HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1997-06-25, Page 3,'!rites -Advocate, furze 25, 1997
Pae 3
Raising ostriches a learning
experience for Lucan farmer
By Chris Skalkos
T -A Reporter
MIDDLESEX COUNTY - Every
morning Mark Scott stands on the
front end of his Bobcat and dishes
outa ration of pellets to his flock of
ostriches.
"If I step on'the ground they get a
little testy," said Scott.
It's only one of the many things
he's' learned: to --do since he began
raising ostriches more than .a year
ago . at his farm . in McGillivray
Township. But after buying more
of- the unique creatures he has
moved his operation to. his father's
faint outside of Lucan near the fam-
ily business; Scott's Elevator and
Farms. 1
'I wanted to .get into something
different, something a little. easier
to look after," said Scott. -Howe,ver.
he admits it hasn't been as easy as
he anticipated.. He said the chicks
need a lot of attention for the first
three months and When full • grown
. the."breeders'- can he dangerous.,
"When - they're breeding ,the
males don't let you get too close."
he Said. "They think you're moving
to on their mate." Otherwise, he
said the ostriches are friendly and
follow him ar wnd with or without
a bucket of food in his hands.. '
Scott is one of the .few farmers
across the province . who have en-
tered into • the relatively- young in-
dustry since 'ostrich breeding opera-
tions were firmly, established in
Canada seven years ago.
However, ostrich breeding, rais-
ing'and marketing has. peen an ac-
tive industry in other .parts of the
World particularly South Africa.
since the mid= 1800's.. For more
than a century the. international de-
mand for ostrich products has con-.
sinuously exceeded supply and Ca-
nadian farmers are tapping. into an
export •market 'for ostrich meat,
leather, oils. feathers and other by-
products.
Breeding operations have at-
tracted conventional • farmers like
Scott who who want to diversify
their source of income and to pro-
'tect themselves against sagging tra=
ditional markets.: It is particularly.
attractive ftir cattle ranchers com-
•paring a beef animal's feed conver-
sion ratio of five -t6 -one versus that
of an ostrich. less than two -to -one.
in the economics of animal bus-
handry that means • a considerable •
higher proportionate return for teed
invested.: •
An ostrich is a ratite; a wingless
bird. The hen can produce an aver-
age of 15-20 chicks per year and
are ready for processing in 10 to. 1d
months. Adults weigh more than
200 pounds . and stand eight -feet'
high. Females may be fertile at 20
months and reach reproduction ca
pahility after two or three years.
Ostrich meat has already -bound a.
place on upscale Canadian, Amer- -
lean- and European restaurants and
is quickly -gaining consumer. ac-
ceptance. It is _similar in taste. tex-
ture and appearance to ' beef,- com-
parable to hecf in iron and protein,
hut has less tat with tewer.calories.
Scutt, plans to sell :his -ostriches .
for breeding and will use the rest
for egg production. hut he said - it's.-.
too'
t's -
too early to tell, whether his new
venture will he profitable, •
"I'll have to wait and see,. if it.
works',out the way it's _supposed
to." he said, adding he.doeSn't• re-
gret taking '‘in this "new operation.,
"The hest,wav to .learn is to tri! it •
and I'm' still learning '
Merged
board
named by
Ministry of
Education
HURON -.PERTH COUNTIES
- Huron County Board, If Educa- -
tion trustees are concerned the
Ministry of Education -name giv-
en the merged Huron -Perth
hoard will - alienate residents
from their education system. "
When the 'two hoards merge
Jan: I. the•mmisiry has indicated
it Will he called I)istriet S('iNL)I
Board :Vo' 3.
Exeter trustee ..Pauline Van
Der Lei said that although• the
issue hash:t been discussed by
the ,hoard as a whole. •she per-
sonally feels the ininistry name
is "ciild and clinical." .
"I would like to sec some sort.
of name that would •.give us
some Ownership." she Said. add-
ing people will likely develop,
their own game for the merged
.hoard such". 'as -the Bluewater
Schorr Board. -•
Perth: (ountv- trustees .tis-
,:itssed the issue :u •,t recent
hoard meeting and they agreed'
the name..ktesn•t.rcllect the hen=
(age. Identity .li' - gerigraphx
the region. The hoards are ,:un-
stdenntl• a • student ,:nntesl ui
omc
it) .vith .i name.,
Firefighters quench
house fire Saturday
HAY TOWNSHIP - The Dash-
wood Fire Department. with the
help it the Zurich Fire De-
. partmcnt's tanker truck. ,ucccss-
fully extinguished a tire .11 the
home tit .\1r. and Mrs. Richard :\v-
otte east oI' Dashwood on County
Road 83 .
When- firefighters 'inn•ed on the
scene at approximately 5.31). a.m.
Saturdax morning, smoke was
pouring ,tut of the tune
The .\ ones were not injured dur-
ing the blaze which. according to
John Becker of the. Dashwood Fire
Department. started in the .humtcv ' -
in the .oiie.
Firefighters ',sere able a ont:un -
the circ rel the attic and upstairs arca
and remained on :he ,i.ene. for !hrec
hours.
A Dashwood firefighter cuts a hole in -rhe -cot of rhe -Norte
nome, 2-1. 2 riles east of'Dashwood early Saturaay. 770i -t7 -
:ng. ng. The fire winch started it, the chimnev leas estncted.'c
rhe attic and upstairs,of the home.
• Mark Scott holds up an ostrich egg laid by the odd looking creatures ;n his "arm ;ctside.:;f
Lucan.
Lioness Club makes $6,000 donation
EXETER : • The Exeter ,Lioness
Club has donated 36.0130 to Canine
,Vision Canada to sponsor the train-
' Ing of a Dog Guide,.tor a visually
• irnpaired person.- A program of,the
-Liens Foundation of Canada. CVC
Dog Guides enable.their visibility -
impaired. handlers to travel safely.'
by nayigaunk around potentially
dangerous. obstacles. •-
' At the Sir lames Hamer. Dunn
Training Centre in Oakville. the
' only Dog •Guide tracing ichool of
its kind in North America. dogs are
taught to help people with vision'.
hearing: physical and other medical
disahthties,
- 'Dog . Gwdcs are provided at no•
cost to these people in !ommunities
across Canada. The .dogs ,reatly
improve the quality of life for..those
who become Dog Guile handlers.
Handlers often express the .:on-.
tidence, independence and freedom
they feel' when a dog guide enters
• their lives.
Dog Guide donation Linda Marsden (left) and: Liz Stephens of
the Exeter Lioness Club present a $6.0Q0. cheque to Exeter
Lions Club President Tom Hartai for the Canine Vision Canada
Dog Guide program. .
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