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 ISSN 1492-8132 Issue 115, © 2005 No reprints without permission Table of Contents The folks at Bird & Cage aim to provide birdkeepers with a great selection of good quality cages and cage accessories for great prices and top-quality customer service. See for yourself, by visiting the new Best Sellers webpage! A recent customer comments, "Thank you for such a quick delivery, I expected to have to wait 1-2 weeks. The parrot stand is great, I think my feathered guys will love it. You've got very reasonable prices, I'll be recommending you to all my bird friends. Thanks so much." For a full selection of cages and cage accessories, visit BirdandCage.com. Table of Contents Our CD of Robirda's canaries singing consists of 12 16-bit true-stereo tracks, each averaging almost 5 minutes long, for a total of 58 minutes and 48 seconds of canary songs. You can hear a 10 second mp3 sample here. Listen carefully, and you will be able to hear the different positions of each bird! A recent customer told us, "Even after I made all sorts of changes, my canary still hardly sang. But after I ordered your CD, he sings and sings! Thanks for such a nice CD." Another says, "Received the CD! Man can they sing! Hope our American Singer will sound half as good! Thank you." Another says, "The CD arrived and it's just great! Hansie loves it and has been warbling away for the past 2 days." Learn more here! Table of Contents
This website is dedicated to the late Dr Alicia McWatters, PhD, CNC, who gave so much of her time and talent to teaching people how to care for their pets with the use of natural, healthy foods, and without the use of drugs or chemical additives. You will notice that there is links to a long list of articles here, and I recommend that every pet-owner read them; you will find a great deal of thought-provoking information in them, and often a good bit of inspiration as well. Dr Alicia may be gone now, but she has left enough of her work behind to inspire a great many people for a great many years to come! Her work and these articles should be at or near the top of every caring pet owner's "must read" list. Table of Contents Many commercially grown fruits have a great deal of pesticides used on them during their growth. Apples and especially grapes are among the worst culprits, and I have heard of so many problems arising from birds eating commercially-grown fruits of this sort that for quite some time now I've been recommending that nobody feed their birds either of these fruits, or any other fruit for that matter, unless they are certified organically grown. There's another little-realized problem that can arise from the use of commercially-grown fruits, though, even if fed in tiny quantities. Through the chemicals used on them while they are growing, when eaten fruits may produce a reaction in the body that mimics the hormonal changes the birds go through when entering breeding condition. Depending on the time of year, this can cause some rather serious problems, and at the very least, a good deal of consternation! Table of Contents
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 For breeder or pet bird owners who care. Hello! Welcome to Flock Talk's 115th issue. Subscribe and unsubscribe information for the email version of this ezine is at the bottom of this webpage.
Table of Contents She's back! Some of you may remember the tame canary hen Shadow, who has been featured in stories in several past issues of Flock Talk; issues 56, 62, and 66, to be exact. Well, she's at it again - or rather, still. Her 'humom' has distilled the essence of day-to-day life with her tame little charmer and condensed it into a tale that culminates with an event that must come in every canary hen's life - greeted, as is usual with the Shady Lady, in her own inimitable manner...
by J. Johnson Mornings typically include letting Shady, my tame canary hen, out of her cage as I go about straightening up the kitchen after finishing with the morning's care of all things feathered and furred. To deviate from this schedule on any given day will elicit a stream of persistent canary call-outs from the living room, "Chree. Chree? Cher-ee!" A name, and its derivations, which she has insisted on calling me since first making that foot to finger connection we share - broadcast in tones with which, for the most part, she's able to communicate her different demands and beckonings, as only a canary can. One thing's for sure, this little hen knows how to go about making her wants known, and it's inevitable that I'll give in, and rather easily, allowing her to join me. Stickler for detail that she is (it's a bird thing), Shady feels it's her calling to play the epaulet, looking over my shoulder as I make my way through this task and that. Whether or not she's kept me from slipping up while on my appointed rounds has yet to be proven - though, if one were to ask her, I'm sure she'd chree "Yea." Somewhere along the line, I’ll draw a cool bath for her, setting it atop the counter stool so that she can partake in her daily ablutions. This must be done in a timely enough fashion that she won’t be tempted to try bubble bathing in the sudsy dishwater I often have going then too, as looks to be her aim at times. Birdbathing -It’s difficult to think of another creature on earth that can put as much into or get as much out of a bath, as a bird. Shady puts everything into her baths. I have a dozen photos of her splashing in the tub and under the tap, trying to capture the zest and zeal of each soppy dip, flip and flutter. I feel it gives new meaning to the phrase ‘madder than a wet hen', as this is one hen who is clearly mad about her baths! Every year about this time, I lose my Shadow’s attentions as her mind turns to one thing and one thing only - that of adding new spring buds to her family tree. The gradual lengthening of her days triggers the hormonal windup of her spring agenda as she becomes hen-bent on completely defuzzing my home in pursuit of that instinct-driven quest to build a nest. Anything and everything soft and shredable within beak’s reach is worthy of her consideration for proper building material, as if ripe and ready for picking. Once chosen, an item is then put through a defining flight test - if she can get airborne while any part of any piece is tucked fast in her beak, it’s hers. Unlike my other hens, Shady’s internal clock was set early this year. I tried to hold her off as best I could by keeping at least the most tempting materials out of beak's reach, but for some reason, I wasn't able to anticipate her canny ability to 'make do' - I mean, really, who knew she'd join us for lunch one day and fly off with my hubby’s discarded cheese-single wrapper? I swore she had her lunch-time eye on the lettuce, onion and tomato plate, but that goes to show what I know. My husband and I couldn’t help but laugh one day when we walked into the living room to find the yards of unraveled yarn from one of my knitting tear-outs crisscrossed from ottoman to chair, to lampshade and back, like a game of Cat’s Cradle gone astray. I knew Shadow had gained altitude a time or two with the loops she took up, but never expected the web she left in her wake. Shady’s other pilferings have ranged from barely there fuzz-bits to an entire sheet of Kleenex, a tasseled bookmark twice her length, and even a dried sprig of ‘coins’ from the Money Plant that she plucked from a vase on the kitchen window sill! Clearly, size is no deterrent and if she could lift them, I am sure the pups would be fair game too! Luckily for them, it turns out there are limits to what this little bird can do despite her determined attempts, so their tail’s fur is her concession. Determined as Shady can be, it was clear that nest-making was more than a penciled in appointment on her agenda; it was carved in cuttlebone - there was no turning back. It didn’t matter what the calendar said, her spring had sprung. I have since given in and provided her with a nest pan, but only after Shady took it upon herself to do what the wildlings do and seek her own prime bit of real estate. She did at least stay in the neighborhood, although not within the confines of her cage. But while the ‘front porch' to her chosen site was inviting enough, it was really a bottomless pit beyond that - one that she was sinking all of her hard sought resources into, there between the decoratively turned spindles on a set of curtain backed bifold doors, her newfound home away from home. This high-rise location is situated about four feet up from the floor, and made for a rather deep dish to fill, to say the least; a fact totally lost to this dear undaunted little hen.So it went that Shady spent her days foraging for bit after bit of this and that from near and far, and here and there, in earnest attempts to fill her nest. Due to means beyond her control though, all she really succeeded in doing was to tuck and push all her gatherings down into this close-to-bottomless pit, as opposed to building it up as would be done if it had, as she mistakenly assumed, a reasonably near bottom. Speaking of set bottoms - this soon became my concern, imagining the day Shady would decide that her work was done and plop herself into that nest on high as she set out to shape things up for the finishing touches. Being comprised of a cloudy 50:50 mixture of fluff and air, on a light bed of more air, I can’t imagine any amount of magic canary dust making that first step other than a doozy! Given the circumstances, I felt compelled to cave in before she did, and cut off access to that lofty site and provided her with a nest pan within her cage, lined pretty in pink as befitting a feathered princess, along with a readily available assortment of various nesting materials. Shady promptly set to building it up properly, solid and secure - feeling, I’m sure, a novel sense of accomplishment that more than made up for the sudden disappearance of her previous never-ending nest. As she settled her feathered bottom down, a look of satisfaction and contentment settled across her face, clearly showing that she had no doubts that this was how her efforts would come together once all was said and done - well done! Soon it was, then, with this nestled hen, egg-timer set, that she came to bear her first blue shelled treasure of this new season with labored breath and silent refrain as I watched over her, sharing soft words of encouragement to soothe as best I could, as only she would not mind from me. The first egg of the season never fails to bring to mind the very first egg Shady ever laid in her life - it was three seasons ago now, yet I remember it as clearly as if it were yesterday! As part of our daily routine, Shady and I would head upstairs to the birdroom to check on the rest of the flock. I had a recently acquired canary set up in a separate room - his quarantine time had expired, but I had yet to move his cage in with the others as I was still spending time getting to know him and sizing up prospects for taming while Shady enjoyed sharing her free flight time with him. These visits had always been reserved for later in the afternoon - except for this most 'eggceptional' day! That day, for no particular reason, I decided not to wait, and carried Shadow upstairs in the morning instead. Why? - I'm still asking myself that. I mean, I should know that canary mornings, especially that time of year, are when hens pencil in an activity other than free-flying too far from their nests. That's exactly why I should have stuck to my routine and not brought Shadow upstairs so early that day. After her initial spin around the room, as I was settling into my chair to catch up on some reading, Shadow suddenly appeared on my lap. She immediately nestled down and began to laboriously pant with open beak. There was no doubt in my mind what was happening, and I mentally kicked myself for my inept timing. After all, Shadow had just recently built the most beautiful nest earlier that week, her first ever, and I should have been more mindful that egg-laying would follow on any given morning after. I felt badly about being so far out of sync. But my little hen, smart gal that she is, improvised and made the best of the situation. I protectively surrounded her with my cupped hand as she labored in my lap, thinking it would provide some sense of comfort, and to also catch the anticipated egg so that it wouldn't roll crashing to the floor. Sully, the new bird, was out of his cage and perched on a stand next to me, making repeated contact calls for Shadow. He knew she was in the room, he had seen her, but he couldn't figure out where she had gone. I was holding my book in my other hand so as to block his vision of Shadow. Not knowing his intentions, I didn't want to chance him disturbing her in any way. After what seemed like an eternity, but was likely no more than 10 minutes at most, Shadow laid her first ever egg, right there in my lap. While I obviously wish she had been nestled in the comforts of her cozy nest in the more familiar surroundings of her cage, I felt honored that out of the many places in that flight-room, my sweet Shadow chose to take haven in my lap during what I witnessed to be a most uncomfortable and labored time for her, laying that precious egg of hers while placing her trust in me. In a way, it felt like I was holding her hand through it all, and I couldn’t help but think, as she lingered in my lap afterwards, collecting herself, that we were both left in awe over how big this event was in the time we shared. Shadow has since forgiven me for my poor timing, and I think I learned a lesson. It's not these dear canaries that are unpredictable, so much - it's their owners! But they’ll do their best to make do and carry on, despite us - it’s a canary thing. The first egg of the season, just another leg of the journey, I know - but one that will forever be especially dear to me, each and every year. by J. Johnson Table of Contents Winter moults often surprise us, but there's some basic signs to look for. Heat rising into the cage and getting trapped under the covers can cause problems - but feather loss due to this kind of circumstantial moulting should happen evenly, with no obvious bald spots. Stress is another cause of feather loss; if you see uneven feather loss, this could be involved. Rarely, missing feathers can be due to an infestation of bird mites. There is one that burrows into the feather follicles and can cause bald spots on the back of the neck, but it is very rare. If you keep more than one bird in the same cage and find bald spots, you almost certainly have a problem with aggression. The only real remedy in such a case is to separate the birds. If you suspect the presence of blood-sucking pests and want to do some just-in-case prevention, the best resource is Scatt - but please be sure not to use it unless you know the bird is healthy. This or any other such drug can be dangerous to an already-ill bird. If you decide to use any anti-mite treatment, you must remember to be VERY careful not to overdose! Even a little too much can kill. It's best to use any mite treatment only if you are certain that mites actually are present. Note too that these drugs can stay in the bloodstream for up to six months, and can affect the fertility of eggs during breeding season, or worse, cause problems with dead-in-shell, or misgrown hatchlings. For more details read these articles on moulting from past issues of Flock Talk, available in the Flock Archives.
- Enter the Moult
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Our next issue is due March 13th. We hope you and your birds stay safe, well and happy in the meantime, and we look forward to seeing you all then!
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