CAGE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23067, 18 June 1938, Page 13 (Supplement)

CAGE BIRDS

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS t "Birdie," Epsom.— Budgerigar: Dust the bird with a gooU insect powuer. He may oe harbouring body lice. Do this two or three times iu succession and then after an interval of a week. Buy a few pence worin of quassia chips from a chemist, mako a strong solution by boiling in a little water and then apply this to the tail. whore he is constantly picking. This liquid is very bitter and will temporarily stop h,m . ,n J n r s"f this bad habit. Try and find the first cause of the trouble, however. Give him a little dUh of sonic form of iodine or mineral satis. Give a little extru hulled oats to the mixture, as his plumage may be dry. Let tlie bjrd roll in a sod of wet grass, or spra> hini regularly if he is entirely under cover. Infertile eggs are more often the fault 01 the cock bird than of the hen bird, and lack of exercise is the usual cause of the cock bird's unfertility. "Anxious" Uawera. —Canary-soft moult: This is caused by rapid changes in temperature, draughts and fluctuation in humiidty. Hi* cage, being in a fairly warm place, is probably the cause of the trouble, as early "i the morning the temperature would probably be very cold. A partially covered-in verandah is a far more suitable place lor both the cage and the bird. If this is.not available, have the cage covered at night *l*o cloth. Avoid great variations of temperature. Feed the bird a more stimulating fll «. using one of the numerous forms of rahary-rearing biscuit meal now available in oirß shops. Buv a small packet of soft hioult and add'this to the m£al. Offer tonic "Ms twice a week, with green food and be I. *bere is an adequate supply of sea shell J»ftU as grit. In short, feed a richer and J 10 * stimulating diet and keep the bird in more suitable place, »J? ar £" Whakatane.— Budgerigar; green ' thistlej. the stem, the leaves and JM flowers with their seeds, is one of the in?- W for budgerigars. Silver beet leaves. »•«.. 'eaves, watercress and lettuce leave* tkL* H ., bt Avoid cabbage leaves. Of b«H * s i' v *r beet and sow thistle are the • kWl'", Oisborne.—Creosote i* th« .beat, for the outer woodaork portion of an

By TAILFEATHERS

Letter* reoueetlng information regardlni th. care of cage bird. will, M answeredl li thlt column eacn week. Readers are Invltei to write to Tailfeathere, Now Zealand Herali Omce, Auckland.

aviary. If you particularly required the wood white, you could paint it with a thin coat of whiti paint prepared from zinc, not from white lead, but this would have to bo brushed On to the wood and not over the netting, otherwise paint would accumulate, remain soli and possibly poison the birds. There is n non-poisonous material called seinite which can be used both inside and outside. Jt is a j.hid of a whitewash. You would run less risk if you painted the woodwork of the aviary before erecting any netting. Yellow budgerigars are best produced by se eclivr breeding. The use of white blood will not improve the yellow. Pair together two yellow birds as free as possible from green suffusion. "Mystified," Epsom.—Canary: The cock canary is naturally a better songster than the hen, and at this time of the year you should be able to tell the sexes from song alone. Toward the breeding season, the vent of the cock bird protrudes, that of the hen does not. There are other qualities which enable an experienced fancier to determine the sex, such as the boldness of the head, size nf the beak, etc. French moult is first noticed by deficient feathers in tail and wings. It Is not contagious, being a disease of the individual bird only. Hats and mico can so frighten birds that they die from heart failure or from concussion in flying against the sides of cages in terror. A canary that wheezes usually has asthma or some affliction of the bro'ichial tubes. This diseases Appears sometimes without any apparent cause. You could try holding the bird Over a jug of hot water in which a few drops of eucalyptus have been put. Use also a few drops of iodine tonic in the drinking water. Increase the supply of greens and See that the food, particularly the seeds, is fresh and clean, and o{fer a few mealworms which have been fating dark ipinarh or silver beet for a' few days before being offered as food. F.C.S., Newmarket. Mule breeding: Articles on this interesting branch of the hobby will be given later. A Norwich canary makes the most suitable canary parent in trying to produce large mules. Opinions differ as to the value of inbred canary hens for producing clear mules. Books on mule breeding are available in most pet shops. Your (lurfMs with canuries will assist you in raring mules. '