mainly housed in 3’ x 2’ x 2’ double breeders. Surprisingly, they seem to prefer the lower level units to the brightly lit “penthouses”. At the end of the breeding season the young are transferred in single sex groups to 4’ x 2’ x 2’ units – no larger until they steady down. Once surplus birds have departed the remainder – adults and young – are transferred to single-sex groups in 8’ x 2’ x 2’ units. This is partly to give more exercise and partly for convenience – fewer units to maintain! I have kept pairs in their breeding units throughout the year (without nest boxes) and it has made no obvious difference to the following year’s breeding.
All cages have a 1 – 2” layer of wood chips (Easibed, see appendix) on the floor – I believe in giving the birds something interesting to forage in.
Feeding
The basic diet falls into three parts: • Dry seed mix • Millet sprays • Softfood mix
My standard seed mix, softfood mix and grit mix are appendices to this article. Dry Seed Mix: Offered at all times in equal parts with plain canary. Consumption varies considerably from one group/ pair to another. For some
12 BIRD SCENE
of it is a significant part of their diet, others barely touch it. Tonic seed mix is offered 2 – 3 times a week. Consumption as above. Millet sprays: Both French red and yellow are part of the staple diet. During the breeding season red sprays are offered unlimited and are extensively used in rearing. Out side the breeding season the balance is altered to both red and yellow, gradually reducing the red until yellow are given exclusively for 2 – 3 months prior to the build-up to the next breeding season. Softfood Mix: During the breeding season the entire mix is given fresh daily and unlimited and with red sprays forms the staple diet. This continues afterwards until the young are well established and the adults have completed their moult. Thereafter, I used to separate the sprouted seed from the rest of the mix and give the two parts on alternate days. This was reduced to a cycle of sprouted seed on day 1 and rest of mix day 3 with days 2 and 4 dry food only. All softfood was withheld for a 4 – 6 week period prior to the build-up to the breeding season. This worked well but I prepare the mix daily year-round since there is always some species going through the breeding cycle and for simplicity it is now fed daily to all my birds and they
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
