The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-19
CANARIES.
HOW THE LITTLE SONGSTERS
ARE BRED AND TRAINED.
Pairing and Matching - Preparing
the Breeding Cage-Suitable Food
- Teaching Them to Sing
and Perform Tricks.

In Dreedlng canarlcS the male-dlStln-
guishcd from the female by its bright
ness of color, lively manner, somewhat
larger and more symmetrical body, slen-
derer legs, brighter color around the eyes
than the other parts of the body-should
be younger than the female, and not ex-
ceeding five years old, this disparity in
age insuring a majority of males in the
offspring. Never permit two crested
birds to pair, as their young are fire.
quently bald or otherwise disfgured about
the head.
The pair chosen, a suitable breeding
cage, either single or double, should be
selected. This, whether of metal or
wood, should contain sliding-draw at
the bottom, so that the refuse may be re-
moved without unnecessary disturbance
to the bird, who at this time particularly
requires quiet. The single cage gener-
ally in use is about eighteen inches in
length, the width and depth each twelve
inches; the double cage is half as large
again, and is preferable on account of
its containing partition by which the
birds may be parted at any time without
greatly molesting them. Should an old
breeding cage be brought into use again
it should be thoroughly cleansed with
scalding water for the purpose of re-
moving all vermin.
Securely fasten two nets first covering
them with flanneD in the enGs of the
cage. These should be about foat:"ches
square and two deep, and may be made
Of willow, tin, wire or wood. A good
homemade nest may be made from en- old
cigar box, but, whatever the material be,
care must always be taken to leave
ventilation opening in the bottom Of the
nests. Nesting fiber, consisting of COW
or deer hairs, fine moss, cotton wadding,
MANILA cut in incl pieces, paper shavings,
ETC., should be strewed on the bottom Of
the cage. 4 piece of mortar from the
wall of an old building should also be
placed in the cage and the bottom drawer
tl,ickly covered with gravel. The place
selected to hang the cage should be
where little noise or confusion will occur
and out of all drafts.
During breeding, in addition to the
regular food, the birds should be given
hard-Doiled egg chopped or grated,
mixed with soft cracker dust. This egg
food should be given fresh every morn
ing, and if not eaten during the day
should be removed at night, for if per-
mitted to get sour it may cause the illness
of the birds. This same diet should also
be given few days before mating.
The female is the ncst-builder, the
male contenting himself by transporting
the material to her. During its con-
struction she is necessarily in motion,
and usually about eight days elapse after
making before the first egg is laid. Then
each succeeding day-generally at the
same hour-an egg is laid until they
number five or six. The laying concluded
occasionally this occurs when two eggs
have been produced) the setting COM
mences. The period of incubation is
thirteen to fourteen days, when the first
fledgling makes its appearance, to be fol-
lowed generally at twenty-four-hour in
tervals) by the remainder of the brood. If
on the sixteenth day no birds appear the
eggs should be taken out of the cage care
fully and with as little handling as pos
sible and examined before strong light.
Those that are clear and transparent are
valueless and may be destroyed, while
those seeming full of blood vessels are
impregnated and should be returned to
the nest.
The female is not without faults.
Some are bad ncst-builders. Some in
sist on laying their eggs upon the bottom
of the cage, while others maltreat and
will not feed their young. Such birds
should be dispensed with for breeding
purposes after such conduct has once
been displayed.
The young being Matched out the
male generally spends most of his time
feeding them. The egg and cracker
food should now be made fresh at least
twice day, and dish of soaker or
boiled rape.seed placed in the cage for
them. If it becomes necessary to feed
the young by hand, it should be done
with a quill cut to the shape of blunt
pen. Four quillfulls about ten or twelve
times day will satily tie cravings Of the
youngsters.
AS a rule, they begin to sec when they
are nine days old, and after the thir-
teenth will feed themselves. When
month old they may be removed to an
other cage, but the same food must be
continued until after the first moulting,
which begins when they arc six weeks
old. This first moulting continues for
two months, and is the most critical and
dangerous period of canary's existence.
The cage should be hung in warm
nook, out of all chilly draughts, and egg
food furnished in abundance. A small
piece of refined licoricc should be placed
in the drinking water.
Young birds should invariably be
placed within hearing of a good song
ster. The ear and memory of the canary
are unsurpassed by any of the feathcrcd
species, and the youngsters will readily
initiate the notes of other varieties.
Those who can introduce rs tutors such
song birds Us the nightingale, skylark, or
woodlmk, will find themselves repaid for
their trouble with rich melodious song
otherwise unattainablc.
If an air is to be taught the bird should
be taken Us soon IS it commences to war
bic to separate room, out of the sight Or