abby to take my mind off it.This may be the last one of this season.