i6 CANARIES 



birds are concerned, I strongly advocate a " lean-to " 

 aviary, because of the cosiness and comfort it gives the 

 inmates. 



The size of such an aviary depends upon the site, and 

 also upon the number of birds it is proposed to keep. A 

 " lean-to " built against a garden fence or wall is " snug 

 and comfy." Its height may depend on the wall, but a 

 convenient height is seven feet six inches, or eight feet 

 sloping to six feet or six feet six inches. It should be 

 double-boarded, built of one-inch pine, with three inch 

 space left between the outer and inner boards to be 

 filled with sawdust. The roof should also be double- 

 boarded and covered with asphaltic felt, or corrugated 

 iron, the latter for preference. The window should be in 

 the front, covered with fine mesh wire netting from side 

 to side of the frame, and should be fixed on the sliding 

 principle. If the aviary is say eight feet by six the window 

 should be three feet from the ground and one foot from 

 the eaves, and four feet long. This means that when 

 opened to its fullest extent there would be two feet open 

 for the admission of fresh air. If the eaves were six 

 feet from the ground this would mean the window was 

 four feet by two feet six inches. 



The door, which should be two feet in width, I should 

 advise being placed in the end of the aviary which opens 

 into the flight. The reason for its being in the end and 

 not in the front is that should a bird escape when the 

 door was opened it would go no farther than the flight, 

 and could easily be captured, or driven back into the 

 aviary if needed. The size of the flight must depend upon 

 the number of birds kept and the space at command. 



An aviary the size I have given should afford breeding 

 accommodation for eight or nine cocks and from twenty 

 to twenty-five hens. In aviary breeding it is not needful 

 to keep the birds in pairs. One word of warning must 

 however be given. Never overcrowd. You have to 

 remember that it is not the number of birds with which 

 you start the breeding season that you have to provide 

 accommodation for, but the number at the end of the 

 breeding season, and if you have just an ordinary share 

 of ,: luck in your breeding operations this means that 

 your aviary will^contain in the autumn at least 150 birds, 

 and possibly 200. 



