CAGE BIRDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23145, 17 September 1938, Page 15 (Supplement)

CAGE BIRDS

BUDGERIGAR breeders have Dow paired up their birds for the breeding season. Breeders of canaries are well-advised to wait a little longer until the weather becomes more settled, otherwise clear eggs will result and the first nest of youngsters make its appearance too late to allow a second nest becoming well grown before the hot weather arrives. To assist budgerigar breeders, permission has been obtained to reprint the following copyright hints on breeding budgerigars. These hints aro followed by many experienced breeders, and have been the foundation for their success in the fancy. They provide in short and concise language a highlysucceflsful system of breeding. Exercise and Food "If budgerigars aro kept in a cage it should be 36 inches by 15 inches wide by 18 inches high. Keeping in a small outdoor aviary is preferable, but the wire-netting must bo freo from lumps of spelter. The use of link netting avoids all risk. Exercise for the birds is essential. "Feed upon a good standard budgerigar mixture, and, just before breeding season in September, givo extra special white millet and hulled oats. Flave sea-shell sand, cuttlofish and some form of iodine tonic and clean water 'in enclosuro. "Feed green grass seeds in season, sow thistle, silverbeet and spinach. Be sure green stuff is not poisoned with spray from tomatoes or fruit trees. Give an occasional millet spray throughout the year as a titbit, and more in the breeding season. Pairing the Birds "1. When mild weather commences in September, feed extra good quality white millet and hulled oats as well as cod-liver oil soaked seeds. "2. Pair up birds, preferably one pair each enclosure. i "8. After seven days put a coconut husk nest into enclosure, hung high up and well back, entrance hole fac-

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, Now Zealand Herald Office, Auckland.

ing light. Two nests for each pair in aviary, one nest if in cage. "4. Give no nesting material—hen will clean out husk. "5. Within another seven clays the first eg£ should be laid. "6. The hon commences to sit now, and eggs are laid on alternate days. "7. Tho cock feeds the hen during incubation and rearing. "8. On about the 20th day the first egg hatches, and the balance, if full, on alternate days. "9. Continue seed mixture as 1. "10. Feed extra sow thistlo daily. "11. On 27t,h day take down coconut husk nest and carefully clean out, replacing in exactly the old position. Use extremo caro in removing and replacing young. "12. Clean out nest now twice a week until young fly, lightly dusting inside nest with insect powder before roplacing young. Use of Numbered Rings "13. Ring young with 'numbered aluminium rings on 41st day, which is also about 21st day after first young hatches. Celluloid rings, all of the same colour, can bo put on tho other logs of tho young birds to denote parents, as this makes tracing ot' families easier later on. "14. Young will leave nest about 28tli day after hatching. "15. Leave young with parents at least ten days after last young has flown boforo removing to another aviary. (To bo Continued). ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS S.R., Hikutaia.—Racing Pigeons: Internal haemorrhage seems to have been tho causo of death, and overwork might liavo produced it. I would suggest that, your strain being unsatisfactory, you should discard it altogether and work up from pairs of a strain you know is good. Write to Mr. Porter, If! Arnoy Road Romuera, who could probably givo you good advico. M.8., Mt. Edon.—Budgorigar: Introduce tho nest now. This present cold spell wo aro getting will probably bo tho last one of wintor. Providing your onclosuro wero three or four foot long and two fcot or so in height and width, tho first lot of .voungstors could remain with tho parents for three months. You will, howovor, have to romove the nest with the eggs of the second

batch, for the hen will probably commence laying them before the last youngster of the first nest has left the nesting receptacle. I will get some printed details sent to yon. "Interested," Te Puke.—Budgerigar: It Is suggested that yon romove one of the female birds, for it is probable that the two hens will commence tho nesting season by fighting and possibly one will kill the other. I will get some printed information sent to you. Most birds prefer the nesting receptable in a firm position, for instinctively they know then that tho young ones could not be thrown out of the nest. When the young appear, add extra hulled oata and white millet to the ordinary seed mixture and increase tho quantity of green food, such as silverbeet or sow thistle, that you are giving to the paronts. Clean out the husk at least once per week. If the droppings are too wot, reduce the amount of green food. The sky blue mated to yellow would produce light green youngsters, which, whon mated together, would produce a small percentage of white birds. The dark green mated to yellow would produce half dark green birds and half light green birds, all of them with the capacity to breed yellow when bred among themsolvos. Follow tho articles, and particularly tho questions in this column, and yon will soon learn a lot concerning yonr pets. V.E.C., Hamilton. —Budgerigar: I shall be pleased to forward a little pamphlet dealing with budgerigars and their breeding. The honornry secretary of the Budgerigar Club of Now Zealand is Mr. H. Rusden, near Upland Road, Roinuora, 5.E.2. The two whito suffusion birds you mention could bo used to whiten tho colour if they wero both white themselves. Tho principle of selective brooding is usually used to improve these whito birds. Seeds in which one teaspoon of rod-livor oil to a pint of seed has been thoroughly mixed, is tho usual conditioner used. Of course, gonoral managomont of tho right kind should bring tho bird into condition at this time of tho year without the need of any particular tonic food. Your mating of yellow 10 green is of little practical nse. You do not improve the yellow and definitely spoil tho groen. In putting up colours to breed, have a definite ob.lect in view, not only Just the production of youngsters. It is not possible to givo all tho points of tho perfect budgerigar in a reply, hut if you select a bird with a good, bold head, thickish nock, taporing body, wings either not crossed or only very little crossed and having good, tight plumage of good colour, your selection should not bo very far away from tho standard of perfection, Coloured plates giving tho outline of the perfect bird as adopted by the Budgerigar Society of England aro nvailablc for a fow pence, hut knowledge of the correct shade of colour is a little more difficult to acquire, us some colours ran hardly ho correctly reproduced by tho usual colour printing methods. "Popovo," Flelensvillo. —Budgerigar: Trim tho overgrown beak down with a pair of nail scissors, and finish with a fino file.. Give the bird somo pebbles and a pieco of pumice stono to play with. They will help if ho refuses cuttlefish. Give sea sand as well or. if unobtainable, crush somo old pipi shells. "Budgie," Tokuru. Budgerigar: Tho whito spots on tho heads of tho birds I think aro iust, tho results of feathers moulting out. and' this unseasonable moult has probably been caused by keeping tho birds indoors If tho birds aro in an outdoor aviary subject to sun, wind and rain, it is rather difficult to Ray what has been tho cause of tho whito spots appearing, for unfortunately, you do not say where you have been keeping your birds. If an outdoor aviary is not possible, try spraying them with water regularly.