128 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



If each pair of birds has a double cage 

 ■ — that is, one with a partition in the 

 centre — a wire jiartition can be inserted 

 and the young birds kept in the one 

 compartment and the cock bird and hen 

 with her clean nest in the other. The old 

 birds will then attend to the wants of the 

 youngsters and feed them through the 

 wires of the partition, while the hen will 

 also go on building her new nest. Such 

 an arrangement answers equally as well 



NURSKKV CAGE IN POSmON, WHEN IN USE 



as having a nursery cage. 'Wlicu the young 

 can do for themselves they can be removed 

 to another cage, and the wire partition 

 removed. 



If single breeding cages are used, then 

 this is the time to use a " nursery " cage, 

 into whi(!h the voung brood 

 Jag^e.^"'"^"'' can be placed, and the 

 whole hooked on end-ways 

 to the open door of tlie breeding cage, as 

 shown in the illustration herewith. The 

 old birds will iced the young through ttic 

 wires, which must be sulHcicntK' far apart 

 to allow of tlic young birds getting their 

 beaks well through so that the parents 

 can give them food. l""ive-eighths of an 

 inch is ample sjiace to allow between each 

 wire along the end of the nursery, as if a 

 wider space is allowed young birds are apt 

 to get their heads through the wires, and 

 there is then danger of their heads being 



plucked. The cock which has just been 

 introduced to the hen, if he has not helped 

 to rear the young, may feel spiteful toward 

 them, and will scalp them if oi)portuiiity 

 arises, even though the mother is con- 

 tinuing to feed them. It is where one 

 cock is working with two hens that scalp- 

 ing is likely to occur, as he must be returned 

 to the hens, as a rule, a few days before 

 the young are able quite to do for them- 

 selves ; but the space we recommend to 

 be allowed between each 

 wire will keep the }oung 

 ones safe from attack, 

 and at the same time 

 allow ample space for 

 them to be fed. 



The reason for not 



having a jicrch across 



the end of 



Plucking by ^j^g nursery 



Hens. •' 



cage for 



the young to sit or perch 



on is to prevent them 



getting too near the 



wires, and so giving the 



hen an ojiportunity of 



plucking out a few of 



their feathers, which 



she is very liable to 



do. By standing on the bottom of the 



nursery cage to be fed, the young birds 



offer no such opportunity to the hen. 



Breeders will thus at once recognise the 



necessity of keeping a sharp look-out for 



small feathers in the new nest when once 



the young birds have left their nest, and 



before they have been transferred from 



the mother's breeding cage to the nursery; 



for this disposition to pluck becomes, 



apart from the |)ain and incomenicnce to 



the young birds, a positixc calamity in 



the case of birds in which it is imperative 



that the original wing and tail feathers 



should remain intact. It will be seen, 



when we come to treat of varieties, that 



there are at least two in whicli this is one 



of the show conditions, and it is not 



pleasant to find one's prospects in this 



direction clouded so early. ISIoreover, now 



that wc have unflighted classes given at 



