62 Bird Scene - Spring 2024

CAPE DOVES

LES RANCE

JAVA SPARROWS

ANDREW DUTTON

CANARY BASICSPART 1

THE CANARY COUNCIL

THE LATE JERRY FISHER

FOREIGN BIRD KEEPING

SUMMER SHOW:

23RD JUNE

NATIONAL EXHIBITION:

‘HELP BIRD KEEPERS SHOW’:

6TH OCTOBER

INTRODUCTION

In the introduction to the spring 2023 issue of Bird Scene

I wrote ‘This winter does seem a little colder than last year and in addition we are having to be very careful with the amount of electricity that we use due to the massive increase in costs compared to 2022. All I can say is ‘roll on spring’ and hope that it is a warm spring, which encourages our birds to start to breed.’

In comparison, the winter of 2023/2024 generally has not been too cold but we have certainly been receiving much more rainfall than we had last winter, with rain arriving from across the Atlantic

BY THE EDITOR

LES RANCE

WWW.THEPARROTSOCIETYUK.ORG LES.RANCE@THEPARROTSOCIETYUK.ORG

on a regular basis and many areas of the country receiving two and a half times the normal rainfall for February. Many residential areas have been flooded and fields are suffering, with much damage to winter wheat crops. We are also starting to see reductions in the cost of electricity as the wholesale price of gas reduces, long may this trend continue!

In this issue, we have an article about Cape Doves, an excellent article by Andy Dutton on Java Sparrows, Breeding for Pleasure V Breeding for Exhibition, Canary Basics written by The Canary Council and finally an article on Foreign Bird Keeping by the Late Jerry Fisher, together with a very good selection of images taken by our Designer Neil Randle at the 2023 National Exhibition. So really quite a lot for you to read and hopefully pick up some pointers that may well assist you with whatever species of birds you currently maintain. This is now the sixty-second edition of Bird Scene, how quickly twelve and a half years can pass when you are working on a project – the first FREE on-line bird magazine produced in the UK. At 48 pages, this is quite a big read! Every time

we post the Parrot Society monthly magazine, I cringe at the cost. Postal costs appear to have increased far faster than inflation and if The Royal Mail are not careful they will find that their income will reduce even further as people and businesses send less and less by conventional means. A price increase to £1.25p for a First Class letter became effective on 2nd October 2023. Whatever happened to the Penny Black, if my maths are correct we are now being charged 300 times the cost when the first letters were delivered! With CPI, inflation now running around 4.9%, costs continue to rise. In fact, food inflation is at February 2024 4.9%, where will it all end. These costs obviously affect bird clubs when the show schedules have to be posted to potential exhibitors and equally it affects the exhibitors when they return their entries. In addition, how much longer will bird clubs be able to afford to post magazines to their members? This must be a great worry to many club officials. Fortunately, with an e-magazine we do not have this

problem, or for that matter the cost of colour printing. Because of increases to the costs of both postage and printing, I am pleased that we decided to produce Bird Scene as a FREE e-magazine. We have learnt a great deal over the past nearly twelve years about this way of communicating with bird enthusiasts and I am sure that this knowledge will become more and more valuable as we see further increases in costs to paper magazines. We are always happy to receive articles about the species that are being exhibited at The National and are very pleased to give publicity to the club supplying the information. Regular readers will know that Bird Scene has been produced to publicise The National Exhibition held each year (Covid-19 restrictions excepted) at our October Sale Day/Show at at Stafford County Showground. This publication is also used to promote our Conservation efforts for threatened parrots in the wild. An archive of earlier editions of Bird Scene can be found on the Home Page of our website www. theparrotsocietyuk.org so if you would like to see earlier versions please do look at the Bird Scene archive.

CAPE DOVES

I have chosen the Cape Dove because my good friend Jerry Fisher on the south coast introduced them to me and encouraged me to work on this species

really work hard to establish birds that were previously imported in large numbers there will be none of them left in aviculture in a few years time. It is now imperative that all those breeders with experience with domesticated or near domesticated birds work hard to establish breeding stocks of birds that previously were readily imported. We all need to select one species and try really hard to establish them. About ten

years ago I kept Diamond Doves and bred a few of them so to a small degree I did have some knowledge of this family. I have chosen the Cape Dove because my good friend Jerry Fisher on the south coast introduced them to me and encouraged me to work on this species. In the spring of 2007 Jerry supplied me with 3 beautiful young unrelated pairs that I kept in a brand new indoor aviary 8’L x 3’W x 6’H.

I had a pile of forest bark next to a large hazel bush the roots of which had permeated the bark pile, it was therefore an easy exercise to pull up a few roots and make nice nests for the Doves.

Cape Doves are easily stressed when transported to new homes and within a few weeks I had lost all three hens (why is it that it is always the hens that die?) After this disaster there was obviously no point in keeping the three cocks so I returned them to Jerry, to say the least this was not a good start!! Jerry continued to persevere with his Cape Doves but came to the

conclusion that they really needed to be in outdoor flights rather than being bred in cages and in June when the weather was much warmer contacted me and asked if I would like to have ‘another go’, I thought that this was very brave and I decided that I must try again and use one of my parakeet aviaries to see what results could be achieved outside.

The day came when the two pairs were due, as we live some 150 miles apart I collected them mid-way in the early evening, all four were in one box and generally they were quiet but when I hit a pothole in the road they would crash about and become thoroughly disturbed. Once home I let them out

into their outside aviary as it was light until at least 9.30 p.m. in June. Although built in a block there is a large amount of privacy as most of the walls are constructed with 3/4” plywood but to provide them additional seclusion I placed a 3’ container grown Conifer, a Vibernum and six pots of runner beans to climb up the former. To provide nesting sites I screwed four wooden platforms 6” x 6” with a half inch lip around the edge, to the plywood wall. I had read that they seem to like to use fine roots as nesting material and fortunately I had a pile of forest bark next to a large hazel bush the roots of which had permeated the bark pile, it was therefore an easy exercise to pull up a few roots and make nice nests for the Doves. Evidently placing two pairs in one aviary is generally not successful as fighting frequently occurs but only

My efforts were very quickly rewarded as within two weeks one of the pairs started to show interest in each other and there was a fair amount of mutual preening and sitting close together…

one of my pairs seemed interested in breeding and possibly that was why I had no difficulties in that regard.

My efforts were very quickly rewarded as within two weeks one of the pairs started to show interest in each other and there was a fair amount of mutual preening and sitting close together, then I saw the hen on one of the nests, progress appeared promising! The

first egg was laid on 21st July and the second the following day, they were a rich cream colour and I candled them after the hen had sat for 5 days, they both showed that the vein formation was developing so I speedily returned them to the nest. The first egg hatched on 4th August and the second on 5th. I was aware from the excellent book by I.S. Dyer “Breeding the Cape Dove: My Experience” that around eight days of

age can be a critical time as the parents can stop feeding the youngsters. On 12th August I was delighted to see that my two precious babies were still doing well and growing quickly, the first left the nest on 20th August and the second the next day. My aviary has a wire floor ‘overhang’ for the last 3’ of its length and the two babies sat on this and the mother joined them sitting very close to keep them warm, the temperature that morning was only 13C which for an August day is rather cold. Jerry Fisher warned me thirsty. Although I mentioned above that there was a 3’ overhang the total flight size is 10’ long, 7’6” sloping to 5’6” high and 3’ wide and 7’ of the roof

that it is sensible to try to check that the babies are drinking for themselves two breeders have had this problem once the young leave the nest. I took a shallow bowl of water into the aviary and simply picked up one of the babies, there was no attempt from them to fly away, it drank avidly once its beak was placed in the water, once it had consumed all it wanted, I then put it down and picked up the second baby and let that drink. On 28th August I again caught my two birds and checked them but they appeared not to be

Both young developed well and as the days shortened and temperatures dropped I carefully considered if I should move all six birds into heated indoor quarters for the winter.

is covered in glass-fibre roof sheeting giving a very sheltered and protected aviary.

Both young developed well and as the days shortened and temperatures dropped I carefully considered if I should move all six birds into heated indoor quarters for the winter. I would have liked to leave them where they were because they seemed very settled and I know that they are easily stressed

when moved. I knew that what to do would be a tough call but decided to monitor them twice a day and if the cold started to worry them I would indeed move them into a heated environment. The signs to look for are that they will sit fluffed up, be inactive and look generally miserable.

In late September these signs were all too evident and I decided to move them into a warmer and dryer environment.

Cape Doves seem a little unadventurous as far as feeding is concerned; their main staple is White millet. Doves do not shell their seed like Budgerigars; they swallow it whole and grind it up in the gizzard. This means there are no husks to blow off the seed bowls. I provide 50/50 Budgie mix but I do not think that they eat much of the canary seed in the mixture, they will take millet sprays but mine are not over keen. Germinated smaller seeds are generally ignored but I do provide them with home made egg food which is prepared for my parakeets, hard boiling 2 eggs each morning and mixing them (shells included) in a food processor with 200 grams (1 large cup) of Badminton Baked Cereal (used as a conditioner by

Baked horse owners). To this I am currently

adding a level tablespoon of Pet Chef, to this dry mix I then add 1/2 a large cup of water, this makes a nice crumbly feed (be careful, do not add too much water or you will get a wet horrible mix that no birds will consume!) The 6 Cape Doves received 1/2 a tablespoonful of this mix each morning around 7.30 a.m. For those not familiar with Pet Chef this is a supplement powder designed to provide essential vitamins, minerals, trace elements and amino acids to ensure peak condition within your stock; there are two formulas, one for breeding stock which should be provided 6 weeks before the start of the breeding season and as long as the season continues; and a general purpose mix which has been designed for the remainder of the year.

With any bird that is difficult to breed and it appears that Cape Doves fall firmly in this category, fostering with a closely related species needs to be considered.

I continued to use the outside parakeet aviaries in 2008 and 2009 but both these years were not particularly good breeding seasons and I was coming to the conclusion that to make any real progress with this species I needed some additional stock as I was very determined to be successful with Cape Doves, they are beautiful birds but obviously need a suitable diet and the correct housing. In 2010 I changed tactics and provided them with a fairly large and dry indoor aviary measuring 12’ long x 4’ wide and 7’ high, this had a double glazed window which I wired over and could open on warm sunny days giving the doves access to fresh air and direct sunlight, a facility that met with their considerable approval. During the year I did not lose any birds and bred 3 hens and 5 cocks using the colony system with all my stock in one large flight.

Jerry Fisher feels that DIET is the key to success; some of the supplements I use are different to his. He uses iodised minerals – a black powder that pigeon breeders use with success. His birds (except the group of cocks) generally refuse his soft food mix - the only birds to do so. Given that the only seed they consume in quantity is white millet

he is wondering if we can develop a base mix being mainly white millet with some bonding agent to integrate it with supplements. There is no doubt that we need to broaden the diet as much as we can and as we do not know exactly what they eat in the wild we can not imitate their natural diet. I feed blue maw seed and this they will eat so this gives some change/addition to their diet. So far the 2011 season seems to be progressing well with 4 hens sitting on 8 eggs (2 is the normal sized clutch)

There is no doubt that Cape Doves are very vulnerable and not easy to breed, without concerted efforts they may be lost to UK aviculture forever or perhaps the opposite will happen and we may be able to save them. The Cape Dove is far from the only bird to be in this position and the next few years will be critical to the existence of a number of birds that were previously freely imported but are now increasingly difficult to obtain due to the lack of viable aviary strains. I will certainly continue to work hard to establish these birds in aviculture and I will use all the relevant skills that I have acquired over a number of years with my parakeet collection, it will not be a simple task but someone has to do it!!

By far the most popular choice is breeding for pleasure. Most of the members of the JSSUK just keep their Javas for the sole purpose of enjoying the sight of them in their cages or aviaries, there is nothing wrong with this at all, as that is why we all started keeping birds in the first place!

ANDREW DUTTON

JAVA SPARROWS-

BREEDING FOR PLEASURE V BREEDING FOR EXHIBITION

Keeping Javas is not like keeping other varieties of birds such as budgies, canaries and even zebra finches. With Javas there are no champions, novice and beginner classes, everyone is on the same playing field.

There are many advantages to keeping Javas just for pleasure. There is not as much stress involved with the keeping and breeding of Javas if it is just for your own pleasure. You can have what ever colour mutations that you want, you can pair them to which ever mutation you want and you can choose to breed throughout the year at any time and not worry about what colours you produce and the getting them ready for the showing season.

It is my view that as well as doing this it would also be a great benefit to the hobby if people gave showing a go.

Showing is on the decline and all of us in the hobby need to try and do as much as we can to save it as it will benefit all of us in the future.

There are many advantages to keeping Javas just for pleasure. There is not as much stress involved with the keeping and breeding of Javas if it is just for your own pleasure.

Keeping Javas is not like keeping other varieties of birds such as budgies, canaries and even zebra finches.

With Javas there are no champions, novice and beginner classes, everyone is on the same playing field. All you have is an Adult class and a Current Year Owner Bred class. Here at the JSSUK we are trying to keep the Javas the same shape and size that they are in the wild, that is why we have a show standard to adhere to. If you look over the last 10 years of the society there have been 7 different winners of the Best Java In Show,

winning FEATURE

there are no particular exhibitors with outstanding birds winning every year in year out. Every show you attend you have a chance of winning if you just put a little extra effort in. Keeping Javas for pleasure or exhibition, you practically have to do the same things anyway.

grit and clean water, to drink and to bathe in. If keeping for pleasure, apart from choosing your best birds to pair together, you do everything else the same anyway!

If wanting to show your current year birds you have to pair up your birds early on in the year to make sure they have come through the moult and are in good condition for the shows which usually start later on in the year. Also you have to make sure they have that current year ring on them, to show them in that class. In the Adult class you can show any java you like, rung or unrung.

For those of you who are thinking of giving showing a go in the future, you would be better breeding your birds in cages rather than flights. Not that you can not breed great looking birds out in the flights, it is just if bred in cages they are usually more calm when you introduce them to a show cage.

So please if you keep your Javas just for pleasure, why not think of just giving showing a go. Here at the JSSUK we will only be to glad to help you and get you started at giving showing a go. Get in touch with myself or any committee member via our website or our facebook page and we will be glad to help you.

At the shows you will meet lots of new friends, who in the future you can buy or exchange birds with to improve your own stock. So come on, if you are breeding just for pleasure at the moment, why not breed for exhibiting

too ? What have you got to loose ???

The two most common questions asked when people have purchased Javas for the first time are what do I feed them on and can they be housed with other finches?

Well first of all regarding the feeding, I give my birds a good quality foreign finch mix and it goes without saying as with all birds, they have access to grit and fresh water. You can also feed them a little greenfood, lettuce or broccoli will be accepted and I also feed mine a little budgie tonic seed once or twice a week.

Also to get the birds in condition I feed a little egg food which they really enjoy. With Java sparrows, they are a bird that likes to bathe a lot so I always have a bath on the cage or in the flight as they will bathe two or three times a day, sometimes more.

Another food you can feed your Javas, especially if in a mixed collection with other finches, are mealworms. Javas do love mealworms which they will skin and eat the insides.

Regarding the second question, can they be kept with other species ? The answer is yes, but keep an eye on them, especially if they are kept in cages !

Some, but not all Javas sometimes have a tendancy to bully smaller finches, especially when kept in cages. In aviaries because there is more space and places to escapes to, they do not seem to do this as much and you can usually house Javas with most other species. Just keep an eye on them, especially when breeding as

bickering occur so you can obviously house more birds together.

Javas will not tolerate other birds near their nest box when eggs or young are present.

When housing Javas in cages in a bird room it is advisable to either house them one pair to one cage or if not breeding them then house just cocks together and house hens together in separate cages. This will stop the cock birds fighting over the attention to attract a hen.

In an aviary there is a lot more room for birds to escape should any

If anyone requires any more information onthe keeping of Javas please take a look at our website or Facebook page were there is a lot of information available. Or if you are attending the sales days at Stafford or if you go to some of the CBS shows around the country please look out for the Java Sparrow Society stand. There will be a few of the JSSUK committee members on the stand who will only be to happy to offer any advise needed to anyone who is thinking of starting with Javas or anyone who already has them and just wants some advise on anything Java related.

CANARY

BY THE CANARY COUNCIL

The Parrot Society thank the Canary Council for the right to reproduce this excellent article. The images have been added to enhance this article.

INTRODUCTION

The information, which you will find in this article, will be found helpful whether you keep a canary as a household pet bird or if you wish to venture further into the breeding and exhibiting of canaries. This is not a specialist book about any particular variety of canary. It is recommended that those who do wish to tum to breeding and exhibiting should obtain a copy of one of the many specialist books available, where more detailed information will be found about their chosen breed.

This article is purely to help those interested in canaries, to understand their requirements to be kept in a proper manner. The Council hopes you find the book answers some of your queries and that your interest once whetted, expands into the hobby of keeping a stud of canaries.

CANARY

B A S I C S

HOUSING

The type of housing used for canaries very much depends on why you are wishing to keep canaries. If to be kept purely as a household pet, the usual type of all wire cage is preferable, but even this is best to use the long type, rather than the cylindrical style. This gives the canary better room to stretch

its wings and take more exercise. The cage should be placed in a draft free position, possibly with one side near a wall to give a little privacy and not in a position to be caught in strong sunlight, but in good daylight. This cage type is suitable for a household pet but not for the purpose of breeding canaries.

For breeding, one can revert to using either an aviary or the box type cage. Where fully controlled breeding is required to produce top quality exhibition birds, the box cage is the one usually used. This gives a maximum amount of privacy for the rearing hen. It is usually constructed

The usual type of all wire cage is preferable, but even this is best to use the long type, rather than the cylindrical style. This gives the canary better room to stretch its wings and take more exercise.

of plywood or similar material with a suitable wire front, which can be purchased in various sizes. The size of the cage depends on what it is used for and the particular breed kept. For the smaller breeds such as Fife, Irish Fancy or Gloster a cage 15’ high, 12’ deep and 18’ long will suit as a stock cage and a

slightly longer one or what is known as a double or treble breeder for the actual breeding. The larger breeds, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Norwich, require a slightly bigger stock cage to enable the birds to spread their wings.

The aviary is used more for collections of canaries particularly required for purposes that are more ornamental. However many fanciers use flights, which are usually indoors, to house birds between breeding seasons and if not required for exhibition purposes. With outdoor flights or aviaries it is preferable if the roof and some of the side area is protected from the worst of our inclement weather conditions.

Plastic sheets are usually used for this purpose, which also protect the occupants from any possible contamination from wild birds. To make the aviary more decorative do not plant up the interior as canaries will soon destroy plants by pecking at them. Preferably, plant outside the flight with climbers such as honeysuckle, clematis or roses, in fact anything, which will be attractive and give cover but is not of a

poisonous nature. A shelter should be attached to give the birds a suitable roosting area, free from draughts and dry- canaries resent draughty and damp conditions.

The floor covering used wherever your birds are housed can vary considerably. For pet birds the sand sheets, which are easily purchasable are generally used. They are readily replaced at intervals to keep the cage clean and tidy. Outdoor flights generally have fine grit or sand to cover the floor area, but some have just plain concrete base. Whatever is used, the area must be kept clean, so tended frequently. In box cages, a number of materials can be used and it is very much a personal preference or what is easily available. Some use coarse sawdust or wood shavings, others sand or fine grit, while others use paper- even old newspaper. They all have their good and bad points and it is your choice what you find best.

To make the aviary more decorative do not plant up the interior as canaries will soon destroy plants by pecking at them. Preferably, plant outside the flight with climbers such as honeysuckle, clematis or roses…

can be used, again preferably with a mixture of a few natural twigs of hazel or perhaps apple, in fact virtually any deciduous twigs available. This enables the birds to exercise their feet and if placed at each end of the aviary, plenty of flying room. Wood and/ or plastic perches are generally used in box cages and again if possible of varying thicknesses and placed at each end of the cage.

For your box cages, you will require somewhere suitable to house them. For the more fortunate it may be a spare room in the house

many are so lucky. Usually they are placed in an appropriate shed. Whatever is used always be conscious of good ventilation and light. As mentioned earlier canaries do not like draughty, damp conditions, which will soon spell trouble. Many fanciers who are deeply interested in the breeding of pedigree exhibition stock go to considerable lengths to get the conditions right. Special lighting arrangements and electric

to gain with keep your birds, their basic diet will consist of a good seed mixture and clean water, but they also require fresh green food, especially in the form of chickweed, dandelion, lettuce, spinach or chicory. When breeding a supply of rearing (egg) food will also be necessary.

Canary mixtures are readily available but one can mix one’s own and a good example is 6 parts plain canary, 2 parts rape seed, 1 part hemp, 1 part Niger, 1 part teazel and 1 part linseed. This should be fed as a basic diet, but some fanciers prefer to feed a basic diet of 2 parts plain canary to I part rape and to give a variety of other seeds separately as a tonic or stimulant, particularly towards breeding time.

GREEN FOOD

but many weeds of chickweed,

Canaries will take a wide range of such food and in greater quantity than many small finches. As mentioned these can consist of the usual garden

dandelion and shepherds purse but also relish lettuce, cabbage etc. They are particularly fond of a little sweet apple, and even take a small segment of orange and enjoy pecking away at fresh carrot or swede.

SOFT FOOD

Another item of diet is soft food or as it is sometimes referred to as egg or rearing food. There are so many proprietary brands available that it is very much a personal choice which to use. However if you only require small amounts, say for a pet bird, you can try

mixing your own. The basis of all soft foods is usually fine biscuit meal so you can soon make your own by crumbling any kind of plain biscuit and then mixing in some hardboiled egg in the proportions of about 3 parts biscuit to I part egg. The egg should be worked in to make the mixture crumbly. The advantage of the prepared foods is that they do not tum sour so quickly as homemade egg food and only require the addition of a little water to make them usable. Another soft food which can be used is bread and milk, prepared simply by

soaking brown or white bread in a little milk until the bread has absorbed all the milk and sometimes sprinkled with a little maw seed. The biggest disadvantage of this feed is that it quickly sours in hot weather so be conscious about the quantity fed. None should be left about surplus, particularly overnight, and it is best fed in china or earthenware pots rather than metal ones because of possible chemical action of the metal on the moist food.

GRIT

Seedeaters require grit to enable them to digest their food correctly. This may be supplied as coarse sand. Sea sand can be useful as it has the added advantage of being impregnated with salts. Suitable grit can be purchased and can be fed in small pots to keep it clean. This grit is usually a mixture of limestone grit and finely ground oyster shell.

A further addition while speaking of grit is cuttlefish bone. It is the usual practice to provide a piece of this in each cage and let the birds help themselves. It will be found that their usage of it will vary, particularly when hens are laying and later feeding youngsters. Cuttlefish bone is undoubtedly beneficial to the birds and helps in supplying the minerals required in forming bone and feather growth.

BREEDING

Canaries being domesticated birds are relatively easy to breed. Some breeds more highly bred for show purposes, may be a little more difficult than others and would suggest that anyone just starting should commence with one of the easiest breeds and then once successful, move on to the more difficult breeds if required. Rollers, Fifes, Glosters, Irish and Coloured Canaries seem to be the easiest but many fanciers will tell of their successes with other breeds.

BREEDING CAGE

As mentioned under housing, canaries can be bred in flights by putting in a number of 4 birds. If using this method be sure to put in more hens than cocks as too many cocks can be aggressive towards one another. Also, make sure you supply more nest pans than hens

The basis of all soft foods is usually fine biscuit meal so you can soon make your own by crumbling any kind of plain biscuit and then mixing in some hardboiled egg in the proportions of about 3 parts biscuit to I part egg.

also to prevent squabbling. These should be well spread out about the flight for similar reasons.

The usual method of breeding is to use the box cage and this should be as roomy as possible. For a pair of canaries it should be at least 24’ long, but many fanciers use what are known as double or treble breeder cages. These cages use dividing slides to separate the cock and hen birds. The double is used for a pair and treble where a cock bird is used with two separate hens.

Before placing your birds in their breeding quarters, be sure to treat the cages to a good clean and paint where necessary. Make sure you also treat against mite, red mite in particular. During the warm summer weather, they can rapidly increase and can ruin a breeding season.

BREEDING SEASON

The normal breeding season for canaries is from April to July and if the birds have been properly fed and prepared will be ready to lay in April. Some breeders use artificial heat

and light to advance their breeding programme but that is something for the more experienced. From about February the breeding pairs should have that little extra in the way of food. Besides their usual seed mixture they should receive a little of the richer seeds, Niger, hemp, teazel and linseed. These are generally sold as Condition Seed. They should also have a little soft (egg) food as mentioned under feeding. The frequency of feeding the soft food should gradually be increased until the birds are receiving it at least 3-4 times a week by the end of March. As the various wild plants become available, they should be freely given. A few sprigs of young dandelion plus the extra feeding in conjunction with the lengthening hours of daylight will gradually bring the birds into breeding condition.

BREEDING CONDITION

There are no hard and fast rules about when to start breeding as this depends on the weather and condition of the birds. Mild sunny days help to bring birds into condition quicker than a cold miserable spring. Canaries show signs when they are ready to breed. The cock birds will be in full song, and will often pull themselves up into strange distorted shapes. The hens will be restless, hopping back and forth,

There are no

hard

and

fast

rules about when to start breeding as this depends on the weather and condition of the birds. Mild sunny days help to bring birds into condition quicker than a cold miserable spring.

even squatting on the perches. She will open and flap her wings, and pick up oddments of uneaten green food or any material she can find and carry in her beak. These signs mean it is time to introduce the birds to their breeding quarters if not already in them and to give them a nest pan.

NEST PAN

The nest pan can be earthenware or plastic, purchased from a pet shop or even a shallow 40-50mm deep wooden tray with a perforated zinc base. These can be lined with a felt lining and suitable nesting material supplied. All these can be purchased or you may wish to supply your own - dried moss and a little shredded hessian, but beware of nylon material as this can damage the bird’s legs and feet by being entangled round them.

The young canaries hatch in 14 days and for the first 24 hours require little extra food as they are still absorbing the last of the egg yolk.

Most canary hens readily build a suitable nest but occasionally one needs a little help. This can be achieved by putting small amounts of nesting material into the nest pan, and using a filament electric light bulb to firm and shape the inside. The hen will usually quickly build her nest and next you can expect the eggs. These are pale blue with brownish markings and are generally laid one each day in the early morning. A clutch generally consists of 4 or 5 and the hen will commence sitting after laying her 3rd egg. It is a custom amongst fanciers to remove the first two eggs as laid, replacing with dummy eggs. The two eggs are replaced in the nest when the 3rd egg is laid. The theory is that this ensures that the chicks will hatch more or less together 14 days after the 3rd

egg is laid and will all then have an equal start. However, this is not imperative as the hen as explained does not start incubating until she has laid the 3rd egg.

Once the hen has started to sit, she should be disturbed as little as possible. Many fanciers separate the cock from his mate at this stage, hence the double and treble breeder cages. This may be necessary if the cock is inclined to be aggressive or of an interfering nature. Because the hen is now sitting she takes a great deal less exercise so it is best to just feed the basic diet until she is about to hatch, when the rearing food can be re-introduced. You may be able to examine the nest to see if all is well when the hen is off for food, but do not disturb unnecessarily.

HATCHING

The young canaries hatch in 14 days and for the first 24 hours require little extra food as they are still absorbing the last of the egg yolk. What little they require will be provided by the hen in the form of pre-digested food from her crop. You should have kept a careful record of when eggs were laid etc., so that you know when to expect the eggs to hatch. Quite often, a few broken eggshells on the floor of the

cage will denote that all is well and that the chicks have hatched. Only supply a small amount of egg food, gradually increasing as the days go by. A little and often is the ideal way - two or three times a day. At 2-3 days old some soaked seed can be given. This can be a special bought mixture or you may try some of your own made up of black rape, Niger and hemp. If soaked for 24 hours, strained and then kept warm and washed daily, it will start to sprout after 3-4 days. This is ideal to feed to the birds After 7 days the chicks should be flourishing, and if you wish to ring them this, if not already done, should be undertaken now or the chicks will be too big to get the rings on. At 14 days, they should be feathering well and now are at their hungriest. If the cock bird had been removed he should be introduced by now to help with the breeding, in fact he may well take over the entire feeding as the hen, turns her attention to bringing up another family.

Another nest pan can be introduced at the other end of the cage but some hens are not happy with this and the existing nest should be placed on the cage floor and a new pan put in its place. Do not forget some fresh nesting material or the hen will rob the existing nest or even pluck the feathers from her young. lf the hen does start to pluck

her young there is only one course to follow. That is to place the hen in the other half of the cage and separate her off with a divider, and allow her mate with her for about 1 hour or so each morning to enable him to fertilize her second cutch of eggs. The rest of the time, he should be with the 1st brood, which should be ready to leave the nest at about 21 days old. By then they should be well feathered and able to fly on to the perches. At around this time avoid any disturbance of the nest or the chicks are very likely to literary explode out of the nest prematurely and will not settle back in there. The parent bird will continue to feed the chicks even though they have left their nest. Continued in the next issue…

Think Parrots Is Back & Better Than Ever!

Sunday 9th June 2024 - Kempton Park Racecourse - 10am-5pm

Another Great Parrot Day Out!

After a 5-year break, the UK’s Biggest Show for Pet Parrot owners is back. Join hundreds of like-minded Parrot enthusiasts and take advantage of having access to top Parrot Experts, Vets, services and goods in a great exhibition all under one roof.

Masterclasses, Talks & Demonstrations

Listen and learn from the UK’s leading Parrot Experts: Tariq Abou-Zahr (Avian Vet), Franz Dahlheim (Product Creator), Craig Fraser-Young (Professional Bird Trainer) and Tom Dutton (Avian Vet).

Admission price is £15. One child under 16 Free with each paying adult. Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult. Book online at www.thinkparrots.uk

10% of ticket sales donated to Parrot Conservation projects.

My interest in the hobby is as a foreign bird breeder. Success is defined by breeding a species in captivity and, ultimately, by establishing a self-sustaining population.

This branch of the hobby is subject to the two major threats. Firstly, since 2006, the ban on importation to the EU means that no new species are available and many others are at risk since self-sustaining captive populations have not been established.

The young canaries hatch in 14 days and for the first 24 hours require little extra food as they are still absorbing the last of the egg yolk.

BY THE LATE JERRY FISHER

FOREIGN BIRD KEEPING

Secondly, at the opposite end of the spectrum, established species are subject to domestication. This happens when mutations begin to appear, followed by “show standards” at variance with the wild bird. These start with colour mutations but progress to encompass size, shape and feathering. The species is “lost” as a foreign bird when one can no longer acquire visually normal birds with confidence that they will breed true.

This path of “development” is typified by three stages. Firstly, colour. Think Splendid Parakeet and Gouldian Finch. Secondly size, shape and feather structure. Think Budgerigar and Australian Zebra Finch. Finally,

Practically every species of foreign bird (in either of the above categories) has its devotees who would be anxious to acquire pure normals if the birds were available.

wild-type young. Our ability to obtain a visually normal Budgerigar or Australian Zebra Finch in terms of

Red-bellied Fire Finches

size, shape and feather is long gone.

There are of course many species which fall somewhere between these extremes. With some established species mutations exist but with care genuine normals are still available. With still more species it could be entirely practical to “breed back” over a few generations. Regarding species not yet established, the rocketing prices of the remaining birds are concentrating minds wonderfully –and often there are more surviving birds countrywide than you might expect.

Which brings me neatly to the purpose of this article!

Practically every species of foreign bird (in either of the above categories)

experience (with Diamond Doves and Spectacled Parrotlets among others) that if you advertise for people holding the species you get responses from successful breeders worried about inbreeding but either not able to find other breeders or concerned about introducing mutations via visual normals.

With Parrotlets there is also concern about hybrids due to the similarity of the hens of some species.

To take one example, last summer I realised that (with the exception of Celestials) parrotlets generally seemed to be offered for sale less frequently. An article (“Where are all the Parrotlets?” Sept 2010) in the Parrot Society magazine generated a response for Spectacled Parrotlets

birds were available. It is also my

alone that resulted in birds being exchanged for new blood, pairs being made up and surplus birds being placed. As a result I now have contact with a small group of people who between them hold a potentially viable group of Spectacled with reasonable genetic diversity.

There are no formalities to the group – the only commitment sought is that they offer surplus birds within the group before disposing of them elsewhere.

The formation of groups like this could well make the difference in maintaining some species in captivity and in other species the existence of “ring-fenced” groups of normals. The various specialist societies (Parrot Society, Australian Finch Society, Waxbill Society etc) have a role to play in signposting enquiries – for example, someone looking for Normal Bourkes Parakeets would contact the Parrot Society for a referral to someone holding such birds. Likewise, this

Black-throated Finch

Diamond Dove

I now have contact with a small group of people who between them hold a potentially viable group of Spectacled with reasonable genetic diversity.

magazine could have a potential role in listing the societies and making people aware of how to go about locating specific birds.

In fact, both the Parrot Society through their office and the AFS through their RADS + scheme already perform this function.

Of course, this system is far from perfect but it has the advantage of no formalities – I simply “talk birds” to people a couple of times a year or when I have a specific enquiry. In my experience most bird keepers are happy to do that! If the end result works for even a few species it will be well worth the effort.

For the record, the species I am currently working with are:

Endangered in Captivity

Cape Dove / Spectacled Parrotlet / Green-rumped Parrotlet / Yellowfaced Parrotlet

Ring-fenced Normals

Diamond Dove / Bourke’s Parakeet

The birds I deal with are not always species I hold – mine is simply a postbox function.

If this “system” is to work, it needs people prepared to dedicate a little time and effort to a species they care about. For a modest input you could make a real contribution to your hobby.

Violet-eared Waxbill

THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION

Long-term bird enthusiasts will remember The National Exhibitions held at The Birmingham NEC and run by Cage & Aviary Birds prior to 2003, yes twenty-one years ago! The Parrot Society decided in 2007 that we would try to rebuild the event at Stafford where we hold our successful hobbyist breeder Bird Sale event in October. It was an excellent decision and the event has gone from strength to strength despite Covid-19, which had a large impact on many events and general living.

As the 2020 National Exhibition had to be cancelled due to Coronavirus, I was pleased that we managed to run a National Exhibition in October 2021. In many ways, Covid-19 is starting to become a distant memory for many of us. Now that we can hold shows again at Stafford, please remember that The National Exhibition for the Exhibition of Show birds is held in the Sandylands Centre and the Argyle

Centre. We use these same Centres for our Help Bird Keepers Shows. The date of the next National Exhibition is on Sunday 6th October 2024.

A large number of hobbyist-bred stock always finds new homes from the buyers who come in large numbers to our events. The National Exhibition is the leading and most popular bird show held in this

country for hobbyist bird breeders, not just because of the sales tables but also the Exhibition that is held in the Argyle and Sandylands Centres. There is something for everyone available from the 60+ traders who so generously support this event, especially from our sponsor Johnston & Jeff Ltd the leading UK seed supplier.

This last year the exhibition in the

Argyle and Sandylands Centres was again organised with the assistance of the 18 clubs that support this event and it continues to receive plenty of entries, may this be the case for many years to come. These enthusiasts work so hard to construct the staging from mid-day on the Saturday and take in many entries in the late afternoon and Saturday evening. This judged event will be

as popular as ever in the future, with many high-class birds on view. At this year’s event a crystal glass, rose bowl has been donated by Johnston & Jeff for best bird in Show and by The Parrot Society for the best junior exhibit, their generous donations for these valuable awards is always very much appreciated. Cage and Aviary Birds give the Exhibition a special supplement in their publication so that all their readers are aware of which clubs to contact to enter their exhibition stock into the Show.

Again, Neil Randle our magazine designer took over a 1,000 images on the day so that we have plenty of images for the next twelve months. Please do enjoy the pictures on the following pages. In 2024, the Show will be held on Sunday 6th October and will follow similar lines to the 2023 event but more use will be made of the Prestwood Centre to house the stands of such supporters as The Australian Finch Society, The Bengalese Fanciers Association, and The Waxbill Finch Society. Within the two exhibition halls, there is always a great buzz of chatter and excitement, it is a pleasure just to stand there and absorb the environment and listen to people enjoying themselves and promoting their hobby.

OUR BRAND NEW CONURE MIX

Our new Conure Mix has been developed alongside a breeder, with the specific requirements of Conures in mind. The species-specific blend contains 24 ingredients, making this high-quality mix nutritionally balanced and engaging. The wide variety of colours, textures, tastes, and smells provides endless enrichment for your Conures. Feed with fresh fruit and vegetables or our Fruit, Nut & Veg Mix.

the balanced and engaging. The wide variety of colours, textures, tastes, Fruit,

Composition:

Yellow millet, naked oats, small dark striped sunflower seed, sa ower seed, dried apricots, red dari, red millet, white dari, hempseed, white sunflower seed, paddy rice, wheat, buckwheat, coconut, plain canary seed, banana chips, pumpkin seed, pine nuts, peanuts, diced pineapple, flaked maize, pu ed wheat, flaked peas and chillies.

Benefits:

24 Ingredients for Enrichment

Nutritionally Balanced Cleaned to 99.9% Purity

High in Calcium