CAGE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23115, 13 August 1938, Page 14 (Supplement)

CAGE BIRDS

FROM answers given to many correspondents recently, it is obvious that lack of knowledge 1 on the part of owners is causing [ some distress to pet budgerigars at ! this time of the year. Some few I weeks ago, an article was given, ' and in it advice on how to look after the pet budgerigar during winter. From questions asked, however, it is apparent that bird lovers do not appre--1 ciate the difficulty of maintaining thenpet bird in condition when it is shifted from a cool verandah during the day to ' a room warm for tho first part of Jhc night, then cold later. Much inconvenience and sometimes distress can be avoided by selecting a suitable position for your pet's cage and i letting him remain there nights and day with, if von wish, a cover over the front of the box cage lor keeping out tho worst of any cold, wintry wind. Night Quarters As long ns one end of the cage is boxed in. giving snug night quarters, no harm whatever will como to your bird out in the cold, night,air. If the position were rather windy, you could improve the night quarters by the insertion of a panel of wood lrom tho front to the back, with an opening two or three inches in diameter in it, and this board, acting as a division between the closed-in houso portion of the cage and tho open wire-fronted part, will prove useful. Ono of the most common ailments resulting from keeping the bird in alternately hot and cold conditions, is chill of the intestines, and during the resulting fevered condition, the bird drinks much more water than normally The droppiugs become very liquid, tho bird loses its appetite, it fluffs its feathers up and takes littlo interest in food. Curing Chills Now is the time when heat is required. This can bo obtained by placing the bird in a small cage near tho stove, and at night putting a hot water bottle 011 top of its enclosure and covering the whole with a portion of .blanket to keep in the heat. A small electric light could be left burning in the cage, and the heat retained with a cloth. A few pinches of carbonate of bismuth forced into tho mouth of the bird and given daily for four or fivo clays, will do much to correct any intestinal trouble revealed by unusual droppings. Jf the bird appears weak, a little stimulant diluted with water is useful. Soak a millet spray in water for at least twenty-four iiours—three days is better —shake off all surplus water, and then offer this to tho bird. A few millet seeds similarly treated will be eaten

By TAILFEATHERS c

Lettera 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 Heralfi Office, Auckland.

with relish when other seeds are rei jected. When recovering, offer cod liver oil soaked seeds instead of the usual hard, dry seed mixture, and be sure nnd add a little extra hulled oats. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS W.K., Whatawhata Budgerigar: The pinfeathers on the youngsters commence to show very distinctly within a week of hatching. About twenty-one days after the bird is hatched it is completely feathered, but the plumage grows and the bird increases in size for another week before it leaves the nest on approximately the twenty-eighth day. If this period has elapsed and the feathers aro still very thin and rough, and possibly the flight feathers and the tailfeathers missing, your birds have French moult and arc not worth keeping. R.R., Walton. —Goldfinch: Goldfinches at this time of the year are rather hard-pressed for food. You will see them eating groundsel seed, annual poa (which is a small type 01 shivery grass growing in damp places), but most of their food is weed seeds obtained from either pasture or croppine land. Later in the summer, cosmos seeds and marigold seeds arc very much appreciated. In goldfinches, the female is smaller than the male and duller in colouring. The cock bird, however, varies a good ileal in size, but invariably has longer wings. The beak of the male is wider at the base, heavier toward the middle, is 11 little longer and, from the side, looks to have a straightcr ridge; White bortions of tho feathers are pure colour in the cock and less stained with brown than in tho hen. The rump is white, sometimes varied a little with brownish of a light colour, but in the hen the rump is always varied with a greyish brown tingo and sometimes is wholly of that colour. The wings are black in the cock, blue-black, whereas in the hen they aro rusty black. The wing belt is a moro vivid yellow in cock than in tho hen. Tho blaze is brighter in (he cock bird, but varies in extent, and it is not possible to determine sex by the amount of red. The beak of the cock is almost invariably longer and moro tapering than that of the femalo. When sow thistle heads aro available, offer them to the birds. A staple seed diet should contain hemp, Unseed, teasel, rape and niger seed, together with some canary. A.11., Auckland.—Goldfinch: Many thanks for drawing to my attention that Mr. 11. Norman, tho British bird expert in England, says that a bird of any sort that lias a small head with a big body stands little chanco of success, and, further, that this is also the opinion of Mr. Watmough, tho premier budgerigar judge in England. An article 011 tho goldfinch should appear next week. A.C., Henderson.—Canary: On no account let your bird commence breeding yet. Eggbinding, clear eggs and other troubles will be your lot. Nothing is gained by falsely stimulating the canaries before the milder spring weather arrives. You should be more concerned in preventing Uio birds breeding than in stimulating them. Full details of canary breeding will be given in these notes later on. Canaries aro much moro suscontibio to cold frosts than are the hardy budgerigars. A.E.G., Thames. —Yellow Hammers: It, is most unlikely that you will bo able to produce any progeny by pairing a yellow hammer with a cunnry. As to pairing a yellow hammer with a budgerigar, that is impossible. You are recommended to try a comparatively easy cross, such as a greenfinch-canary or goldfinchcanary, and get. experience this way. "Breeder." Tauranga.—Budgerigar: The evidence points to poisoning or irregulnr man- J agement such as not enough green food, etc. ■ At this time of tho year, certain hens may die from various causes, but it appears that I contamination of foorl in some manner or other is tho cause of your losses. Try shifting the birds to another place, and ace if that prevents death.