Chapter 1 : Why A Pet Bird

For the would-be pet owner, birds have many advantages over other types of domestic livestock.
They are inexpensive to acquire and comparatively undemanding of their owner attention. With
rare exceptions a few pounds a year will be quite sufficient to meet all the needs of a pet bird
seed and/or fruit and live food, sand, grit, cuttlefish and green food.
Birds do not need to be taken for daily walks, nor does their courtship behavior keep the
neighbors awake at a night. The majority of the species mentioned in this book will breed freely
and easily in captivity. But for those whose space limitations demand a controlled pet population,
it is worth noting that bird caged singly seems to thrive as happily as those who have access to
mates. A bird cage takes up a very little space in the living room. A cage 18 inches long by 12
inches wide will suffice for most of the smaller species. Provided a cleaning routine (which takes
only second day) is instituted, cages birds need never smell, and are very rarely vicious with
either their owners or strangers.
Pet birds are ideal beginners pets for children, but are equally suitable for elderly folk. They can
be wonderful companions for invalids. The psychological therapy of being allowed to keep a pet
bird in their cell has been the start of many a hardened criminals resolve to go straight.
Keeping pet birds is a hobby which cuts across all ages and social barriers. Pop stars and prime
ministers, royalty and rogues, as well as a host of ordinary folk, have taken pleasure in this ever
fascinating hobby.

Which Kind Of Bird Should I Buy?
The types of birds available to the would-be fancier are almost as varied in appearance, habit and
character as the humans who wish to acquire them. To get the best out of a bird, consider
carefully the pros and cons. Think about the habits and requirements of the proposed pet, in
relation to the time, space and money available for its upkeep, as well as the tastes and
inclinations of the would-be owner. For example mynah birds are among the best mimicking
around. There have been owners who have been driven near to distraction by a mynah
continually repeating the same well-learned phrase over and over again. Moreover, mynahs
require a diet of fresh fruit and insectivorous fare which makes them somewhat messier to keep
than seed-eating types.
Parrots are long-lived birds, with a span which often exceeds that of their human masters. They
are however powerful birds, equipped with a beak capable of decimating a Brazil nut at one bite,
and have a tendency to be one-man pets as jealous of their owners affection as any dog. They
may well, therefore, be better suited to the solo pet owner than as the family pets of a household
with inquisitive and therefore potentially vulnerable small children. The foreign finches have
brilliantly colored plumage that would brighten the dcor of any room and be an eye-catching
attraction in a garden aviary. Given the right conditions the jolly little Zebras or Java sparrows
will breed almost the calendar around. However, they will, like all well-loved livestock, learn to
recognize the hand that feeds them and indeed the hour of the day at which dinner arrives, it is
only very rarely that a finch can be taught to perform a trick, or make a more complex response
to its owner.
The budgie is both acrobat and clown. Given the correct early training, he can master as much as
a dozen simple phrases of human speech, and will readily become finger-tame. Thanks to
selective breeding, the range of color available in present day budgerigars runs to over 130
permutations and variations on green, blue, yellow, violet, gray and white. Budgies are hardly
enough to survive outdoors the year around. Some have even been noted to enjoy rolling in the
snow which lined the floor of their aviaries.
They are, however, equally happy as indoor pets caged individually. However if a budgie is to be
happy as a solo pet it will need the regular affection of its master or mistress and will visibly
sulk, even pine, if it feels itself to be neglected. A colony of budgies looks attractive as part of a
garden scheme, but especially in the breeding season they can have strident screaming calls
which could well annoy sensitive neighbors if the aviary is sited too near a boundary wall.
Canaries on the other hand are sweet singer but somewhat less hardy and certainly trickier to
breed. It is susceptible to draughts, and fall immediate victim to a gas leak. Canaries have for a
number of years been unfashionable pets, but are gradually gaining ground again, principally
through the introduction of the striking new color canaries such as the red factors which range in
tone from blush pink through apricot tones to almost flame color. The strength of the canary-
breeding fraternity has been for nearly a century among the artisan classes and this has tended to
give the bird itself a lower social status.


Where Should I Buy A Pet Bird?
Without wishing to denigrate the many scrupulously honest pet dealers who operate in this
country, I recommend the prospective pet-owner to buy his or her bird direct from the breeder.
Seeing the quality of stock from which the proposed pet originates is a useful guide to the quality
of the individual itself. This is obviously particularly important if the newcomer is intended to be
part of a breeding colony. It is not always true that the physically perfect specimen reproduces
perfectly. But if the family of that bird is seen to be of uniformly high standard, then it is
reasonable to assume that the desirable traits are an inherited quality which will be passed on
through the progeny.
Even when a bird is to be a single kept pet, it is helpful to buy from the breeder. He can provide
information about the kind of diet the chick is accustomed to, which will help speedy
acclimatization to the new home. Most breeders will be happy to advise the novice in cage bird
keeping, and to act as an information bureau for useful local names and addresses, such as that of
a vet who is a specialist in handling bird cases.
For canaries, British birds, foreign finches and exotic birds which have been in U.K bred, the
best buying time is late summer or early autumn. By then the new seasons chicks will have
achieved their first adult plumage and, singing types will be warbling their first songs, so that
sexing is infinitely easier. Budgerigar breeders, aware of the appeal of a new pet as a Christmas
present, have managed to regulate the sex cycles of their stock so that chicks of the marketable
age of six weeks plus are available during the festive season, are hardier and healthy throughout
their lives as a result of this.
The journal Cage birds regularly lists the meetings of local breed societies and through contact
with the secretary of such an organization it should be possible to get the names of several
breeders specializing in each type of bird. As with all purchases, shopping around before making
a final decision generally ensures value for money. Before buying a pet bird, visits to various
aviaries will also help the beginner to build up a fund of useful knowledge about the species he
or she wants to keep.

What to Look For
Whether a bird is purchased direct from a breeder or from a reputable dealer, it is important to
seek out an alert lively-looking specimen with clean, tight-feathered plumage. A sick bird
betrays its poor condition by squatting low on its peach, or hiding in the cage corner with ruffled
unkempt feathers, and is a bad buy no matter how cheaply it is priced. This does not mean that it
is necessary for every would-be pet owner to pay top prices for prime show birds, which can
change hands among enthusiasts at prices up to 50 or more for a single budgie or canary.
Yet another reason for seeking out a breeder of the required type of birds is that very often
healthy specimens of excellent pedigree are marred, as show ring specimens, by a single physical
flaw. This means a failure to comply with the very exacting specifications set down by show
judges, which would be quite non-detectable to the lay eye, and which indeed might aesthetically
improve the appearance of that particular individual. These birds are usually sold at what, in
relation to their blood lines, are really bargain prices.

Bringing the Bird Home
Most breeders and dealers have specially designed carrying cases in which buyers can take
away their purchases. Such containers are suitable for train journeys of up to four hours. For
longer trips, a special travel cage of the type used for show specimens will be required. However
there will usually be a breeder well within the easy take-home range of any would-be pet owner.
It is important that a pet bird, or indeed any type of pet, should not be an impulse purchase, but
that a cage, a suitable supply of food, sand, grit and any other necessities are ready and waiting
to receive the new arrival. Travel cages, even the elaborate types used to convey show
champions are not suitable as temporary bird homes for more than a day. As well as having
supplies on hand, it is advisable to have given some thought to the routine of feeding and
cleaning. The bird who is fed at the same hour each day will quickly become reliable alarm
clock for his master, making it quite clear that dinner time has come around by lively
movement and continuous squeaking. Regular routines for cleaning as well as feeding all help in
taming process and make the chores of bird keeping easier for the owner.
Where only small quantities of seed are needed the manufacturers packet is a handy dustproof
container. If loose seed mixes are used they should be kept in a sealed glass jar, or a plastic
container of the type sold as flour bins, to ensure that the contents are not an attraction to mice.
Where the bird seed is stored on the same shelf as the familys food stuff it should be clearly
labeled. Otherwise it is easy for a busy cook to confuse canary mix with caraway seed or other
spices!

Where to Put the Bird Cage
A cage bird should have plenty of access to light and fresh air. However no bird cage should be
suspended permanently in the broiling sunlight with any shade available to its occupant. Such
thoughtless sitting can result in faints or even fatalities. Equally a bird should be kept in a
drought free place. Draughts are especially dangerous to the canary and finch family, but
adversely affect almost all birds. Bird shelters out of doors should be frost proof and damp proof
in the roost area.
As well as having shelter from direct sunlight, cages which contain indoor pets will need to be
covered with a light cloth at night. A birds natural behavior is to roost at dusk for most birds are
virtually night blind. A bird, constantly exposed to electric light during what, for him, should
be hours of rest, could develop dietary problems through overeating. Birds continue to feed
through all the hours of daylight and may well develop exhaustion symptoms through not having
the proper quota of rest.

Chapter 2 : The Budgerigar

The budgerigar is Britains most popular cage bird. It is estimated that there are currently over
four million pet budgies in this country, exclusive of show champions owned by the breeder
members of the 6000 member strong The Budgerigar Society. The budgerigar first appeared in
England approximately a century ago. In the early days of the fancy, budgies were almost always
kept and shown as pairs. For this reason they were often referred to as lovebirds, although the
name lovebirds should correctly only be used of quite another member of the parakeet family.
Varieties
The first cage-bred budgerigars, were, as still are their wild cousins today, green birds with
yellow facial markings, black decorations on the wings and the top of head, and a necklace of
spots beneath the bill. Today, scientifically-inspired selective breeding has produced budgies in
almost every color except pink. A 500 prize awaits the lucky breeder who can produce the first
truly pink specimen, although, of course, such a phenomenon would, were it capable of
reproducing itself, be worth a fortune anyway. Altogether the expert breeder can produce a list of
over 130 clearly definable color varieties in budgies.
Fig. 2. Light Green Cock Budgerigar
From the owners point of view, it is probably practical to reduce the almost endless
permutations possible to the following basic choices: green, blue, violet or yellow birds, with
either grey wing, cinnamon, opaline or pied marking (a blue bird, with the conventional white or
the fancy yellow face).
Fig. 3. The Lutino Budgerigar
As well as conventionally marked budgerigars there are albinos and lutinos. Both these types in
their pure form have pink eyes and, because of their lack of pigment, are devoid of dark stripings
on the face or body feathers. Lutino budgies are a clear canary yellow, and albinos pure white.
Not all white budgerigars are necessarily albinos. Some ordinarily dark-eyed types are so light in
color as to appear pure white, but a careful examination usually reveals tell-tale faint tracings of
the darker wing marking. All albinos are white, however.
In baby budgerigars a striped marking, running from the back of the neck, extends over the
crown of the head to the top of the bill. With their first adult plumage the youngsters moult out
this barred pattern, replacing it with a clear colored hood, yellow in the green-based types, white
in the blue variants.


Fig. 4, The Opaline Cobalt Cock Budgerigar
A glance at an adult budgies face tells its sex. In cock budgerigars the cere or wattle, the
area immediately above the upper bill, is bright blue, where as in the hen bird, it is brown.
Exceptions to this rule are immature babies, and the pink-eyed pigmentless albinos or lutinos in
which the cere remains pink in both sexes throughout their life. When sexing very young budgies
or albinos, it is useful to remember that the cere is almost always more rounded in shape in the
cock bird, and that hens have a much greater tendency to nip when handled than the cocks. A
good budgie should be about 8.5 inches long and tip the scales at around 1.5 ounces. When
seeking a show champion, judges always look for a curved body shape rather than an angular
one, not too slim, nor yet too fat and with the body tapering gradually to the tail.
Why A Budgie?
As well as the typically parrot ability to mimic and thus talk back to its owner, the budgerigar
is a hardy, cheerful, alert little bird with a great talent for acrobatics. It can master a series of
tricks, many of which it discovers for its own amusement, as well as being able to reproduce
itself in quantity under captive conditions. Budgerigars usually live to around eight years old.
Instances of ten- or even twelve year old budgies are however by no means rare. It is fair,
however, to point out that the average lifespan of a pet budgie is below this.
Many pets are quite literally killed with kindness, through being fed unsuitable tidbits, or, worse
still, being allowed to wander at will tasting everything on their masters meal tables. This habit
is obviously as unhygienic for the owner as it is unhealthy for the bird.
Fig. 5. Opaline Blue Cock Budgerigar.
Other pet budgies are accidentally crushed or squashed while at liberty round the house and
many escapes through windows or doors which their owners have forgotten to secure before the
pet was released. In this context, owners often express great surprise that a bird which was
trustworthy all its life, suddenly takes up a previously-overlooked opportunity to escape. It is
never safe to leave a cage bird loose in room with the windows and doors open. Nor it is kind.
Although a number of lost budgerigars are recovered, and some find their way back to their
owners, usually as a result of being able to speak their owners names and addresses, or through
the numerically coded budgerigar Society rings they wear, the majority of escapees die miserable
deaths from hunger, exposure or being attacked by native wild birds.
Housing the Budgie
Most experts regard the draught-proof box cage as the best type of budgie residence. Any
averagely skilled home handyman can knock up a box cage in a matter of minutes. Either
plywood or hardboard on a wood frame can be used for the sides. The cage is finished with a
ready-purchased wire front of mesh. If the cage is to be painted, remember to use non-toxic
paints with a plastic rather than lead base, as budgerigars a great gnawers.
Most families prefer the chromium wire cages sold by pet shops as being more decorative for the
living room. If this type of cage is to be used, work to a minimum size of 18 inches long by 12
inches wide. It is sensible when buying a cage to mention to the dealer the type of site intended,
i.e. whether the cage is to be suspended from a bracket, fixed to a free standing frame, or stood
on a table, and let him advise as to shape.
Tall cylindrical cages should be avoided. Helicopters fly up and down birds horizontally and
the bars of a budgie cage should be ideally horizontally rather than vertically spaced, to help the
bird climb about his home. If the budgie is to spend the greater part of his day at liberty in the
owners room, a cage with a flap-down front, which serves as a landing platform, is prefer able
to the spring door type.
If the budgies are to be housed in a garden aviary, a good rule of thumb guide to the space they
will require is a maximum of three birds to each square foot of roost floor area. On this sort of
basis it is reasonable to think of an aviary measuring 6 feet by 5 feet tall as providing ample
accommodation for three pairs. Although they are sociable birds, budgies, and especially hen
budgies, can become very aggressive during their breeding season. However large the enclosure
in which they are kept there is always a risk of fights if more than three pairs are housed together
during the breeding season. Although squabbles can be minimized by providing more nest boxes
than will actually be needed, and ensuring that each box is similarly styled and hung at a similar
height, there is always a danger of several hens insisting on the same site and coming to blows
over its ownership.
Many owners of budgie colonies over three pairs strong therefore build or buy aviaries of the
modular plan type, so that during the breeding season they can be split into several compartments
each holding a maximum quota of three pairs. With cage as opposed to aviary breeding, very
little fighting takes place. The advantage of cage breeding is that, although it may take a little
longer to clean stock cages, they stay neat and tidy for much longer, and it is easier to observe
parents and young birds at close quarters. It is, however, more expensive to set up a caged
budgie colony than a aviary.
Fitting Out Cages and Aviaries
Toys helped to keep a singly-caged budgie happy. Their presence is important where the budgie
must be left to his own devices for long periods during the day, when the owner is away at work,
or at school. However the cage should not be so cluttered with mirrors and bells that the bird has
no room to move about. All toys should obviously be inspected for raw edges, or broken parts
which could accidentally be swallowed in play. Toys should be kept as spotlessly clean as the
cage itself.
Perches
Ample clearance should be allowed between the perches and the sides of the cage, to prevent the
birds tail becoming soiled, or draggled on the cage bottom.
Fig. 6 Clip-On Style Metal or Plastic Bird Bath
Care must be taken too that food or water containers are not placed under perches where they
could become fouled. The ideal perch thickness for a budgerigar is between inch and 1 inch
wide. Too narrow a perch makes it difficult for the bird to maintain its grip. Where natural twig
perches are used in an aviary setting laurel, sycamore, yew and laburnum branches should be
avoided because these are poisonous to the bird.
Food
The best staple of diet for budgerigars is four parts canary seed, to three parts pannicum millet
and one part white millet. For singly caged pet budgies, ready-mixed budgie feed can be
purchased in packets. Branded seed mixes are usually reliable in the sense of being dust free, and
simple both to use and to store.
Spray millet once or twice a week is a diet extra and treat food which all budgies enjoy.
Greenfood suitable for budgies includes chickweed, dandelion, plantain, chicory, lettuce, kale,
watercress and seeding grasses. Wheat, oats and groats are other additives which are appreciated
in small quantities. When plucking wild-grown greenfood, it is important to ensure that the area
has not previously been sprayed with a toxic weed-killer. In winter months, beware of giving
frosted green food. This can give birds a tummy upset of the enteritis type which could in some
cases be fatal.
Budgies also like to have tree bark to chew, but here again care must be taken that they are not
supplied with poisonous species such as yew or laburnum. In winter, apple, orange, or carrot can
be substituted for green food alternatively; cereal gains such as canary seed, oats or wheat which
has been sprouted in a flower pot can be fed. In calculating the amount of food required by
budgies in a large aviary, reckon three pounds of seed per week for six adult birds.
Training and Talking
Never be persuaded to pay extra for a budgie from so-called talking strain. The ability to mimic
is neither an inherited factor nor one which would show up in a breeding colony, since only
singly caged specimens become expert talkers. The ability to talk is a matter of individual
aptitude on the part of the bird. It also depends on the time and patience of the owner.
If a bird is intended as a talker it should be purchased between the ages of five and eight weeks,
preferably from a breeder/exhibitor who controls breeds in cages. The birds from such a breeder
are usually much tamer and steady- a good start for the training process to follow. From around
six weeks old a budgie is able to lead an independent on his being thoroughly weaned, i.e. able to
crack his own seed. Its a myth that only male budgies talk. However, it is certainly true that it is
the male budgerigar which is the more affectionate and friendly of the sexes. Since the success of
the talking training depends on regular close contact between bird and owner, the chances of
success with a cock bird are much greater than with a hen.
Cocks take much more easily to the training process which must be the start of any attempt to
teach a bird to talk. To Finger Tame, place a hand inside the birds cage and hold it there until
the bird ceases to flutter. Then place a finger gently against the birds body, just above the claw,
which will encourage him to step on finger, using it as a perch. Never move quickly, or make a
sudden noise which will alarm the bird during this process. Once the bird has become used to his
owner in this way, it will be possible to allow him liberty to an occasional fly around the room.
A truly tame bird will return to his cage of his own accord when tired or hungry. However,
should it be necessary to handle the budgie, he should be held in the palm of the hand, with his
head between the first finger and the thumb. Te remaining fingers should be used to restrain his
wings and legs. Never squeeze the chest or abdomen of a hand held bird. Should a budgie prove
difficult to catch wait until dark. Budgerigars cannot see in the dark and can therefore easily be
picked up; as they do not attempt to move away from a last-minute check that budgie is roosting
safely on his perch before they turn out the light last thing at night.
Talking
Getting a budgerigar to talk is very largely a matter of patience on the part of the owner, who
must be prepared to repeat the chosen phrase over and over again, continually, until the bird says
it back. It obviously helps if the phrase selected is simple and clear. Budgie names should be
short crisp words, Perky, Sparky, Peter or the favorite Joey is ideal. A quarter of an hours
practice of the name, repeated over and over two or three times each day, should be sufficient to
get the bird going. Dont expect the pupil to respond immediately with clarity. The desired word
or phrase will begin as an undecipherable gurgle, nearer to budgies own talk than his owners, and
gradually build up to recognizable clarity.
Many so-called talking budgerigars never pass beyond this gurgle stage, although their doting
owners will readily translate their gibberish as speech. Only when one phrase has been
thoroughly mastered is it time to begin the next. Exhibition talkers are capable of mastering up to
a dozen or more party pieces, some of which can be as difficult as entire verses of popular
songs or nursery rhymes. There are, however, the exception, and no pet budgerigar should be
loved the less if he fails to make the grade as a talker, for usually the fault is more his owners
than his own.
Initially, it is wisest for the talking budgie to be addressed by one member of the family only.
Women or girls, with their higher pitched voices are usually easier for budgies to copy than a
male voice.
Diseases
Many novice budgerigar owners become alarmed if they see their pets begin to regurgitate food.
This is a form of behavior perfectly natural to the healthy adult bird. It is the means by which it
first courts its mate and then nourishes its young. Content singly caged budgerigars will
frequently attempt to feed their toys or even their owners during the breeding season.
Regurgitation is only a source of worry if it occurs outside this season, and is accompanied by
other signs of avian ill health, such as loss of appetite, listlessness, or discolored, greenish
droppings. In these circumstances, the act of regurgitation may well be sign of digestive trouble.
Check that the food and water supplies are properly clean. Move a cage to a place where the
temperature is a constant 85 degrees and add a pinch of bicarb to the drinking water. If the
condition has not cleared itself within a day or so, call a vet.
French Moult is a plumage defect quite often seen in young budgies. The youngster seems in
constant moult, and when it does produce feathers these are curly. Sometimes youngsters which
have suffered from French moult, and which, because of their lack of proper wing feathering, are
unable to fly, a sold as runners the suggestion being that they will be more easily finger-tamed
than normal birds. However, it is never sense to purchase a bird which is in any way ailing, and
certainly such a specimen should never be considered as a breeding prospect. French moult is
quite possibly an inheritable condition although, as yet, veterinary opinion is divided as to its
exact cause.

Chapter 3: Breeding Budgerigars
Budgerigars are probably the easiest of all cage birds for the novice to breed and rear. They can
be bred in cages, or in an aviary-based colony. Cage breeding will require a cage of a minimum
size of 24 inches long by 15 inches high by 12 inches deep. If the nest box is to be placed inside
the cage, other than on the floor, the cage length should be proportionately greater.
One of the big advantages of cage breeding is that it allows the owner to be selective about
breeding partnership. The free ragging colony budgie picks its own mate from the selection
available. With cage breeding, very little squabbling or fighting takes place, so there is less risk
that either parent stock birds or chicks will be damaged and possibly lost in this way. Although
expert breeders, aiming to satisfy the Christmas gift trade with baby budgerigars, have induced
almost all beginner would do best to concentrate his or her breeding activities on the natural
spring/summer season, thinking in terms of Mid-March to early April start.
Obviously birds kept indoors in a warm light bird room will begin to come into breeding
condition earlier than those exposed to all weathers in an outdoor enclosure. The birds
themselves will indicate when they are ready to breed by courting behavior. The males and
females will pair off to spend the bulk of their time in each others company, with the cock
feeding the hen at regular intervals. The ceres (the area immediately above the upper beak) will
become intense in color, those of the cock birds being brighter than usual blue, and those of the
hens a really rich brown shade. Hens will be chewing at all the woodwork they can find.
Fig. 7. Budgerigar Breeding Cage
Even in their natural habitat budgerigars do not make conventional nests for their young. In
captivity they will require to be supplied with a nest box. Budgie nest boxes are usually made of
wood. Many forward looking breeders are now using disposable cardboard boxes, which are
burned at the end of the season to eliminate the risk of germs being carried through from one
batch of young to the next. The base of the nest box should have a concave depression into
which the hen will place her eggs. Some coarse sawdust, sprinkled on this depression, prevents
eggs and chicks becoming fouled. Some nest boxes have a letdown front: others a plywood slide
with a safety glass behind it for inspection purposes, while yet others have a drawer which
allows the entire interior to slide out.
The entrance hole can be in the long side of the box, the top or the end. The design of the box
selected is usually governed by its position in the cage or aviary. Nest boxes can be placed on the
front of cage, on the inside of the wire front, on a perch or on the cage floor. A hen budgie can
lay eggs at any time, whether she with a cock bird or not. Obviously, however, for the eggs to be
fertile, a mating must take place. When this has happened it is usual for an egg to be laid 8 days
later. Thereafter eggs are laid on alternate days until the full clutch is complete. The average
number of eggs in a clutch is six; although just two are quite common and up to 20 eggs have
been known.
No breeder can expert every egg to yield a chick. Some egg may be clear, i.e. unfertilized, either
through a fault in the mating itself, or because it has been laid without mating taking place. Four
days after an egg has been laid it should be held up to a strong light such as an electric bulb. If
the egg appears clear that is to say just lightly tinged with yellow it is empty, and will therefore
never hatch out a chick. The same test will show a full egg to be streaked with red, an indication
of the internal formation of veins in the embryo chick.
A decided change of appearance takes place after about 10 days of incubation, when the full egg
will develop a grey pebble-like look while clear eggs retain the original pearly white appearance.
During the incubation period, which lasts an average of 18 days, but which can be anything from
16 to 20 days, the fertile egg can become pierced. Such eggs can be recognized by shaking. A
pierced egg will rattle as though it contains a dried up pea. This condition usually occurs when
the shell has been punctured, possibly by the claws of the mother being over sharp. It is,
therefore, a wise plan to examine the feet of breeding hens before the season gets under way,
and, if any nails are found to be overlong, to clip their pointed ends before they can do damage.
If the egg should become chilled during the incubation process through the hen being away too
long, or the cocks failure to take over in this situation, the chick inside will die. If this occurs
within the first ten days the shell will discolor but after this period there is no way of telling if the
fatality known among breeders as dead in shell or addling has occurred. Another cause of this
seatback can be lack of humidity which causes the inner membrane of the egg to harden and so
destroys the life of the inhabitant.
The Babies
Baby Budgerigars are born without feathers or down. Their first covering begins to grow on
about 12 days, soon followed by the first feather growth. The newly hatched chick is able to
survive for the first 12 hours or so without food. It draws nourishment from the yolk sac
extending from the abdomen, which will later shrink back into the body. Thereafter, for the first
10 days of its life, the baby budgie is fed with crop milk a cheesy substance regurgitated by
the mother bird. In order to help the mums produce plenty of crop milk, most breeders
supplement the meal bread moistened in milk. Not all budgies will, however, accept
supplementary food and much rear their families quite happily on the standard canary/millet seed
mix.
At 3 weeks old the baby budgerigar will become sufficiently well feathered for the mother to be
away from the nest for reasonable periods without the risk other infants becoming chilled in her
absence. It is at this stage that the work of the father bird really begins in earnest and it is not
unusual for him to take over entirely the feeding chores, either from within the nest box, or
through the entrance hole. Many budgie cocks are such conscientious parents that they will work
themselves into a state of distress caring for the brood. If a cock bird seems to be overtaxing
himself in this way, visibly getting thinner, moping or showing other signs of distress, he should
be moved to a separate cage overnight.
A baby budgerigar is almost fully feathered at 30 days old. It is then ready to leave the nest. At
this stage the flight feathers will be nearly fully grown, and the two tail feathers about half-way
down. The cock bird will probably now take over the entire feeding until the babies are fully
independent a couple of weeks later. There may occasionally be times when neither parent will
feed a baby or babies who have graduated to the cage floor. Such youngsters must be
immediately popped back in their nest. Some seed sprinkled over the concave nest base will
encourage them to start feeding themselves.
Baby budgies below the age of 4 weeks can usually be changed about between nests at will. Few
adult pairs will, however, accept as their own, youngsters above this age. Therefore, should it be
necessary to move any babies more than 4 weeks old to foster-parents, it is important to watch,
for the first few days, that the young are fed and tended rather than attacked.

How Many Rounds?
When babies of about 5 to 6 weeks of age are seen to be cracking seed freely and eating enough
for their requirements they can be removed from the parent birds. The chicks of the first round
must be taken away before the first chick of the following around has hatched. Most hen birds
lay the first egg of the second round when the youngest a baby in the previous nest is about 31/2
weeks old. Some wait until the last baby has left the nest box. If babies are in the box at the time
of laying the second clutch of eggs, there is more risk of the eggs getting fouled. A little extra
sawdust at this stage will help to soak up the moisture and maintain the eggs in a clean state.
Eggs which do get fouled can be washed in warm water, using an old toothbrush. The eggs
should then be dried with cotton wool and replaced without delay.
A hot water bottle in a box can be used to prevent eggs chilling and is a handy place to put
chicks while they are being attended to or the nest box cleaned.
Care of Breeding Equipment
When the 2 months nesting season is over, boxes of a permanent type should be soaked in hot
strong disinfectant before being put away for the winter season. Obviously because of having to
be immersed frequently in water for cleaning purposes, resin-bonded plywood or close grained
timber is the best for building nest boxes. Homemade nest boxes should be not less than 8 inches
by 5 inches on the base and 5 inches high.
Nest boxes, even those intended for outdoor aviaries, should be untreated. If creosoting is
considered a must for the boxes, to match the construction of outdoor aviary, it is essential that
this is done before the start of the breeding season. Then the boxes must be left outdoors to
weather, immediately after treatment and for as long as possible, before they are required for use.
Where budgerigars are to be bred outdoors they must have a weather proof enclosure. This can
be a purpose built aviary, although it should be remembered that most readymade or unit plan
garden aviaries are designed primarily to show off a collection of birds in the most decorative
manner, and not necessarily too encourage breeding.
Egg Binding
There is no reason at all why a breeder who keeps his birds fit at all time and who makes certain
his birds are in full breeding condition before allowing them to go to nest should ever experience
egg-binding. Do not assume that a hen is egg-bound simply because she insists on staying with
her eggs in the early stages of incubation. It is normal for a hen to sit tight after the second egg in
a clutch is laid; only coming out of the box for brief visit to the food trough of exercise. Ample
exercise space in the months immediately before the breeding season is a good way of warding
off the risk of egg-binding. During this time cod liver oil can be blended with the budgies seed at
the rate of a teaspoonful to each pound of seed as another prevention rather than cure aid
against egg-binding. An egg-bound hen is usually discovered in the early morning. Symptoms
are inability to fly, and a crouched position on the floor, feathers ruffled, rump erected and tail
lowered.
Remove the hen to a hospital cage placed near to the warmth of radiator. This treatment should
enable the egg to be passed. If the condition persists without the egg being successfully laid, send
for a vet immediately. Although budgies live to 8 or 9 years old, the best budgie chicks are
obtained from a hen in her second year. After 4 years experienced breeder pension off hens to the
role of foster-mums only, as a distinct decline in the quality of birds reared will be noted. When
pairing up budgies always try to mate a young cock with an older and more experienced hen and
vice versa.
Ringing Chicks
Budgerigars which are intended as show birds in Britain must wear the official leg ring of The
Budgerigar Society, which show the breeders code number, the year of issue ( and thus the age
of bird), and a serial number. Thus, missing birds which are fortunate enough to turn up alivr can
be traced to their owners and returned. The Society can also help intending owners to obtain pet
budgerigars free from disease.
Application for membership, and details of the many local budgerigars affiliated to the main
society can be obtained from: The wearing of this coded ring is also something of a status
symbol when a sale of a budgie is to be made, implying a quality standard in the bird not present
in unsung types.
Ringing is best done when the birds is between 5 and 10 days old, although only experience will
enable the breeders to judge when the time is exactly right for the ringing. If the ring is put on
too early it slip off again and has to be replaced again the next day. If ringing is left too late the
ball of the foot becomes too large to pass through the ring.
To ring a baby budgie, hold the chick in one hand with the leg extended, and manipulate the 3
longest toes forward. Gently slip on the ring, and with a pointed matchstick or a manicurists
orange stick, ease the other toe out through the ring. Take care that the ring does not pass to the
thigh over the knuckle joint of the leg.





CHAPTER 4 : CANARIES

Canaries have been cherished household pets in this country since the 1600s. Although there has
been nothing in the canary fancy to parallel the budgie keeping boom of the late 1960s. The
number of canaries kept has been steadily rising gain over the last few years, possibly because of
the renewed interest created by developments such as the red factor strain.
Todays canaries are many more than simply sweet singers. They are available in variety of types
and colors which has never been bettered. The prospective owner considering a canary should
first ask himself just how important he considers his pets song to be..
If music is the primary purpose of getting a canary then there can be no question that rollers are
the choice. The obvious way in which the roller differs from other canaries described by the
American fancy as chopper singers is that they deliver with the beak closed. Rollers are the
result of careful selective breeding which started in the German Hartz Mountain region 200 years
ago, the first products of these intensive singing schools arriving in the U.K. in the 1820s.
Even today, the exhibition rollers are carefully taught to sing by placing the youngsters in
darkened cages around the cage of a singing master cock so that they learn from him the most
perfect passages of canary aria.

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