68 CANARIES 



Feeders, or Foster Mothers. 



Breeders of such birds as Lizards, Lancashires and 

 Crests invariably keep a number of " feeders," or foster 

 mothers, and these, which are ordinary common birds, are 

 given the eggs of the champions of the room. Breeders 

 of other varieties too use " feeders," but the practice is 

 not so general as it is in the breeds I have named. Some 

 man transfer the young after they are hatched, but this, 

 I think, is a mistake. Get your hens to go to nest about 

 the same time, and then transfer the eggs of your best 

 birds to the common hens after they have sat a few days. 

 You can then let the best hens take their chance with the 

 young of the common hens, or, if you so wish, you can 

 let them sit say twelve days, then destroy the common 

 eggs, and your best birds will have a rest before going 

 to nest again. 



Ringing the Young Birds. 



Now-a-days there exists a very foolish custom — that of 

 ringing the young birds in the nest. Many birds are 

 lamed and killed each season in the process of ringing, 

 or by the mother bird pecking at the shining metal. 

 Still whilst Clubs insist upon it, breeders must do it. 

 These numbered rings are known as " closed rings," 

 and are intended as a mark of identification of birds 

 entered for prizes open only to the breeder, and the rings 

 act as a check against fraud. The rings should be put 

 on about the fifth day of the young bird's life, and in the 

 evening, as there is less risk of the hen bird's attempting 

 to remove them at night, and in the morning, after 

 being in the nest all night, they are not quite so bright, 

 and do not attract so much attention. In putting on the 

 rings the three front claws are drawn together, whilst 

 the back claw is pressed to the leg, and in this manner 

 the rings slip on easily, if they are a bit tight a spot of 

 vaseline rubbed into the ball of the foot of the bird wiU 

 facilitate the operation. 



Something About The Rings. 



Although I disapprove of ringing, I give a full descrip- 

 tion of the process, altogether with an illustration taken 

 from Cage Birds, which shows how it should be done. 



