CAGE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22741, 29 May 1937, Page 7 (Supplement)

CAGE BIRDS

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

THE town of Huntly is known by all bird lovers as one where exceptionally keen, efficient and good "bird sports" reside. The Huntly Canary and Cage Bird Show was concluded last week-end. The previous year, the entries were in the vicinity of 430—this year, well over 400. This is evidence of tho growing interest taken in cage birds and of the substantial support given to the Huntly fanciers by those from outside districts. The show was run in the typical Huntly manner—efficiently. At tho recent North Shore fixture the quality of the Norwich canaries was disappointing. The Huntly show was exactly tho reverso. The Norwich canary was tho premier breed displayed. Exhibits were forwarded from as far afield as Gisborne, in fact, a bird of wonderful quality from that town was placed best Norwich in the show. All fanciers could not help but comment upon the increased numbers and better average quality of tho Norwich displayed here. Clear-Cut Outline True, there were still some of those unsightly masses of soft, fluffy feathers but, generally speaking, the majority of the exhibits did have some sort of a clear-cut outline to show the judge. Good massive heads were in evidence, clean cutaways and quality of feather. In many cases, however, tho beaks were coarse and, even in some of the highlyplaced birds, were too largo when compared with the standard. After the Huntly show, however, one cannot say that the Norwich canary is not again coming into its own. In tho Yorkshire section, quality this time was uneven. Some explained this by sayinc that' many of the local Yorkshires were not quite ready for showing, it being a little too early in the season, but that can hardly account for the number of bad necks on exhibition.

The Yorkshires appeared to he not quite up to their usual number and, just glancing around, there were few birds of really outstanding quality. The best Yorkshire canary in the show was benched by a prominent Auckland exhibitor. who is consistently successful. Attractive Budgerigars The budgerigars were a feast for the eyes of those to whom these birds appeal. There was a bird in the novice section with a purple sheen over its cobalt-coloured feathers. According to the magazines, this sheen is sought after by Australian exhibitors, but frowned upon by t.mo of the English judges. However, it was certainly verv beautiful to look upon. This Avas one of the first occasions on which a cobalt —coloured bird with such a pronounced sheen has been on the show bench. The champion budgerigars were a wonderful improvement upon those shown at North Shore. Exhibits were there from almost the whole of the centre of the North Island, in fact, the best budgerigar in the show was benched by a New Plymouth exhibitor. This bird, an olive, had a wonderfully good outline, prominent head, with iust the degree of boldness sought after. It stood well on the perch and allowed one to examine its even, dark colouring. Pukekohe and Hamilton Several outstanding vellow birds from Pukekohe were exhibited, and also some good whites from Hamilton. Some of the green birds from the surrounding district were also worthy of mention, being of good size and contour. Even if tho show were a little too earlv for the Yorkshire canaries, it certainly was not too early for the budgerigars.

By TAIL-FEATHERS Letters requesting information regarding the care of case birds will be answered in this column each week. Readers are invited to write to Tailfeathers, New Zealand Herald Office, Auckland.

P.N., Mt. Eden.—Budgerigar: Separate your birds at the beginning of August if they are at present flying logother in an enclosure, but do not introduce the nesting enclosures until toward the end of August, when the weather will be more settled. Take a maximum of two nests during the breeding season, from each of your two pairs of birds. Do not let them breed until they are 12 months old. An average of four young to a nest is ample.

"Silverbeet." Otorohanga.—Budgerigar; If the cere of the olive bird, which is now six months old, is still palo blue, the bird is almost certainly a cock. It is not always possible to be positive about the sex of budgerigars when they are under three months of age. The bird like a yellow hammer, which is eating the seed thrown out by your birds, is probably a chaffinch. Its favourite seed in the mixture would be the hulled oats Try putting a handful under a box or a sieve supported by a stick about six inches high with a lons string attached. In winter, food being scarcer birds will do anything and go anywhere for a morsel of food. Induce a bo.v with plently of idle time to watch at the extreme end of the string and pull when the bird is in tho trap "Popcye," Helensville.—Budgerigar: You certainly havo a most intelligent bird. His vocabulary, now that he is six months old. is romarkably extensive, and it is most unusual for budgerigars to start talking as young as ho did, namely, two months. How about arranging with the broadcasting authorities to put him on the air? In England, some talking and performing birds are highly paid artists. It is very interesting to know that ho plays with a boll, a pencil or any other small article on the table. Readers will be pleased to know that you have found a small bell tied to a piece of string of assistance to him in talking. A selection from his vocabulary would be of intorest—"Hello. Audrey," "Ring the Bell," ""Cut it Out," "Let me out," "Kiss me, *Popeye," "Thank you, Biddy," "I'm a Tough Guy," "Good Night, Go to Bed," "I'm Popoye, the Sailor Wan," "The Beautiful Budgie in Blue," "Stop That," "Bruce, Got the Cow," "Have a Soot. Geof." I trust that some of his sentences are spoken at convenient periods. Probably he would not bo spoilt for a show on account of the great amount of exercise that you give him behind the closed doors and windows, and also because you have not clipped his wings. Generally, budgerigars that live in cages are spoiled for show purposes as they put on too much condition. 1.T., Hamilton. —Budgerigar: Another talkative gentleman, who commenced expressing his thoughts at the tender age of eight and a-half woeksl Some of his remarks are a little out of place in ono so young. He must bo a character in the way lie rolls a pingpong ball around his cage, and also stands upon his perch and rings his bell, talking to it all tho time. This is the second or third occasion on which a correspondent has written in saying that the bird talks better when ho can have his beak in contact with something. Now that ho has learned to talk, it does not make much difference if ho hears tho other birds chattering in the distance. Budgerigars aro fully grown at about eight months. Tho electric light will not detrimentally affect him so long as his hours of sleep aro not reduced. Jf you are prepared to lake precautions, closing doors, windows, etc., when he flies to exercise, and at other times keening him in a roomy cage, I suggest you discontinue cutting his wings. Remember, however, that, budgerigars have no homing instinct and, once they fly a hundred yards or so away from their usual home, you havo difficulty in recovering them. They will not como back even to look for food. My experience has been that, once out of sound of -the chattering of their companions, they loso all senso of direction "Joey," Waihi.—Budgerigar-Breeding: The best yellow budgerigars are produced by selective breeding; that is, picking out the best yellow cock and mating it to the best yellow hen Only by this method can you eliminate the greenish hue of the yellow. Light green to light green, and sky blue to sky blue produces better colours than when mixed. Mato tho olive green to tho cobalt sky blue and yon will intensify the cobalt colouring, provided there is some blue in the ancestry of tho olive. Sky blue to cobalt mating is not recommended, as it has a tendency for the resulting colours produced to be neither good sky blue nor cobalt, The aim in breedinir should be not so much to produce many variations of colour, but to improve the type and colour of the birds that you already possess. You could introduce new colours by buying white birds and greywings. Write again if this does not answer the exact ques tions on which you arc seeking information E.R., Waimiha. —Budgerigar: Yes. you can leave your birds out all winter, but, during tho' very severe frosts that you have there. I would suggest covering the cago with canvas or sacking. Your other treatment is adeauate. Owing to limitations of space, replies to several correspondents are held over until next week.