78 CANARIES 



Late Breeding Means Late Moulting. 



The chief cause of late moulting is late breeding. 

 Birds that are bred in July do not begin to moult till 

 September, and when the cold damp raw days of Novem- 

 ber come they are still moulting. The same remark 

 applies to the old birds, although with them the chances 

 against a successful moult are greater, because their 

 bodies have been weakened by the long continued strain 

 of breeding and rearing young birds late in the season. 

 The effects of the late breeding may not be seen at once, 

 but they are both seen and felt in the following spring. 

 Birds that moult late and slowly are never good breeders. 

 The strain of the breeding season causes the late moult, 

 they come through it badly, and they have not recovered 

 their full strength and vigour when the breeding season 

 of the following year comes round. What is the result ? 

 It is seen in several ways — egg-bound hens, young dead 

 in shell, infertile eggs, barren hens, sweating hens, and 

 bad feeders. The catalogue of ills might be extended, 

 but I have said enough to show what folly it is to breed 

 late and moult late. 



Moult the Birds Early. 



With all the fervour of which I am capable would I 

 impress upon my readers the great value of an early 

 moult if they wish to breed strong, healthy birds, and to 

 be known as successful exhibitors. Years ago the show 

 season used to start in September, and breeders had birds 

 ready. Now, when one talks about holding a show in 

 the first or second week of October one is met with the 

 cry, " It's much too early ; the birds are not through." 

 Late moulting acts disadvantageously in another way. 

 It leads to the bulk of our shows being crammed into 

 November and December ; thus is the show season short- 

 ened and the opportunities of the cracks of the different 

 districts meeting each other retarded, even if it is not 

 rendered impossible. 



Fresh Air Most Essential. 



Warmth being such an essential and important factor 

 in a successful moult, breeders should see that their 



