CAGE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22991, 19 March 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

CAGE BIRDS

TIIIS week Mr. Howe concludes his interesting article on blackbirds "Place two cage? close together, with a door open iu the end ot each, and train the bird to go from one cage to the other. Use your little stick or cane to assist it. until it exhibits no fear whatever, either of the cane or of being transferred from one coinpaitnicnt to the other. This will mean that when the judge, who usually uses a stick to get the bird to show 01l its good qualities, comes to the .bird, lie will be treated by the bird as it would treat its owner. The judge will not need to ask it to do anything strange, and its steadiness will naturally count ill its favour. It does not take a judge long to tell if the bird has been trained or not, and a good bird well trained always has a preference over another. Improving Colour "The colour of a blackbird can be improved by putting a few dried flics in its mixture, also oil'ering ripe iruit in season, even to ripe cherries and gooseberries. An extract irom an old book which I have, called Iho Natural History of Birds, published in 17(53, gives some interesting inlormation concerning the blackbird. It says that there are twenty-eight large feathers iu each wing, of wine' l the first fonther is the longest. J. ho tai is foui" and a-half inches long, and consists of twelve leathers of equal length, except tho last feathers on each side,, which are a little longer than the rest. Tho feet are black and the outer and hinder toes are equal in length. The whole plumage of the cock is of a coal-black colour, but the hen is more brown than black and has a reddish-coloured crest and a greyish belly. When they are. small, the male cannot be distinguished from tho female by colour. "Then follows some further interesting details concerning the anatomy of the bird. 'The liver is divided into two lobes, of which the right is the bigger, and there is also a gall bladder, but tho stomach, or gizzard, is not so muscular as in other birds of this kind. The flesh is rather good eating, but is not so delicate or so easy of digestion as some other birds', especially when tho blackbird has been feeding upon juniper berries or such-like, for then it is bitter. However, its flesh agrees with persons of all ages constitutions.' Apparently, all birds had some food value to our ancestors."

By TAILFEATHERS

Letters requesting information regardini tho care of cage birds will be answeredl 11 this column each week. Readers are '"Jitcto write to Tailfeathers, New Zealand Hcrali Office, Auckland.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS M.E.D., To Awamutu. —Birds will continually peck themselves and ruffle their fecit hers at this timo of the year in assisting themselves in tho moult. Feathers become loose in their sockets and irritate tho birds, who can materially assist tho dropping of the plumage by /locking and scratching. Examine them to see if by chance they have lice and if any are noticed dust with a recognised insect yowdcr. If the birds have ample oppor tunity to get tho benefits of sun. wind and rain, it is most unlikely that lice of any kind will trouble them. "Budgie," Onehunga.—Budgerigar: Apparently, tho trouble is over-grown claws. If your bird has not got access to something rough, such as a piece of pumice, the claws will continue growing and ultimately get needle-like points. With a pair of sharp scissors, cut the claws back about half their length, being careful not to cut too much off, otherwise bleeding will result. You mightjbe able to notice a little dark line coming down the claw —that is tho artory. Keep a minimuni of one sixteenth of an inch away from the finish of this line. Trimming tho claws is a usual job with a bird in captivity which has no other way ot wearing away the natural growth. E.M.1?.., Mount Eden. —Budgerigar: Continue with another little dose of castor oil followed lip with two or three drops of olive oil to the beak, and if, the bird seems particularly out of sorts, give a little stimulant such as two or three drops of brandy or whisky. Tho probable causo of trouble was some poisonous substance on the green food supply, or else contamination of tho seed mixture by mice. "Puzzled." —Cnnary: Yes, canaries sometimes sine:, including tho lions—but not Often. S.TL, Thames. —Budgerigar: Please do not start breeding from your birds now. You aro not giving either the parents or tho youngsters a fair chance. Wait until August. Do not give too much extra hulled oats in the seed mixture, or tho birds will become overfat. Clean sea shell sand from a good beach is satisfactory as grit, and for greens you cannot do better than uko silvcrbcct, spinach or sow thistle. As a novice, you will f?et much Information on the doubtful points by watching the correspondents' column. "Novice," To Puke.—Budgerigar: The information asked would really tako several articles to answer. It is suggested that you watch this column regularly, for you can always pick up useful hints from tho difficulties of others. I will also get a printed leaflet sent to tfou, answering many of the questions. Do not start breeding until next August, and then only if the birds aro in good condition and the weather is not 100 cold and boisterous. The cock budgerigar has a blue cere or skin round the nostrils where the beak joins tho feathers. In tho hen, it can be any colour from very nalo blue lo dark coffee colour according to tho condition of the bird. Sea shell sand as grit is necessary. You can buy it in many shops or collect it yourself in small quantities from an lincontaminated beach. Water in some form is necessary lo maintain the oil in (lie plumage. Either spray Hie birds every few days or put a wot sod of grass in their cage and let them piny around in the wet grass. Nature puts oil in tho plumage to make the feathers watertight. If you remove the necessity for this water-proofing, tho oil in the toothers will disappear and your bird loses that tight, trim appearance. To got tho bird finger-tame, accustom it to eating millet sprays, which are particularly appreciated by all budgerigars. Then offer tho millet spray, which is about nine or ten inches long holding one end in the hand. Gradually reduce the distance and ultimately offer only about a hnif-inch of millet spray in the thumb and forefinger. You will ouickly taino tho bird by so doincr. If you have any green grass seed that the bird likes, you could u*e It instead of a millet spray. Cut the night feathers of one wing, keep tho bird in a comparatively smnll cage and away from others, and handlo it, _ repeating' one word at a litne beinT the quickest, way to get the bird to talk. When tho saying of one word is mastered, tho vocabulary can be quickly built up. "Inquirer," City.—Budgerigar: Full name is required when nuking nneslions. Your bird, if a cock, probably misses the opportunity to offer titbits to a hen budgerigar. Put him on to a diet of plain millet seod. using a vnrinfy such as tho Austrnlian Hungarian millet. The crumbs of toast would not do him any finrm, except possibly mako him a little overfat. "Wlngfeather," Mount Edon.—ln publishing your interesting letter, your particular request will naturally bo granted. «