GAGE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22344, 15 February 1936, Page 5 (Supplement)

GAGE BIRDS

r pHE usually accepted causes of French moult have been challenged by a writer in England in articles written under the noin do plume of "Beta." Ho advances the theory that the real cause of the condition known as French moult is probably feather plucking, and goes on to state: "At this point it might not be out of place to refer to the man who said that there was no such thing as an earthquake because he had never been in one. "Speaking from my own experience, which is large, I have no doubt whatever that 90 per cent at least of the unfortunate chicks destroyed as French moulters, have been plucked by their parents. I have caught a hen flagrante delictu, on the chick's back, pulling out tho tail. I havo amassed enough other evidence —far better than the evidence on which Crippen was hanged—against other hens. I have reason to suspect one or two cocks. I go so far as to suspect that the young birds in a box take a violent dislike to one of their number and set about it. "I have been told by people, who appear to have a very limited knowledge of tho subject, that they (see paragraph 1) are of the opinion that the plucking is done only, when the chicks are small. This must bo pure boloney, for if a hen will pluck a chick when it is small, she will do so at any time. Lack of Green rood "What is the cause of feather plucking? 0«e very good aviculturist told me that he opined the reason was a lack of green food; that he had suffered from this "terror" in his aviaries two or three years ago: that ho now gave green food three times a day and had had no recurrence although he was not prepared to swear that he had not bred from birds affected in infancy. I feel sure that this is part of the explanation, for in my own case green food has been scarce owing to the drought, although I have two beds of spinach beet. "However I think that a possible explanation is that it is a form of Sadism, due to in-breeding: and owing to the way birds have changed hands it seems to me perfectly possible for me to buy a cock from tho North of Scotland and a hen from Cornwall and they may be —to all intents and purposes—brother and sister. Whether Sadism and other forms of insanity are controlled by the Laws of Mendel, I do not know. The devotees of the cult will probably swear that the Laws of Mendel govern everything in life, including the partiality of certain people for marmalade at breakfast." ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS "Budgie" (Morrinsville) :Budgerigar. —(1) When young budgerigars appear give to tho parents extra hulled oats and good quality white millet seed. These two should be added to their usual mixture. (2) The progeny will all bo green, but will possess the capacity of producing yellow when mated to pure yollow. "Curious" (Canterbury) :Budgerigar. —A cage for one pair of budgerigars should be about thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide and eighteen inches deep. This will give the birds ample room to exercise, and you could, in a cage of this size, put a coconut husk in which the birds could breed in the spring. Really, the larger the enclosure, the better it is for the birds, as they have more opportunity of exercising. If you can, arrange a small out-door flight so that the birds could go into it, and there obtain the benefit of sun and rain. This small flight could be run off from the cage in which they were normally kept. T.A.S. (Stratford): Quail. — King Quail or Chinese Quail (they have several other common names) are coloured as follows: —The males, the upper parts are brown and black with a whitish streak running down the centre of the feather. The feathers on the throat are black and white, while the underparts are a slatey-blue colour, and chestnut. They are comparatively free breeders if the conditions are right. They must have grass at least six inches high in which to nest. Be careful, however, that the nest does escape' disturbance should you go into the aviary, as the hen is particularly good in con-

By TAILFEATHERS

Letters requesting information regarding tbe care of cage birds will be answered in this column each week. Readers are invited to write to Tailfeathers, New Zealand Herald Office, Auckland.

cealing lier nest. This is Wade of grass right on tho soil, choosing a little hollow as a foundation. When tho youngsters appear, they want yolk of egg, and a prepared insect food, also gentles and mealworms. For seed, their preference is for different kinds of millet. You could give them millet seed thrown on the ground, so that the food would contain a certain amount of moisture and be soft and palatable to the young ones. Broods of five and six are not uncommon. These quail are exceptionally handsome little birds, hardy and easy to keep, and besides, their food is very cheap for they will feed mostly on what other birds discard. They have one disadvantage, however, in that in travelling in a small box, the cock becomes very alarmed, and often hits his head against the top of the cage. Injuries to tho skull are therefore common, and the birds should not be frightened. "Amateur" (Matamata): Budgerigar, Canary.—lt is most improbable that the three months' old blue budgerigar should have laid eggs. It is moro likely that the hen, when you noticed her in the nest, had three eggs, and that subsequently she laid two more while sitting, this being the usual practice with budgerigars. Usually, they commence sitting when they lay the second egg, and lay a further egg on every alternate day until the clutch is completed. It is very unusual for a cock budgerigar to kill the young. This deed is usually attributed to a hen. Probably your trouble is the presence of the young bird. I would suggest that you remove it. If, after doing this, you still suspect the cock bird of breaking eggs, remove him also as the hen is quite capable of rearing four youngsters by herself, providing, of course, that you assist her by adding plenty of hulled oats and a good quality white millet seed to the mixture, giving in addition the usual green food recommended in this column; sow thistle, etc. You should be able to tell the sex of the canary any time after six months. He will be more talkative than the hen. Beware of keeping canaries with budgerigars, particularly during the hot weather, as you are liable to cause infection of the aviary with red mite, an insect that seems to be more happy when feeding upon' canaries than upon other birds. T.W. (Royal Oak): Canary.—lt is too late now for canaries to go to nest. The youngsters, if they did arrive, would not have a fair start in life. "Diamond" (Wellington): Diamond Sparrows.—Many thanks for commendation. I am glad that the notes have been of great use to you. You would probably find them of considerable benefit if you indexed the information contained in them, classified under such headings as "Getting ready for the breeding season," "Breeding troubles," "Rearing troubles," and other headings such as this that might appeal to you. If your Diamond Sparrows gave evidence of feather plucking a couple of months ago, is it not more than likely that they wanted to breed, but that tho conditions, for some reason, did not quite suit them? If the bird that has been plucked is in good condition, it is most unlikely that lice are the trouble. In any case, holding in your hand for a few - moments, and then seeing if any insects are visible will determine this fact. Be sure that the birds have a dust bath, and access to grit, particularly to a dish of crushed charcoal or some form of iodine tonic. It is possible that some deficiency in the diet may be the causo of the trouble. In an aviary twelve feet long such as yours, the birds should not pluck each other, just for occupation. Diamond Sparrows are very difficult to sex. The spots down the side of the cock bird are supposed to be a little more prominent than those in the hen. The head also is considerably bolder, but it takes an experienced eye to pick this. Give the birds a bushy teatree place in which to nest, about six to seven feet off the ground, provide them with ample quantities of soft hay (for they build an enormous nest if so inclined) and give them a few handfuls of white fowl feathers in addition. Give the birds a few gentles or mealworms. In many cases, there is something wanted in addition to the usual seed diet. It should not be necessary to continually spray your aviary with flykiller. A little Red Poll is very useful in the aviary to dispose of insects, and is harmless to other birds. The fact that the two birds aro almost inseparable seems to prove that they are a true pair. I will be pleased to know if the advice given causes the bare patches to disappear.