| It is very important
for a community, to be built on two small hills and in the ridge
of two rivers, Xerou and Diarizou. Because of this it appears
that, in the Holetria village we find a fruitful and fertile
ground. The residents have been cultivating their land for many
years now, but many of the residents were cattle-breeders. Many
people actually lived from these occupations, a thing that shows
that this was their only bread-winning profession. In
the agriculture sector the vines, varieties of wine making,
the cereals, plants, the citrus fruits, almond trees, the
olives, the locust and few legumes are cultivated.
The cattle breeding sector,
appears to flourish in a very good level. In 1985 many sheep
were raised, around 1300, goats were around 500, cows were
near 10, pigs were around 30 and chickens around 500. It is
worth to note here, that a lot of milk is produced by the
sheep and the goats, which is channelled in the market, either
for pasteurization of fresh milk, or for the manufacture of
traditional and genuine haloumi.
AVICULTURE
It is a little strange for the Cypriot data, for ostriches
to be raised in Cyprus. In the beautiful community of Holetria,
in Paphos, we will find a big farm, which has this bird in,
which is called ostrich.
In a big plot, in the west of the village
and in distance of 1 km from the village, the first farm of
ostriches was created in 1999.
With the initiative of Mr Socrates Ioannou and the Mr Klitou
Neofytou, 60 birds were bought, aiming to grow the enterprise
and to make it tradable, in the Cypriot market.
The big plot of 20 acres was separated in
streets, corridors and the proportional fencing externally
was made. An important enemy of ostrich is the Human. In order
therefore for the access with the car to be easier, the streets
and corridors were made. The place has been subdivided again
in smaller items of 1600 m2, where inside this item; a roofed
place was also created, around 16 m2, in order to accommodate
the birds at rainy days. In each item 6 birds, 2 male and
4 female are taken in. The food that is nourished daily by
the birds comes out through special diet, that is prepared
by a doctor and it is made from special components that are
constituted by various plant species. In the roofed place
there are: the system of automatic flow of water and special
food pots, where the food is placed in a way, so that people
do not come in contact with the birds.
Few metres below there is another farm, with a capacity of
50 ostriches.
But let’s look at the description of the
ostrich more extensively.
Where it comes from, where it lives and what are its habits.
It is a bird from the sparrow family. It is the biggest bird
in the world, that lives today.
The male adult can reach 2, 5 metres height
– the half of the height, covers the neck - and 150 kilos
weight, while the female, and is a little smaller. Her egg,
the biggest live type, has 150 millimetres length, 125 millimetres
diameter and weights 1, 35 kilograms! The plumage of the male
is black, with impressive white feathers, in the atrophic
wings and in the tail, while the females are brown. The head
and most part of the neck, is reddish up to bluish, they are
covered by plumule, while the legs, included the vigorous,
muscular thighs, are naked. The small head has a short, wide
beak and big brown eyes, with bushy black eyelashes.
It usually lives in flocks 5 up to 50 animals,
with mammals (gazelles and antelopes). It avoids its enemies,
mainly the human and the big carnivores, due to its powerful
legs, that have two fingers as hoofs. When it is threatened,
it can develop speed of 65 kilometres per hour, while if it
cannot escape, it gives dangerous kicks.
The Ostriches are mainly vegetarians and
can do without water for big periods, being adapted to live
in the subtropics deserts and steppes.
At the reproductive period, the males form
a harem, from 3-5 females, whom they attract with cries and
reedy shouts. The communal nest is manufactured deep in the
soil and includes 15-60 eggs that alternately hatch, sometimes
the male at night and sometimes the female during the day.
The nestlings are brood after 40 days, and after 1 month,
they are capable to follow the adult animals in their removals.
In order to escape from the attention of their enemies, both
the nestlings and the adults; lay down in the soil, with their
neck horizontally strained; a habit that can lead to the myth
that, when the Ostrich is threatened it hides its head in
the sand.
Their feathers used to ornament the helmets
of the European kings in medieval years, while at the 19th
century; there were coveted accessories, of the feminine clothing.
Their successful sale, led to the creation of farms in South
Africa, in USA, in Australia etc, with appreciable trade that
bloomed up to the beginning of the 20 th century.
Soft leather products are manufactured by
their thin Skin. They can stand in captivity, where they can
live even 50 years, while occasionally they exercise for speed
games.
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