Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-05-24
REARING CANARY BIRDS.
HOW THE SULPHUR coLoREp
PETS ARE MATED.
Too Much Fondling is Injurious
Colors ana Sizes May DO Repro.
duccd, but Voice Mover.

| ~~o "Huch rohuAaR Is knJuflOuS-
Coiors ana Sizes May DO Repro,
duced, but Voice Mover.
"What Is the proper way to breed
canaries1" asked Washington Star re-
porter of well-known bird fancler.
"The first thing needed, of course, is
a cage. This should be made of brass
or wood. although 1 would advise the
former, as 1t keeps free from insects.
The cago be should not less than Sx1O,
although 10x16 is fer preferable. In
placing it care must be taken to hang it
about eight or nine inches from the
floor, looking to the south. Breeding
cages should always be stationary The
/ rests are made of wire, cane and straw.
I | employ the wire one, and partially
line them with cotton batting, leaving
little deer hair about the cage so that
the birds may arrange the lining to suit
themselves. Gravel should be sprinkled
in goodly quantities on the draw of tho
cage, together with n little plastcring
from an old building, or, if convenient,
a little crushed oyster shell. This latter
requisite is most important, continued
the fancicr, 40" it prevents birds from
laying soft-shcll eggs.
The food during the breeding season, /"
he continued, "is another important fac
tor in the breeding of canarfcs. Many
people think that as long as bird has
plenty of seed it makes little difference.
This is great mistake, rs there are
several varieties Of seeds which, when
fed alone, not only produce drowsiness,
but sickens the little fellow, who fingers
while, only to die. The owner, who
is possibly greatly attached to the bird,
grcves considerably and little thinks
that she has been the cause of it all.
Birds during the mating season require
d particular kind of food, for instance, n
little rape, canary and milet seeds mixed
and, for single pair of birds, n little
hard boiled egg mixed with cracker dust.
A bunch of lettuce, celery or slice of
sweet apple is also greatly relished. It
Is capital plan to let the pair of birds
intended to be mated hang within sight
of each other before being put in tho
same cage, by way of introduction, for
canary birds are not firm believers in love
Mt first sight. When in the same cage
hang them up and never disturb them,
for in the breeding of canarics absolute
quiet is an essential clement to their
wcll-being. Many and many pair have
been ruined by too much handling and
many beautiful family left to languisb
in the narrow confines Of shells on &c.
count Of too much curiosity"
allow about the little ones!n ven.
turcd the reporter.
"Thc old maxim of like produces
like applies equally we'll to canarics, so
when you are ready to select your stock
do SO with great care. II you want off.
spring of clear deep yellow, let un-
u,nr RI nd hirfls l,a -. i
on the other hand. desire birds Of n Gin.
deep. colorcd gold male with II greer
female. Again, many people like
mottlcd birds. The former rule refuse.
to work in this case; as mottIed bird.
are the offspring of impure stock, anc
they are Just as liable to produce yellow
birds rs mottled or speciled ones.
Colors and sizes are often reproduced,n
continued the bird man, "but voice and
song never. The young birds that sings
like their father, dc so because they only
hear his voice, VIII lie young bird will
readily learn the notes of n rcdbird,
lark or nightingale as quickly as the
song of canary. When they are
thus taught their value is greatly en-
hanccd."
"Is there ever any troblc in mating
canariesl"
"When the birds are first put together
fight OF quarrel usually follows, but
they. soon make it up, the male bird
making the first advances. She usually
repels him and moves over to one side OF
tho cage and watches him with one eye.
If the gallant is wise one he will sing
her his best song and then try to coax
her with a cracked seed The first in
dication that everything is all right is
the male feeding his mate. After the
first egg is laia rest easily, for she has
three more to lay.
After the fourth egg the family will
begin to set, and in thirteen days the
little scrawny creatures will have ar
rived. Sometimes after thirteen days
there is no sign of the young birds. In
such cases let the bird rcmaiD undis
turbcd for several days longer. When
the young ones have made their debut
the old bird is all attention; he sings
every chance he gets, and takes the
place OF his mate whenever asked. But
sometimes he is bad man, and per
suades his wife to give up the little ugly
fellows. She consents without any feel
irg, and if something is not done i'm
ihSbiabSiN ~ lSSb iull Vi tcuQ DlruS VIII
greet you. In su:h cases the yolk of an
egg moistened with saliva should be
given the youngsters ON the end of a
stick"
"How can you tell when they are
neglected."
"Iery easily. With young birds, if
In place of full, round breasts and heavy
abdomen you lind every feature dwarfed,
it Is time to commence artificial feeding.
Fresh food will sometimes induce the
mother to feed the young. There is an.
other important thing that should be
carefully guarded against" continued
the bird man, land that is the sweatin.
oil the young. 1t is brought about by
the female setting too closely, and is
readily distinguished by the down of the
young being matted and tangled"
as there any way to prevent it?"
asked the reporter.
Sometimes this will continue no mat
ter what is dorc," replied the iancier,
but it can often be stopped by rcmov-
ing the male bird from the cage, thereby
compelling the female to leave the cage
quite frequently in search OF food. An.
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