CAGE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22777, 10 July 1937, Page 7 (Supplement)

CAGE BIRDS

GENERALLY, Rosella parra-J keets prefer the opening of the nest facing to north-east and although this may mean a little more rain coming in occasionally, it will not be detrimental to the young. Four to six eggs are the normal clutch, but seldom is a nest of more than four reared. Incubation lasts approximately four weeks, and the young birds remain in the nest a long time before they can fly. The real period of incubation is thought to be a little over 21 days, while the young take about 30 days after hatching before they leave the nest. As an extra food, while the nestlings are being attended to by the parents, offer bread sop, extra oats and ample supplies of greens and apple. In September, you can easily secure large sup-, plies of prairie grass, cocksfoot and rye, from all of which the cock bird extracts the best of nourishment. Second Clutch of Eggs As a rule, a Rosella parrakcet is double brooded, and the hen will want to go to nest before the youngsters have become independent. Provide a ceoond "grandfather clock" and place it five or six feet away from the first and. in all probability, the hen will be eventually sitting upon her second clutch of eggs in one place, while the cock continues to feed the youngsters in the original nesting box, or. imitation hollow tree, as it should bo called. After the young have flown, the cock bird will still continue to feed them, nnd 10 days to fl fortnight should sco I.lm young ones independent and almost as large as their parents. Then remove the young birds to another aviary in which they will grow to maturity. Very Timid Birds Rosellas do not make good cage birds as they are too timid. They are, however, objects of beauty to the eye and to the ear in outdoor aviaries, where live without the need of any additional attention in our winter. Soma cock birds become particularly attached to individuals who attend to their needs and greet them with an exceptionally cheerful and musical whistle. If, for any reason, you have to resort to hand-rearing, the young should be kept in a basket partly filled with wool or moss, and the hollow finally lined with pieces of paper and old flannel. Cover the basket with a piece of heavy wire netting to prevent the youngsters wandering Food is required every two hours at first, lengthening to four hours as the bird becomes bigger and able to tako more at each meal. Hand-rearing Food A hand-rearing food can be made from a tablespoon of a canary biscuit rearing I'ood, a quarter of a sweet apple chopped and crushed lo a paste, a teaspoon of peanuts that have been husked and minced witil the peanut butter tool on the mincer, nine sunflower seeds soaked in hot water, shelled and crushed, a pinch of hemp also crushed, a little powdered cuttlefish, a drop of virol and a drop of marmite, the last two heing mixed with a tablespoon of hot water and used to moisten the food. . This mixture should bo given to the birds hot, warmer than our blood heat, corresponding approximately to the heat of the parent birds, which will probably be 103 degrees Fahrenheit to 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

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

ROSELLA PARRAKEETS

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS ! "A Fancier," Grey Lynn.—Budgerigar: The seed mixture is not necessarily of the same proportions the whole of the year and under all conditions. Generally speak ing, a mixture composed of two-thirds ol millet seeds and one-third of canary seed is satisfactory for general purposes. The millet seeds should be of several different kinds, and from different countries of origin. Birds in over-fat condition (liens in particular) should be fed plain millet seed only to slim them down. Birds in poor condition want a seed mixture to which hulled 6ats are added. This is also used more plentifully when young are in the nest. For average use, mixtures are obtainable from the majority of shops, but be sure that they are free from dust. Pairing yellow to green is not advantageous—it improves neither colour. Pair yellow to yellow. The pairing of cobalt to green is satisfactory, but it is better if you can pair a cobalt to an olive/ cobalt, as you will then improve the cobalt colouring. Best breeding results aro obtained by using one pair in each compartment, but your aviary would hold a dozen birds with comfort. You would bo likely to get the majority of colours by pairing cobalt/white to the same colour. Write to Mr. H. Rusden, lion, secretary, the Budgerigar Society, 1 Rcmuera Itoad, Auckland, 5.E.2., for particulars of membership. J.M., Wellsford.—Budgerigar: It is not easy to tame a bird that has become wild and when, in addition it is one year old. You are most likely to succeed, however, by cutting the (light feathers of one wing of each bird, caging them separately in a comparatively small cage and then you nloue attending to their needs. Give them tilbits, such as green grass seeds when available, and spray millet. In time, they will get to know you. Would it not be far better to start off with a young bird bred during the approaching breeding season? "Hybrids" Devon port. —Mule and Hybrid Breeding: Further information on this fascinating hobby will bo given in the neur future, but you would be able to get some information in the Hkkald Supplements, dated December 5 and I'J. F.R.F., Tamaki.—Budgerigar: The colour of the bird has nothing wha'tevcr to do with its capacity to talk. Do not forget that the numbers of green birds are greater than the numbers of other colours and, that from this, sonio might argue that greens are better talkers than other colours. Some of the best talkers I have heard have been sky blue birds. Picking a good lalker is a bit of a gamble, for while cocks are generally better than hens, somo birds arc poor speakers while others become extremely fluent. H.R.K.. Glen Eden.—Canary: The bird is in a continual soft moult. This is probably brought about by changing from one position to another. Keep him indoors in a cool, sunny room, and feed him on a richer diet, being certain to give a little canary rearing food each day and three times a week a small spoonful of tonic seed. A considerable strain upon the bird's vitality is experienced when growing a conipleto change of feathers. Your bird has been trying to grow a complete coat for months, and must be carefully looked after, otherwise you will lose him. Naturally, ho will not sing until he is feeling physically fit. W.W.8., Devon port.—Budgerigar: Your talking bird is a chatterbox and it is Interesting for readers to know that he commenced fo talk when lie was four months old. Almost forty complete sentences is certainly a wonderful achievement for a bird twelve months old. Some of his pert sayings are repealed here for the honefit of readers wishing to know exactly what a bird can be taught: "Hullo, Pop-eye," "It's a lovely day." "Pelor. come and kiss me quickly, quickly," "Aren't you going to talk to me," "Come up and sec me sometime, Pop-eye Jolfn," "Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater, how are you popping upf ' "Come down in the corner and talk to mo," "Have a cup of tea and a biscuit." "Curious," Pukekohe. —White-eyes: Glad the notes have been of assistance in your hobby. White-eyes, or Zosterops, are rather difficult to breed in an aviary. It is possiblo and has been done, but requires n great deal of patience in collecting aphis-infested shrubs and in providing plenty of live insect food, such us gen lies and mealworms when the voung are in the nest. Zosterops should bo fed upon a good insect mixture (such as is given to IVkin nightingales), apples, pears, plums and cake. Boiled potato is also acceptable. Although they ore not true honeyeaters, some fanciers give them nectar or liquid honey. This is a mistake, as they have great difficulty in keeping their feathers clean. Bread and milk can be given, but see that the bread is squeezed almost dry. 1 do not think it will be possible to cross them with Zebra finches or canaries, as they are a totally different family of birds. Correctly fed. tbev are long-lived little birds and the cock has a delightful, soft song. They are extremely difficult to sex. The cock birds are a little larger than the hens, but the plumage is practically identical. The white clrcnle round (he eye of the cock might he n little bolder than that of the hen, and the underparts of (ho cock might he a little darker. When (he plumago is to all intents and purposes identical in both sexes, and in all adult birds, sexlng is an extremely difficult. matter, even for one of long experience. A bold eyo usually indicates a cock bird.