10 Farmers' Bulletin 1327. 



excess. Meal worms fed occasionally are beneficial for birds that 

 are not thriving. A craving for animal food may be satisfied by 

 bits of raw steak, but it is not well to continue feeding raw meat for 

 any length of time, as it may cause a foul odor about the cage. Deli- 

 cate birds may be fed canary, rape, and hemp seed soaked in cold 

 water for 24 hours, rinsed, and then drained. Maw seed (poppy 

 seed) is favored by English canary fanciers as a stimulant, but its 

 use must be guarded, as it may be poisonous to other animals, in- 

 cluding man. 



During the, breeding season egg food must be given daily as soon 

 as the birds are paired. This is prepared by mincing an entire hard- 

 boiled egg or passing it through a sieve, and adding to it an equal 

 quantity of bread or unsalted cracker crumbs. This may be given 

 to unmated birds as well at intervals of a week or so. When female 

 canaries begin to incubate, egg food may be fed every three or four 

 days or even less frequently. Addition of brown sugar in small 

 quantity to the egg food is supposed to prevent egg-binding in young 

 females. When the young hatch, egg food should be supplied at 

 once. Some recommend that the yolk of a hard-boiled egg be given 

 alone for the first day. Bread crumbs are added to this daily until 

 on the third day egg food as ordinarily prepared is supplied. At- 

 tempt should be made to regulate the supply of egg food or other 

 soft food so that it will be eaten without waste. The actual quantity 

 will vary in individual cases. The usual seed supply should be 

 present, no matter what other food is given. Egg food must be given 

 until the young are fully grown and able to crack seed for them- 

 selves. Cracked seed may be fed to lighten the labor of the parents, 

 but it is well to eliminate hemp from such a supply, as the hull of 

 hemp seed contains a poisonous substance that occasionally kills 

 young birds. Drinking water should be available to canaries at all 

 times. 



BATHING. 



Under normal conditions most birds probably bathe daily, and 

 canaries in captivity should be allowed the same opportunity. In 

 open wire cages in common use for singing birds the base is removed 

 and the cage placed over a small dish containing water. In open- 

 front cages in which the bottom is not detachable small bath cages 

 which fasten at the open door are used. These are only a few inches 

 wide but serve to hold a dish for water. Many birds are notional in 

 bathing and at times ignore the offered bath. Usually the process 

 of cleaning the cage and renewing the seed and water will excite in 

 them a desire for bathing, and often when a bath is not provided 

 the bird will do its best to perform its ablutions in the small supply 

 of water in the drinking cup. "When individual birds obstinately 

 refuse to enter the water, if enough clean sand to cover the bottom 

 is placed in the dish they bathe more readily. After the bath the 

 water may be drained carefully and the sand left to dry in the dish 

 for use another time. 



Birds brought into strange quarters may refuse to bathe for the 

 first few days. When water is offered they either ignore it or sit- 

 ting on a perch go through the motions of bathing and drying, flut- 

 tering wings and tail with a great whirring of feathers. The bath, 



