82 CANARIES 



to give the two last named separate cages. That is those 

 which are to be sent out to the shows. 



Colour Feeding : When to Start. 



Colour plays a very great and important part in the 

 judging of such breeds as Cinnamons, Lizards, Norwich, 

 and Yorkshires. In my opinion far more than it ought 

 to do. Type and quality of feather in all breeds are the 

 great essentials, and I much regret that all our judges 

 do not agree with me on this matter. The fact is, however, 

 that some of them will have colour. Give them a big 

 bouncing bird full of colour and it fills their eyes at once, 

 whilst type and quality and style play a very secondary 

 part in their awards. This being so it is necessary 

 that however good one's birds may be unless they have 

 colour they had far better be kept at home, that is when 

 these colour-mad judges are officiating. 



This craze for colour on the part of our judges has 

 caused many fanciers to be so foolish as to start colour 

 feeding whilst their young birds are still in the nest. A 

 very fooUsh practice, and one that I cannot too strongly 

 condemn. Colour feeding never does the birds any good 

 at any time, and when it is practised upon nestlings 

 it does real harm, because such wee mortals cannot 

 digest it. 



Age the Moult Commences. 



The first nests of young canaries do not break into moult 

 at so early an age as the second and third nests, and with 

 them one need not give any colour feed until they are at 

 least eight weeks old. With the second and third nests 

 one should start when the birds are seven weeks. These 

 dates are full early in each case, but it is needful to be 

 feeding colour when the feather first breaks. Should 

 it happen that you find a few loose leathers about the 

 cages before you start the colour food you need not 

 worry, but start colour feeding at once. In fact, if you 

 ignore time and dates and watch for the feathers to drop 

 you will be all right, as the colour is conveyed through 

 the blood into the feather in about twelve hours from 

 the first feed of colour food, and no harm would result 

 unless you waited until the new feathers had broken 



