Canary Breeding 
for Beginners. 
(45) 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
Canary Breeding for Beginners. 
By ARTHUR PRICE. 
I shall commence my remarks on this subject 
with the mating and everything necessary to¬ 
wards making the season a good one in breed¬ 
ing. Although only an amateur in the exhibi¬ 
tion world, I at my first attempt won first prize 
at the Crystal Palace of 1903 with a bird of my 
own breeding; and I bred in my first year 41 
youngsters from four hens, and the young ones 
did well and thrived, and most of them won 
for me on the Show Bench. 
First Make Your Cages. 
I make all my own cages during spare hours, 
and when a man takes an interest in the hobby 
it is surprising how he forgets the time flying, 
especially when he is cage-making. The boxes 
I use for the purpose are Colman’s 281b. starch 
boxes, and I think there is plenty of room in 
them, for I have used them with success. I 
buy the fronts ready made by the dozen, which 
is cheaper than buying them singly, and they 
run about 7s. a dozen the size you want, viz., 
j- 7 % by 10% inches; and while these are on 
order you can whitewash the boxes and put in 
the cross-piece necessary to prevent the sand 
and seed from scattering on the floor, this cross¬ 
piece being about 2}4 inches broad. I use wood 
which joiners call beading for making my 
perches, first planing off the edges. You can 
make the cross-pieces above mentioned from 
the lids off the boxes, and you will find that the 
wood works up evenly and smooth. 
Setting up Housekeeping. 
After having got all the requisites, such as 
nest-pans, drinkers, seed-boxes, etc., you can 
then watch your birds to see whether the ones 
you intend breeding with are ready to com¬ 
mence the housekeeping business. This you 
will be able to see quite plainly, for if the cocks 
are in full song and the hens fly vigorously from 
perch to perch you can safely put them together, 
of course considering the weather. 
If you are a beginner in the fancy you must 
first secure some good birds to breed with. What 
I mean by good birds are those which you know 
contain some good blood, for without this quali¬ 
fication you may as well not try to breed birds 
for the show bench, or even birds that excel in 
size and shape; and remember it costs you no 
more to breed and rear good birds than it does 
common ones. I should advise a beginner to 
go to a fancier who is a known exhibitor, and 
if he will look through the advertising columns 
of “ Cage Birds ” he will find plenty of well- 
known men who can be relied upon. Having 
selected your man, you write and ask him price 
of, say, buff cock and two yellow hens, or yellow 
cock and two buff hens, of good type and 
matched for breeding. Do not mind giving a 
good price for them, as it will pay you in the 
long run, and you can have the birds on ap¬ 
proval by depositing your cash with the editor, 
which is by far the safest plan. 
Nesting Arrangements. 
Now if you think your birds are quite ready 
to breed with, run the buff cock in with the 
yellow hen, and after two days put in your nest 
and a little nesting material. I use moss of 
my own gathering and a little cotton-wool—no 
cow-hair, as I think this breeds too much red 
mite. I find the earthenware or tin nest-pans 
are the best. You will soon see your birds mak¬ 
ing up their happy home, and you then keep a 
look-out for the first egg, and when this is laid, 
transfer it from the nest into a box, and sub¬ 
stitute a marble for the egg. I use a “ Bovril ” 
box for my egg-box, and I find this answers the 
purpose well, as it contains the necessary com¬ 
partments, which you can number like your 
cages to prevent the eggs getting mixed. 
When the hen has laid her third egg, place 
the other eggs back in the nest and take away 
the marbles; then take away the cock bird. The 
hen will still go on sitting, and you will be able 
to use the cock with the other hen, for I use 
one cock to two hens with success. If a very 
good hen that you have will not sit, you must 
transfer the eggs from her to one or two hens 
that are going on sitting, that is, if you have 
any sitting and due to hatch about the same 
time. Lots of hens will not sit with the cage- 
front open, therefore in such cases try a screen 
over the front from top to the door, but it is 
best not to use the screen if the hens will do 
without. 
Avoid Early Marriages. 
I should have mentioned before this that I 
pair my birds up the last week in March or the 
first week in April, but of course if the weather 
is bad—for you will be surprised what bad effect 
the cold winds will have on the birds—I keep 
them back a week, for it is wise to study a little 
before losing, say, one or two nests of eggs, 
as this disheartens a beginner. There must be 
a sharp look-out for cases of egg binding, as I 
think this is one of the worst things you have 
to contend with. If you see a hen sit in a lump, 
panting hard and in pain, you must take prompt 
steps to see to the cause. I find castor oil 
dropped on the ,vent, or a warm sponge just 
held on the body, will help the hen to part with 
the egg. 
The most important point during the breeding 
season is to let the birds have plenty of fresh 
clean water, good seed and egg-food, and last, 
but not least, perfect quietness, keeping all 
strangers out of the room, for I have found the 
quieter the birds are, the better are the results 
of their labours. 
