  Frenchy About ten minutes a day is all that is required for the care of a canary and its cage. If you have children, let them share the daily routine. Without realizing it, they will learn valuable lessons in kindness and responsibility. The normal schedule of canary care is simple. Each morning give your canary fresh seed and a supply of fresh water in clean cups. Daily or on alternate days feed a bit of green food. Occasionally give him a small amount of a treat such as song food. Keep a cuttle bone and a French’s Bird Biscuit in the cage. Allow the bird to bathe daily, or two or three times a week. Keep the perches and cage clean, and a covering of gravel on the floor. These are the essentials of canary care. More detailed information appears below. Follow the suggestions made here, and your canary will reward you with joyful song and years of happy companionship. THE CAGEPlace the cage at eye level in a room where the temperature is moderate and fairly even. Choose a light corner or a place near but to one side of a bright and cheery window where the cage is never fully in the direct sunshine and is away from drafts. When introducing a bird to a new cage, place the cage away from the light. For an hour or two guard against any noise or movement which may alarm the bird until he is accustomed to his new home. It is not necessary to cover the cage at night unless the room cools off rapidly to low temperatures or is frequently lighted. Modern cages are usually made of steel, and are rectangular in shape. Those having a floor size about nine by fifteen inches are most popular. The drawer tray should work smoothly. Lower perches should be arranged directly beneath upper perches to avoid fouling, and just far enough in from the ends to prevent the tail feathers breaking against the cage bars. Seed and water cups should have smooth edges to help prevent loss of feathers about the head and neck. Perches should be of soft wood, preferably in both oval and round If possible, choose a sturdy, simply constructed cage with a minimum of cracks, crevices, and joints which are difficult to scrub. Many cages are made in such a way that their entire bottoms are removable. This is convenient when giving the bird a bath, cleaning the cage floor, adding gravel, and so forth. Always place your hands on the sides near the bottom when lifting such a cage. If you were to place your hands at the top of the cage, the bird would probably be frightened and fly out the open bottom. CAGE CARERoutine cage care is as essential to the cage bird’s well-being as a regular supply of fresh food and water. The cups and perches should be cleaned daily, therefore an extra set of each is desirable. Clean cups are filled with fresh seed and water in advance and along with clean perches are set in the cage when the soiled cups and perches are removed, scrubbed, and dried for use the following day. Uneaten seed can be poured from hand to hand and the husks and chaff blown off, then added to fresh seed and reused. Damp or wet perches are thought to be harmful. Take out the drawer tray and dump the soiled gravel. Wash the tray with hot suds; rinse, dry, cover it with fresh gravel, and replace it in the cage. One advantage of the removable cage bottom is that if it is soiled it can be withdrawn and cleaned just before the clean drawer tray is replaced. Once a week the cage should be completely scrubbed with a stiff brush, good suds, and hot water. Be sure all cracks and crevices are cleaned out for they are breeding places for red mites. While this is going on the bird may be allowed free flight if the room is safe; otherwise it should be transferred to a temporary cage. FOODYour pet’s good health depends on good treatment, good housing, and good food. The canary needs fresh water, nutritious food, and proper amounts of minerals and vitamins. Like other members of the hard-billed finch family, the canary’s main food requirement is seeds, as its sturdy seed-cracking bill indicates. In nature he finds supplies of calcium and other minerals for bone, feather, and egg production, in addition to seeds and greens. Although he is not primarily an insect eater, the canary relishes insects and their larvae, as do other members of the finch family. VITAMIN B12 SUPPLEMENTSome years ago, poultry experts discovered one reason why chickens that ran outdoors were superior to those always kept indoors and never allowed to run free. Those permitted to scratch outdoors were benefiting from something in the soil, something derived from animal matter: The scientists called it APF, meaning animal protein factor. They learned to isolate it and to put it into diet supplements for livestock. The results were amazing; poultry grew faster and larger, hatched more eggs, reared more hatchlings, and replaced moulted feathers more quickly. The scientists then discovered that the most important component of APF for growth and hatchability was a red vitamin, B12. It was found to be one of the most effective therapeutic substances known for its weight. As little as 1/200th of a teaspoon of pure B12 to a ton of livestock feed is considered adequate! B12 was first isolated from liver by research workers in England. Since then processors have learned to extract it from fermentation products at a more reasonable cost. The R. T. French Laboratory, noting the effect of B12 on poultry and hogs, began a long series of tests with canaries and parrakeets. French’s had pioneered in the past in packaging bird seed, in air-washing it to remove dust, in eliminating the over-use of hempseed, in producing a balanced bird diet, and in the use of yeast and wheat germ supplements. This Vitamin B12 research was a part of French’s never-ending program of bringing to bird owners the new products and techniques of science as soon as they can be authoritatively documented. A year passed before French’s laboratory reported these four apparent facts:
The significance of the last two points is important to all bird owners. In moulting, for instance, the loss and replacement of feathers is a severe tax on a bird’s general health, and an improperly feathered bird is at a great disadvantage. Furthermore, nutrition experts place great importance on the growth and development which foods produce in young animals and birds. Foods which support the best rates of development are naturally considered the most desirable. Vitamin B12 was included in the formulas for French’s Bird Biscuit and French’s Nestling Food only after the company had been convinced that the addition of B12 would be a real contribution to canary and parrakeet nutrition. Bird owners will do well to feed vitamin B12 regularly. This can be done by keeping the biscuit in the cage at all times. Sick or run-down birds, in particular, should have the biscuit or the nestling food. ABOUT FEEDING DAINTIESMost persons like to give their pets a treat now and then. An occasional treat is always relished and is usually beneficial. Wild seeds you have gathered are excellent. French’s Song Food and French’s Bird Biscuit are treats most canaries enjoy. French’s Sunshine Food is especially helpful during winter months. These French’s treats are excellent nutritional supplements which the canary enjoys. Follow the directions on each package, and your canary will be benefited out of all proportion to the small amount fed. BIRDS NEED MINERALSExtensive research with chickens has indicated that for proper nutrition and good health birds require quite a long list of minerals, some in fairly substantial amounts, others in only minute traces. The trace minerals and many of the others are present in sufficient quantity in the foods regularly fed. Calcium is required in larger amounts and is best supplied by keeping a cuttle bone in the cage at all times. The cuttle bone is the backbone of the saltwater cuttle fish and provides Occasionally dry and sterilize a few egg shells when you are using the oven. Crushed and sprinkled in with the gravel, these make good supplemental sources of calcium. IMPORTANCE OF BIRD GRAVELNature did not supply your Canary with teeth to help grind his food. The food goes directly to the crop where it is mixed with digestive juices and softened. Thence it passes to the gizzard, where with the aid of gravel previously swallowed, it is “ground up” for assimilation. The gizzard is a small thick pouch with very tough, muscular walls which rub against each other at great pressure. When gravel is present, this action grinds the food into a soft, easily digested mass. Therefore it is essential that your canary have free access to a plentiful supply of gravel of the right kind and size. Gravel composed of limestone or magnesia should not be used, because it is readily dissolved by the bird’s digestive juices. Beach sand may have harmful impurities and is usually worn and rounded. Gravel should be hard, sharp rather than round, and not affected by digestive juices. French’s Bird Gravel is crushed silica sandstone quartz and meets these requirements perfectly. It is thoroughly washed, carefully screened to a uniform size, and then sterilized by heat. When sprinkled on the floor of the cage, it helps keep the bird’s feet in condition by wearing off the scales and dirt, and it is a distinct aid in keeping the cage floor clean and dry. FEEDING GREEN FOODSOne of the best green foods for birds is a slice of sweet apple or orange placed between the bars of the cage. Chickweed and watercress are also good. Many bird owners feed lettuce, which is satisfactory; but it must be examined carefully and any frozen parts removed. The long stalks of the rattail plantain weed are much relished. You can keep them several days by standing them in water. Before giving them to the bird, cut off the ends. Both flowers and the tender new leaves of dandelions are pleasing and beneficial to canaries. An interesting and simple way to provide greens for your pet is to scatter a pinch or two of French’s Bird Seed on the soil surface of some of your house plants. The seeds soon root and make excellent greens. Sprouted seed is a wonderful treat. Place one teaspoonful of seed per bird in water and allow it to stand overnight. In the morning rinse the seed in two or three clear tepid waters and spread on a moist clean towel. The tiny sprouts will soon break through and the seed may be dried and fed. Renew daily, for soaked, sprouted seed spoils fast. WILD SEEDS FOR CANARIESGathering seeds can be a delightful pastime. The following are most beneficial: seed heads of seeding grasses, Plantain, Chickweed, Shepherd’s Purse, Dock Groundsel, Clover, Teazle, Queen Anne’s Lace, Charlock, Smartweed, dandelion and thistles, except Burdock. These seeds are particularly good at moulting and mating times and a few are always relished as a treat. INSECT FOODMeal worms, the stand-by food of bird fanciers who keep soft-bills as pets, are a real delicacy and are very beneficial for canaries, especially during the breeding and moulting seasons, or when a bird is run-down as a result of soft moult. Meal worms are the larvae of the small grain moths such as are prevalent in any cereal product, and which you sometimes find in bird seed. Meal worms can often be raised as a profitable side line and sold to pet shops. EGG FOODEgg food is a required food supplement at mating and moulting. It is made by mashing a 30-minute hard cooked egg with enough toasted whole wheat bread crumbs to give a crumbly moist mixture. Crushed cracker crumbs, Pablum, chick starter mash, or French’s Nestling Food may be substituted for the whole wheat bread crumbs to provide variety. Egg food spoils quickly. As a precaution, any remaining in the cup or scattered on the cage floor should be removed within two or three hours. Egg food can be kept a short while under refrigeration, but it should be fed at room temperature, rather than cold. At the first off taste or odor it should be discarded, and a fresh lot prepared. French’s Nestling Food moistened with water or scalded milk makes a reliable egg food substitute for occasional feeding. COLOR FEEDING FOR CANARIESIt has long been the custom for bird fanciers to add certain substances to the diet during moulting which will tint the bird’s plumage to colors ranging from deep yellow to orange or red. To do this, start feeding color food at the beginning of the moult. The food is prepared as follows: to a hard boiled egg add two or three crackers and a half-teaspoonful of fresh paprika. Mix well together with two or three drops of olive oil to form a paste and supply each bird with a teaspoonful of the mixture daily. Each morning give a fresh supply. After the first week gradually increase the amount of the color food until the desired color is reached. The amount may then be gradually decreased until the end of the moult, when color-feeding should be discontinued, as it is effective only while feathers are growing. French’s Moulting Food and this color food in equal amounts, moistened with a drop or two of olive oil, is an effective mixture relished by canaries. Once or twice a week, a small portion of flaxseed should be mixed with the regular seed. Other delicacies should be withheld, as they may induce the birds to neglect their color food. Use great care to exclude drafts. Avoid keeping the birds in a strong light, as this may fade the tints you are trying to obtain. It may be well on very bright days to lay a cloth over the bright side of the cage. French’s Iron Compound should be given in doses of 8 to 10 drops to the drinking-cup, if your bird seems off its feed. BATHINGA bird should be trained to bathe in a regular bathing dish at least three times a week. Any small, shallow dish may be used for a bathing dish. If the cage bottom is not removable, the dish should be small enough to pass through the cage door. The outside baths that hang over the cage door opening are practical and easy to use. Fill the dish or bath with about one half inch of cool water. Many owners have found that birds In very warm summer weather, the bird will enjoy a bath each day but in winter allow a bath only two or three mornings a week. Never force your bird to bathe. If he persists in bathing from his drinking cup, remove or empty the cup while the bathing dish is in the cage. The bird’s feet should be examined to see that they are clean and healthy. The feet of birds inclined to shirk their bath often become caked. If this condition is found, the feet should be soaked in warm water, and the accumulations gently removed. It is then well to rub a little sweet oil into the bird’s feet. ESCAPED BIRDOne day when you have the cage door open, or the floor of the cage removed for cleaning, your pet may escape and fly about the room. If this happens, do not chase or grab at the bird. He will become frightened, and if you catch him, you may grasp him too firmly. If your pet escapes, remain calm. First shut all the doors and windows in the room, and turn off any open flames on the kitchen range if the bird is loose in the kitchen. Pull down the shades and turn off the lights. When the room is darkened, the bird will cease to fly about. Then you can easily approach it, take it gently in your cupped hand, and return it to the cage. If you cannot darken the room, just prop open the cage door. Left alone, most birds will fly back inside the cage for food and water in a short time. If the bird gets out-of-doors it will not usually fly farther than a nearby shrub or tree. Again, tie the cage door open and set the cage where the bird can see it, and the canary will usually come “home” in short while. The main thing is to keep calm and avoid frightening or injuring the bird. When the weather is warm, an escaped bird perching on a low shrub or branch is sometimes caught easily after his feathers have been dampened by a fine mist from the garden hose. This method should never be used in cold weather. EXERCISE AND PLAYBirds in small cages need exercise. Tie a few strands of worsted to the top of the cage for your canary to tug on, and sometimes dangle a small bright key or other metal object from the top of the cage. A small bell suspended in the cage will sometimes attract and hold the interest of the bird when nothing else will. Canaries like attention and excitement. Talk to them frequently. They are usually fond of music too, and will often try to drown it with their own notes. Allowing the canary to have the freedom of the room provides it both pleasure and exercise. The dangers are that the bird may injure itself or that it will pick up something not good for it to eat. If you decide in favor, prop or tie the cage door open and let the bird return to the cage by itself. Have a regular time, such as when cleaning the cage. CATSThe cat is a natural enemy of small birds. If a cat is kept in the home, be sure to hang the cage where the cat MICEMice are especially fond of bird seed. At night they sometimes enter the room where the bird is kept and eat the seeds which have fallen on the floor. They will often reach the cage by climbing up a curtain or drape. A bird is thus frightened and disturbed at a time when it should be asleep, and as a result it will be drowsy in the daytime, lose its gay spirits, and fail to sing. See that the cage is not hung in a place where mice can reach it. TAMING A CANARYA canary is easily tamed. Take a tiny pinch of French’s Song Food and moisten it in your lips. Raise your hand slowly and spread the moistened food on the cage bars near an upper perch. Out of curiosity, the canary will hop over to see what you have placed on the bar, pick at it, and enjoy eating it. Do this once or twice a day, and in a short time you will find he is accustomed to your presence and will pick the food from your fingers. Birds like to feed from the lips. After a bird has taken a treat from your finger, place a bit between your lips. If he takes it from you, you can rest assured that you have his confidence and probably will always have it. HOW TO SHIP A CANARYA cardboard carton approximately 8 × 8 × 12 is suitable for shipping one or two canaries. Cover all joints inside the bottom of box with gummed tape to prevent loss of feed supply by sifting. Cut a row of six small holes near the top for ventilation. Next cut an opening on one side for a window. The window need not be more than 3 square. In cool weather cover this opening with reinforced, transparent plastic window material, usually available at hardware stores or poultry supply dealers. In warm weather, use a small square of regular wire screen, secured in place with heavy package wrapping tape. Cut an opening on the opposite side for a door approximately 3 square, leaving one of the four sides uncut to act as a hinge. Use a clean evaporated milk can for a water cup. Cut an opening about one inch square in the top of the can near the edge. Place the can on the floor of the box against the two sides forming a corner near the window. The opening in the top of the can should be toward the center of the box. Secure the can in position with a piece of wire. Loop the wire around the can and run the ends through the two sides of the box forming the corner. The ends of the wire should then be folded flat and held in place with tape. Filling the container half full of clean imitation sponge will help to prevent the water in the can from spilling. Using small tacks, nail a perch across the narrow width of the box at the window end 1½ from the floor and close enough to the water container so that the canary can reach it from the perch. The perch must not be closer than four inches from the end of the box to prevent injury to the bird’s tail feathers. To provide additional moisture, wire a half an orange to the corner of the box nearest the other end of the perch. The orange should be placed so the bird can reach it easily from the perch. The sliced side of the orange should face into the box, and the wires should be taped on the outside. Scatter several tablespoons of seed and a few teaspoons of gravel on the floor. Seal the box at the top with gummed tape. CUT-AWAY VIEW OF CANARY SHIPPING CASE
It is a good plan to call the Express Company to get a routing and time of train departure so the bird need not wait in the depot for hours before train time. When possible take the bird to the Express office yourself. Have all necessary papers written up. These will be supplied in advance by the Express Company. Birds must be insured for full value, otherwise the Express Company will pay no more than $5.00 in the event the bird is lost, stolen, or accidentally killed. |
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