P. W. Teague—Gouldian Finches



97



drawback to Virol water is, the birds will try and bathe in it unless

it is given in very small vessels. A 3 s. 9 d. jar of Virol lasts me over

six months. An Australian enthusiast visiting my aviaries said he had

never seen Gouldians with such sheen and clean beaks even in the wild

state.


In hopes of preventing the usual intestinal troubles we get in

the summer, I tried Yadil in the drinking water on alternate days.

As the season was an exceptionally cool one I can hardly judge this

experiment, but I lost no birds from this complaint last summer.

If you do get a bird with intestinal trouble I know of no better medicine

(and I have tried many) than Galloway’s “ Pinko ”. I am indebted

to Mr. Hicks for the recommendation of this excellent preparation.

If you are unfortunate enough to have a sick bird, cage it separately

and have it in your living room if possible, for they seem to like human

company. Clean the cage out daily and provide a supply of well

soaked thoroughly washed millet spray fresh daily, also some of the

soaked seed mixture previously mentioned, in a tiny finger drawer

pushed between the cage wires. The finger tins I use measure

1| inches long by J in. deep and this rests on the perch through

the wires. You will find this method of feeding a sick bird almost

irresistible, for if the bird can get on to the perch at all it can’t resist

picking from this finger drawer—try it and see.


When breeding, I only allow one pair to a cage or small aviary

and you are more likely to succeed if they are entirely by themselves.

You can associate a few Waxbills and a pair of Bengalese in the same

small aviary, but some Gouldians even resent their presence when

nesting. All breeders of foreign Finches should keep a few of these

wonderful little foster parents—Bengalese—I have even got Bengalese

to hatch and rear birds when they themselves have not laid an egg—-

but this is another story. Gouldians should be separated (the sexes)

in the winter or you will have numerous losses from egg-binding.


I have not described an aviary as most people have their own ideas

on this point, and the design depends on the money one has to spare.

I have fitted removable Windolite shutters to all my aviaries, these

are a great comfort to the birds, especially during the winter and

wet weather. Gouldians do not like cold winds. I do not believe



