Canaries: Their Care and Management. 15 



warmed castor oil and the bird returned to the cage. If the egg is not 

 deposited within half an hour the canary should be held for a few 

 minutes with the vent over the steam of hot water. A good method 

 is to fill a narrow-necked jar or bottle with hot water and cover the 

 mouth of the receptacle with cheese cloth; the female is then held 

 carefully for a minute or two in the rising steam. Often the egg will 

 drop at once and be caught in the cheesecloth, or it may be deposited 

 in the normal manner after the bird is returned to the cage. 



The male canary is ordinarily a model husband and parent, giving 

 no trouble, but if he should annoy the female during incubation or 

 attempt to injure the young he should be removed at once. It is 

 the natural instinct of an incubating bird to conceal itself as much 

 as possible, and though canaries are tame, this tendency should be 

 recognized and respected. This does not mean that they are to be 

 neglected. Each breeding cage should be equipped with a sand tray 

 which should be cleaned at least every other day. In no other way 

 can it be hoped to rear numbers of birds successfully. Except for 

 this necessary care and the provision of food, water, and bathing 

 facilities, the birds should be bothered as little as possible. 



Sometimes trouble is caused by inability of the young to free 

 themselves from the shell or egg membrane, a condition for which 

 there is usually no remedy at the time. With succeeding settings the 

 difficulty may be obviated by sprinkling the eggs slightly with water 

 each evening. Some breeders when the young canaries are 8 days 

 old place them in a new nest, a practice that may be necessary when 

 the old nest is infested with parasites. In such instances a little in- 

 sect powder should be sprinkled over the body before the young birds 

 are placed in their new quarters. 



The young birds leave the nest when 20 to 30 days old. They may 

 be left with the parents as long as they are fed and should never 

 be removed entirely until it is found that they are able to crack 

 the seeds upon which they must feed. It is advisable to continue the 

 use of egg food for a time and gradually to decrease the amount 

 given to get the birds accustomed to a diet of seed alone. 



Canaries often rear two or three broods a season and the female 

 may be ready to breed again when the young are three weeks old. 

 It is only necessary to provide a second nest and nesting material 

 and let her proceed. The care of the young will then devolve on 

 the male. Nesting material should be provided at once or the female 

 may pluck the feathers from her growing young. If this can not 

 be stopped the young should be placed in a small nursery cage 

 suspended from the side of the breeding cage in a manner that will 

 allow feeding between the wires. When the young are finally re- 

 moved they must not be placed with birds older and stronger for 

 a time. They should be watched carefully the first day, and if any 

 one does not feed it must be returned to the parents at once. 

 Though most of the losses among canaries come at this time, with 

 care in food and cleanliness there should be little trouble. 



SEX AND AGE. 



To determine sex and age in living canaries is difficult and is to 

 be attempted only by one who has had long experience as a canary 



