CAGE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23037, 14 May 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

CAGE BIRDS

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS "Cheeky," Howick. —Budgerigar: The treatment of a little Friar's balsam on the cut nail was correct. You can remove the cotton wool now. Tho claw will grow in the course of several weeks, and after a few hours no inconvenience would bo caused the bird. In future, never cut back to tho fine line, which is tho artery, visiblo in tho claw. Keep at least one-sixteenth of an inch from it.

"Bino," Epsom.—Budgerigar: Tho nest box should bo about ten inches long by six inches wido and six inches high, with a block of wood about one inch in thickness, hollowed out in tho centre, fitting loosely in tho bottom. Some boxes aro taller than they are long, but you will get better results from a longer box. You could use a good quality proprietary seed mixture for your canaries, or yourself make a mixture containing two-thirds of plain canary seed and one-third of rape seed, then, according to the condition of tho bird, give it a little hemp, niger or other tonic seeds. Over-fatness must bo guarded against. Uso the yellow cock with tho light blue hen and you will get more interesting colours and purer ones.

"Budgie," Hungahunga. Budgerigar Cage: If your bird is not shifted from tho all-wire enclosure, it will dio. Get an old box with one side removed, and on that side task wire netting. Keep tho box cage in partial shelter, such as on a verandah. As it is now, your bird can never get away from the bad weather or cold winds, and cannot look other than miserable. CJso perches of different widths. You could uso rope perches-in your cago until the foot is hotter. A little otive oil rubbed into it will assist the cure.

T.W.S., Waharoa. —Aviary: Tho suggested situation is satisfactory, provided the. rain will not drift down off tho trees on to the birds' enclosure. A roof over part of the top of tho aviary is really necessary to give tho birds shelter from tho elements, otherwise your losses will bo excessive and you will lose any bird that cannot stand ud to the most rigorous conditions. The side on which you get the westerly and cold southerly winds should be solid. Personally, I do not lfko the octagonal type of aviary. It is difficult, with that construction, to feed the birds easily. Under separate cover, I will send you further details. White doves are exceedingly difficult to sex, but thoir cooing should be a sign.

D.H., Aratapu.—Canary: Previous to. and during tho, breeding season, you can distinguish defects in a young canary by examining tho vent, which in a cock bird is protrudent but not so with a hen. During the breeding seuson tho cock bird will naturally sing and, as the birds get older, the head of one becomes moro masculine while tho head of the other becomes smaller, finer and moro fominine in appcaranco. Your young budgerigars are coming out of tho nest after their usual time in it, while their plumago is deficient becauso they havo French moult. It is doubtful if they will ever get proper pluma&e, particularly happening at this timo of the year.

"Dick," Te Awamntu.—Canary: Your bird is not coming through tho moult properly, a usual affliction of canaries much older than ho is. TTe is probably wanting fat, so give him a little piece of suet and let him peck at it whenever ho wants to. Tie a piece on to tho wire of his cage, alongside his perch. Give more linseed, and two or threo times a week a small quantity of a canary rearing food in which you have worked a pinch of sulphur. G.N., Portland. —Budgerigar: An occasional teaspoon of cod liver oil soaked Reeds is good for your budgerigars, but a quantity each day would soon makn them too fat. Onro a week is sufficient. Try giving him a littlo annual poa grass seeds, which aro now obtainable in damp places. From liking this green seed, ho will go on to liking sow thistle and other herbage. Be sure and give him cuttlefish and somo form of iodine tonic on which to exorcise his boak, and he may not be bo keen on peckinsr your finger. You

By TAILFEATHERS

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

could try repeating a (small phrase to him instead of one word. Some birds pick up words remarkably quickly. "Darby and Joan," JRotorua. —Budgerigar: .Remove the nest from the cage, givo tho birds a plain millet seed diet (with greens, of course) and do not attempt to breed until August. Breeding from birds that ard possibly too young, during the winter, usually produces obscure troubles in tho progeny, and you are never satisfied with them. Birds are not sufficiently mature to breed until they are a year old, while, with tho short winter days, tho birds have not enough daylight for securing food for themselves and their youngsters.