CANARY AND CAGEBIRD NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 67, 16 February 1939, Page 5

CANARY AND CAGEBIRD NOTES

THE DISEASES jO F CANARIES. (Bv “Unflighted.”) Canaries like all -other forms of animal life are subject to certain ailments and diseases; some are very common and easily cured, and others aro only mot with occasionally and are generally difficult -to treat with success. But, speaking generally, when birds are properly looked after they arc not- subject to much disease. If birds ore given large, roomy cages, if those cages and all the fittings are kept clean if the birds are given frequent supplies . of fresh water for drinking and bathing purposes, sound, clean, suitable food, and well ventilated bird rooms, they will suffer, little from any kind of ailment or disease. Here are a few of the more common complaints, and a , few hints on their treatment: —. Diarrhoea, enteritis and inflammation of the bowls.—These are all different stages of one disease. Simple cases are known as diarrhoea, and, may come about through a bird partaking, of some irritant matter, or by. drinking foul water. As soon as this is noted- six drops of phosperine.should be added to each ounce of drinking water, and just a plain seed diet given to the bird, and trouble will soon p&ss. The virulent forms of the disease are more generally found among young birds during the breeding season. Warmth is a groat factor in -the treatment, and the bird should be put in a small cage and placed near a fire. It should lie given two drops of castor oil, which may bo administered from the point of a coarse knitting needle. The drinking water should have 25 per cent, of brandv mixed with it. Egg and biscuit food should also be provided. If the bird is too ill to drink the. water provided it may l>e given, at intervals of two hours, two or three drops of a 50 per cent, mixture of brandy and water. This may lie given in the mouth from a medicine dropper. W-cv’.k or cold in the eyes.—When birds have sore or weak eyes a cure may he effected by bathing them with the ordinary zinc lotion, which is prepared by mixing one grain of sulphate of zinc in one ounce of distilled water. Cold in the eyes should l>e treated in the same manner and the bird kept in a dull, warm place. ftore under the font.—Tin's common oomp'nint is imnally invited by unsuitable perches, the common offenders being the small. smooth pencil like perches. The feet constantly slip upon these and similar rounded and smooth perches, and in duo course provokes a corn-like sore to form. Perches planed to rather less than haif an inch square, and merely planing of the keen edges, are quite the best for general purposes, and in a general manner the change to these square perches is all the treatment- nqcessarv. In severe cases, cauterising the sores' with .the moistened tip of a stick of lunar caustic- will lie helpful, arid as ia-regular habit the birds should )X5 encouraged to bath in cold water.-