88 CANARIES 



imagine that because the colour of a sample of feed stains 

 the paper package it is of extra value. Such a sample 

 should be cast on one side. That stain is, generally 

 speaking, the result of added oil, added to make the 

 colour richer, and also add to the weight. It is no cer- 

 tificate of purity. Quite the reverse. The pure article 

 seldom stains the package. It is dry and contains little 

 free oil. Samples which are heavy and sticky have 

 generally been adulterated with sugar. Therefore buyers 

 should only purchase from those vendors who guarantee 

 the feed to be pure sweet tasteless pepper. 



The vendors of the colour feeds which are advertised 

 in Cage Birds all give directions as to how their prepara- 

 tions should be used, and therefore I need only say that 

 breeders should follow these, because some feeds are 

 prepared somewhat different to others. One thing I 

 would say, however, whatever be the colour food you may 

 be using, when you mix it with the egg food, or the egg food 

 substitute, mix half a salt-spoonful of salt with each 

 two table-spoonfuls of the egg food mixture. It helps 

 the birds greatly. 



The Trevlyn cake mentioned in the chapter on breeding 

 is particularly useful for feeding during the moult. One 

 ounce of colour feed incorporated with the other ingredi- 

 ents in the making of the cake and baked with them is 

 very effective in colour feeding. It is also a remarkably 

 simple and easy method of administering colour feeds. 



Forcing a Moult. 

 It sometimes happens that a bird does not go into the 

 moult when it should do so. It is not wise to interfere 

 with Nature, but yet when the moulting season is well 

 advanced and a bird that one particularly wishes to moult 

 out in time for the shows does not break it is most annoy- 

 ing. In such cases the bird may be placed in a small 

 cage by itself, covered over with a dark cloth, and placed 

 in a warm corner of the kitchen or living-room. This 

 treatment will often cause a backward bird to break into 

 the moult. As soon as it does, take it back into the bird- 

 room and let the moult follow the usual course. Another 

 thing that will often make a backward bird break into 

 moult is to pull the centre half of its tail. It is seldom, 

 however, that a healthy bird does not moult at the proper 

 time. 



