Articles - Monty's Corner


What follows is some collected wisdom from Monty Wright on various aspects of bird keeping and showing. Many thanks to him for providing these articles and giving us permission to post them here.

How well do we all keep records?

by Monty Wright, July 2013. [Featured in the clubs july newsletter]

I have been in cage birds since 1953 and one thing that I was taught by the early club members was to keep very good records. Like everyone it took a while to set this up in book form which I still do today. Recently when we shifted I did dispose of some of the early records and only last year I did not breed a bird from a line of Norwich that started in 1958. Yes over the years that have past, I have always had some birds that started in that line away back then. Also I have brought birds into the line over the years, but have never found birds that fitted in with the line in recent years.

You always need some form of controlling your stud in the birdroom or aviary. If you are going to reach the top in any breed for the show bench, or just be able to follow the breed lines of your birds in the flights. By keeping track of your birds on paper or computer is more important than you think.

If you only own a few birds, well it may not seem so important to you, yes I have heard it many a time, I can keep it all in my head, oops. This hobby of breeding birds has a habit of growing on us and before long we have several species or just large studs. Trying to keep all that in your head is just not possible. These days we have a very small gene pool of birds in each section, as we can not import birds at this stage.

It is also helpful to know exactly which birds are producing certain things that are appearing in your line. Pedigrees and who you obtain the birds from also helps when setting up your pairs for breeding. It can be simple or as complicated as you would like it. At the end of each breeding season, I look at the birds that we have breed as I bring them into the birdroom. This is prior to the first show and even though I am not sure in canaries which are cocks or hens at this point the judging exercise will start. I also like to put them in the same cage as their parents to see what we have achieved.

First I keep a stock sheet. On this it will have ring colour and number, description of feather, i.e. heavily variegate green, or lightly variegate cinnamon or clear. Next type Yellow, Buff, Blue for white ground bird. Unfortunately I started blue years ago, but should have used White. I am slowly changing this over. At this point I don’t give the bird a note book registration number which I keep separate. The reason for this is that if you don’t breed anything from the bird you are only clogging up your registration book. So my sheet looks like this on an A4 page that can be kept in a folder.

Register Number Ring Colour Ring Number Description Feather Type Sex Bred By Feather
50 Green 6123 heavily variegate green Buff cock Vic Solder
54 Red 1100 lightly variegate green Yellow hen Tom Drag
Black 7134 lightly variegate green Buff cock 50x54 BxY
Black 7135 lightly variegate green Yellow hen 50x54 BxY

The permanent note book that you keep as your register or breeding information has other things recorded in it. The bird is given a breeding number such as I have above 50, 51 and so on. I put all sorts of things in it like. Don't leave with hen when she is sitting. Good feeder. Filled all eggs. Hate’s dark green hens. Will mate with any hen.

Number 50: Heavily variegate green Buff cock

Ring: Green 6123, 2005.

Breeder: Vic Solder. Bluff, off Joe Beans line. Could be split cinnamon.

Breed 2006, 2007, 2009,

Good mating with number 54. Remove from hen on the day you set her. Put back with hen after chicks four days old, feeds well, keep with chicks when the hen goes down again. Will except other chicks when placed with him. Filled all eggs. Hates dark green hens. Bred first cinnamon off it this year good bird. Chicks have done well on the show bench.

Breeding records

Breeding record card from a budgie breeding box.

There are many types of breeding cards available for some of the species kept. You can design your on type of card made from what ever you have available. I use old information cards from people that have been given to me over the years and some cards that are out of date. When mating up my Glosters or any species, I place a card on the outside of the cage. On this I will put the record number, or ring number. i.e. 54 x 7135. Date paired up. As each egg is laid I put the date on the card. If I have removed the eggs, when I put them back this is marked on the card. After a week I check the eggs for fertility and mark the card with F for each fertile egg and C for clear. As well I put the date they should hatch, if fed if not fed, if hen didn't get off the chicks to feed them, and if all going well the date I put the cock back to assist. When rung and fledged and finally date removed.

The more comprehensive the history, the more useful the information will prove for you in the future. Note taking may provide the answer to succeeding with a particular species. Records are invaluable in all collections of birds for your self and other breeders that you may sell birds to in the future. The gene pool is very small in all our species that we keep. It boils down to getting it right to help your self and the hobby.

Copyright Monty Wright 2013. Used with permission.

Webmasters note - this was the formatting that was present in the newsletter. Once I've had a chance to talk to Monty I'll update the formatting and add some images.

Some Setbacks will Occur

by Monty Wright, Oct 2012.

With the breeding season well under way and our enthusiasm for every thing to go well it often depends on what we have done to prepare our stock. It dose not matter what kind of animal or birds that you keep there is always some thing that will go astray. It could be Mother Nature sends you some very cold days, even snow in some place or she gives you a very strong wind that rattles around the bird room, aviary or sheds.

Ever since canary breeding results have been recorded, breeders, no matter how long their experience, have met with erratic behaviour among their stock. I have written down information on my stock for years and some of this works very well, like putting the birds back in the same place that they were reared and on the same level in the breeding cages. Last season with the change in birdrooms it was not possible, but I tried to follow this pattern as much as I could and I must say some of it worked very well.

It seems strange that in spite of every precaution and care being taken irregularities occur. However, I think that generally most so-called bad luck experiences occur because different factors of selection of stock or different types of food are fed. Start your feeding as you intend to carry on throughout the season. Remember that mixing things up over a week or so will also keep them interested, after all how would you like to sit down to porridge for every meal for a whole year. It would bore you to tears and do nothing for your internal system.

One problem that I have often observed is the breeding for show standard birds. This I fear will continue to be a major problem as some times the gene-pull that we are working out of is very small and we often make it smaller by selection. This will continue to be a problem in our country as no mater what aviary birds you keep, we as a small country will continue to make the gene-pull smaller with our current government regulations.

This will continue to give us infertile eggs from some matings. Also it will make it difficult to achieve the standards that we are aiming for. Not being able to import stock from over seas will continue to plague some species.

Sure we probably have enough canary breeds to cross out into to strengthen some lines, but all this takes a very long time.

Copyright Monty Wright 2012. Used with permission.

Breeding Season Tips

by Monty Wright, 13th September 2009.

If you are breeding canaries in cages, you need to continually check the feet of the hen when she is sitting. This is easy enough, as when you feed your soft food in the morning just lift the nest and the hen will pop off. At this point you can check her feet as she stands on the perch. If there are no toe balls then just leave her, but if she has dropping (toe balls) stuck to her feet you will need to catch her and remove them with a little water. Some times you will get pieces of nesting material around the foot also. If you don't remove these there is a chance that she will break the eggs each time she comes back onto the nest.

Also, don't use any wool as this will get wound around the foot or toe and cut off the blood circulation and the bird will lose toes from this.

Hook beak breeders: Don't keep looking in the nest, as some hook beaks just don't like intrusions.

It is important to keep plenty of extra food up to any birds that have chicks. Apple, greens, some soaked seed, or soaked bread - it all helps.

Copyright Monty Wright 2009. Used with permission.

Breeding Season Under Way

By Monty Wright, 25 September 2009.

There are several things that you need to be doing during the breeding season. You have to remember that your birds are expending a lot of energy feeding the young which they have in the nest at present. This means that you should be giving them as much extra food as they can take to feed the chicks.

One method is soaked seed. This should have been fed at least once a week coming up to the breeding season so they are used to getting it. When they come to have chicks they are automatically on to eating it. There are several ways to get the required product.

One method is to boil it for twenty minutes and then wash with cold water in a sieve and let dry off before feeding. Of course you can also microwave it for about ten minutes to achieve the same result, but let it stand for about a further four minutes before you wash it. Another method is to soak the seed over night drain and wash thoroughly and drain again before feeding. This method is all right for small seeds, but if you are soaking large grain seeds such as barley, wheat or large oats, they need to be soaked for at least twenty four hours to get soft enough for canaries to eat. In fact barely and corn can take up to forty eight hours of soaking to be soft. Seeds that can be used are Canary, Rape, Millets, Phalaris (wild canary). Hulled Oats, Sunflower, Radish, Barley, Corn, Sunflower and Wheat. Never use oil seed like Linseed or Plantain. You can use other wild seeds especially if you have finches. Some birds will not eat some seeds successfully unless they have been soaked. Kale is one of these. It is very sour, but when soaked or even sprouted will be eaten by most passerine finches. Hookbeak's are not keen on any seeds like Rape, Turnip and Kale.

One other way of feeding soaked seed is to leave it to sprout. This can be achieved by keeping it in a hot place to sprout. Unfortunately you have to be very careful when feeding sprouted seed as it often gets mould or fungus starting as soon as it get warmed up. This can cause all sorts of problems if fed to the birds. You have to wash it again just to clean it out. Some breeders put detergent through the seed to clean it, but I do not like using this method. It is best to feed the sprouted seed just as it is breaking out of the grain. If you wait till it has roots and long sprouts it is a very expensive green food.

It is also important to keep the green food up to the birds. Most birds love chickweed and it is always available early in the season, but don't feed to much at once as it contains a lot of water and can scour the adults as well as the chicks. Wild Turnip, Shepherds Purse, Dandelion, Plantain are just a few wild plants. And commercially grown plants Silver beet, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Pock Choi and Bock Choi are also good.

Copyright Monty Wright 2009. Used with permission.

Into Breeding Season

By Monty Wright, 2009.

At this time of the year various problems and decisions have to be made to do with the breeding season. How many nests, for example, should I allow each hen to rear? Two rounds are plenty unless a hen has a nest of clear eggs, in which case she should be allowed to sit out the incubation period. If you have a clutch of eggs which have gone past the 14 days of incubation, this is a sure test of your patience.

By all means test the eggs for fertility, by holding them up to the light after seven days. If they are dark then they are fertile. If they are clear you can see the yoke still inside the egg. Some times you are not sure, and this can happen when the hen has not reached incubation heat straight away. Give them another day or two if you are not sure, as these chicks may hatch 16 or 17 days after the egg was laid.

Make sure that the air in the bird room keeps circulating. Also that there is enough moisture around the nest, this can be achieved by giving the bird that is sitting a bath a few days before she is due to hatch. This keeps the eggs moist with their damp breast feathers, thus preventing the shell from becoming too hard and brittle. I also throw some water on the floor of the bird room each evening. I have heard of some breeders in very hot areas hanging a wet towel up each time that they leave the bird room. Others spray the hen sitting on the nest once a day.

I would like to point out the importance of cleanliness. During the breeding operation cleaning can take place each week as usual if care is taken. I have changed this season from using sand on the floor of the cages to sawdust, and have found it much better. It is easy to pick up big droppings as they have happened each morning as I am feeding out the soft food, and you can just put a further hand full back in on the floor.

Dishes for soft food must be washed in some soapy water as they get soiled so you need several in your trolley to replace them each day if needed.

Ringing can be an important time as you need to gage when to do it. Some chick's feet grow much fast than others so it is an individual decision.

Don't leave chicks too long with a hen if she is not feeding them fully; a well feed nest of young cluster up, heads to the middle when feeding has taken place, but poorly fed chicks will spread about the nest, and will look miserable! Give the hen something different to eat and feed the chicks by hand to keep their strength up if necessary. I leave the cock with all my hens unless I am using him with other hens.

Some hens won't come off the nest so then take the cock out and she will come off to feed her self. The problem of single chicks crops up every year. I think it is far better, if possible to foster it out if you can. One chick looses a lot of body heat by its self and you need all the energy going back into development of the chick, not lost to the air. I have tried several methods of marking these chicks and have found the best method is to mark the chick under the wing with a Sharpie permanent pen.

I don't think it is wise to remove the chicks too soon from the mother. In fact I generally recommend it is better to leave them if possible till the hen lays her second round. Then I remove all the chicks and cock bird at the same time in to a separate cage. Make sure that you have plenty of nesting material available at all times and also tie some string onto the wire of the cage to stop feather plucking. By this time the chicks should be pecking for themselves and if they have not quite got it right the cock will top them up. I only have one perch just off the ground so the food is under their noses at all times. When you see them all feeding remove the cock.

Copyright Monty Wright 2009. Used with permission.

Talking Soft Food

by Monty Wright

There are several mixtures which one can buy from most pet shops, but one very good one is the High Nutrient Density Chick Starter Crumble available for poultry breeders. This excellent mixture has everything that is needed for chicks from day one by any birds that are feeding their young, or just keeping the condition on the stock. Chick Starter's if fed all the time can also keep your seed bill down and still maintain everything they require. Although many breeders have good success with their own mixture they make up, I always tell them "if it is working don't change it". In fact any food that is given to infants can be given to your birds with amazing results. One thing to remember is that we like a variety of food and so do our birds and the bigger the variety the better for them especially at breeding time.

There are three types of crumble available to us:
PCL Barnyard Chick Starter Crumble
NRM Chick Starter Crumbles
Sergeant Dan Chick Crumble

I mix up quite a large pale of food using the chick crumble, some corn crumble if available, some bread crumb's, caster sugar to sweeten it and give a little more energy and some milk powder with a probiotic in it such as Ultra-Lac and also some maw (poppy seed). This is kept in an air tight container.

Soft food Mix
2 Scoops Chick Crumble
1 Scoop Corn Crumble
1 Scoop Bread Crumb's
1/2 Cup ground Kelp or Hemp
2 Measures Ultra-Lac Milk powder
1/4 Cup maw seed.

Daily Mix in the blender
1 Slice bread (if bread crumbs aren't already added).
2 Cups of Mix
1 Egg (during breeding season).
Some Carrot
Some Broccoli

After mixing it I also add some soaked seed, to the bowl that has been soaked for twenty four hours. This is fed out every day to all the birds from Zebras, Canaries and hook beaks. Some breeders feed it twice a day.

Copyright Monty Wright 2009. Used with permission.

Agate Talk

by Monty Wright

Introduction to Breeding and Judging Agate Canaries

The Agate was one of the first mutations to appear in the canary world. It first occurred in 1709 in France and appeared from double green mating, according to Hervieux in his written literature. However it was not until 1900 in the Netherlands that it again appeared and test matings then revealed it to be sex-linked which fix the mutation. It was originally called a "dilute" and this is exactly what it is. When it first appeared in France the breeders likened the colour to a gemstone called Agate, which has brown and fawn stripes and it took some time for the name to be accepted. It was necessary to change from dilute as when mated to browns (cinnamons in Britain at that time) it also had the same effect. The name Isabel was chosen for the dilute browns.

The agate factor acts as a modifier of all forms of melanin pigment. This causes black and brown melanins to dilute to half the normal strength. It also allows for more colour pigment to be displayed on the bird. The black pencilling becomes very dark grey and on examination of the under feather it changes colour to charcoal grey.

On the non-frosted birds, gold agates, which are quite a different colour, appear. With the brown removed on the yellow ground it gives a lime-green colour with fine black pencilling striations. The frosted (buff) birds have an overlay of pale frosting on the tips of their feathers masking out some of the body colour; also, the striations are wider. Often breeders have double buffed these birds and in some cases the frosting gives a white appearance instead of the soft yellow that should show. In this case the feather becomes far too wide and again spoils the appearance of the bird. One of the common faults with this type of bird is the loss of colour on the back and between the wings. Of course this mutation is also available in white ground birds which are called silver agates. Again you can get both non frosted as well as frosted birds in the silvers. These are difficult for the novice to pick up. A general rule of thumb is that the fine feathered birds have a high slate tinge to their colour.

Mating

When selecting for mating you should always mate non-frosted to frosted (yellow to buff) feather,; however, there are only a few breeders that have retained the non-frosted birds. Some breeders use white ground birds to cover this problem. I personally have used this over the last few years, but I am not pleased with the outcome. I have used Ivory green hens with the best success. These birds lengthen the feather just a little and do not lose size, which is something that we also need to keep in mind. I know there is no size set in our standard, but a larger good coloured bird always looks better than a small miserable bird. Also from this mutation you can follow sex-linked patterns, and breed some ivory agates, which are the most delightful of birds.

Most books that you read will tell you to mate agates to Isabels, but I have found over many years that this always changes the striations to a brownie-black, which is no good for showing in the agates. Yes, you can use it, but only use the offspring in the Isabel line if they exhibit this form.

The introduction of Satinettes will lift the colour and it is easy to pick out cock birds that are carrying this mutation because of this. Unfortunately using satinette can also bring a brown ting into the striations on both cocks and hens. Therefore it is a mutation that you can only bring in every third or fourth generation and be very strict on your selection for breeding the next season. This works very well and seems to maintain the striations on the side of the cock birds better than even the agate to agate matting.

I generally go out to one of the classic (greens) every so often, although have not found this so necessary since using ivory in the line. I have tried Opal in the line, but found it to widen the marking and change the colour of the striations too much. Also a fault in all our opals is the head capping mark, which often appears.

Judging

I have found over the years that first thing when judging Agates or any striated birds is to have a good look at them on the show bench first. Don't get too close - in fact, stand as far back as you can and observe them for a while. They will have been in this position probably over night and are reasonably relaxed. Take careful note of the striation marks. Are they even on the chest to the flanks? Are they the same on both sides? Are they as dark as possible; black is prefered, but is the hardest to achieve. Make a mental or written note on how you would place them before removing them to the judge's stand.

Bad points are: striations too light, too brown, too uneven, not in straight lines and sometimes too wide.

At this point check the colour on the back, which should be bright depending on colour form. Check the striations for straightness and darkness. I have found over the years that this is best done by putting the birds on the bottom board on your judge's stand. This gives you a good opportunity to view them with out getting too close. I then shift them to the top stand as I have selected them from the show bench and the bottom stand.

Next is the overall colour of the bird. Rate good even colour in both non-frosted and frost higher than those with mottled or uneven colour or even too heavier frosting. Some non-frosted may even have frosting on the back.

The last marking to consider is the beard marks coming down from the end of the beak. These should be dark and bold. As a rule hens show better markings over all the cocks, but often cocks will have higher colour.

It is very, very important at this time to stand as far back as possible and let the birds do their job of showing themselves off to you. This always takes time, as if you don't do this they will make liars out of you later on in the day and you may have some explaining to do to the exhibitors. My final word of warning is: judging New Colour canaries cannot be done fast, as this is only one of the mutations that you will be looking at on your day of judging. Make your decisions on what you see and remember why you placed the birds in the order that you have.

Copyright Monty Wright 2005. Used with permission.

Judges with Hats

By Monty Wright, 4th June 2005.

Over this show season it has come to my attention the number of judges that are wearing hats. This made me wonder how many exhibitors wear hats in their bird room or when they were going through their aviaries.

While stewarding at show I noticed how the birds were getting upset every time the judge got close to the front of the cage. This was obviously most unsettling for the birds. A quick look around the hall and I noticed three of the judges had hats on. I had noticed this at some shows earlier in the season also.

Now I have no problem with judges wearing hats at all. I learnt some years ago when one of my friends who wears glasses all the time, upset the birds in the cages every time he was in the bird room. I also remember a judge who wears glasses only for reading but had to wear them when he was judging and just about had to get in the cage with the bird to see it properly. The birds went mad and at morning tea at one show, he commented how the birds would not settle so he could see them properly. I pointed out what I had observed. I suggested he stand back from them after he had made sure the birds had the correct rings and were in the right classes, and good condition. That worked very well for him from then on.

I also think that people should be allowed to wear what ever they feel comfortable in when judging. We the exhibitors need to prepare our birds by wearing different clothes such as hats in our bird room to get the birds used to such things.

Copyright Monty Wright 2005. Used with permission.

Judging Lizards

by Monty Wright

There is quite a difference when judging some species of canaries to some other birds that we see on our show bench. Some are quite simple, as you only have to be able to keep the one standard in your mind and very little else matters. Yorkshire, Norwich, Borders and Glosters all come into this group. And if you are in doubt you can always take the yearbook out and do a comparison.

Lizard Canary - courtesy of Animal-World.com

However, things are a lot different with some of the other species of birds that we see on the show bench. Lizards come into the more difficult group. This most unusual little marked bird was first recorded in a book published in 1713. This bird has a different feather pattern and colour to all the other standard birds. Over the years that followed, this species has had a very chequered life, just about being lost during the Second World War. However through crossing and line breeding it has been brought back to its very best exhibition standard that we see today. During the out-crossing cinnamon, fawn and blue birds were introduced to the species. This adds to the colours that we see today on the show bench. The class "Any Other Colour" is also kept in the standard to promote some further development should anyone wish to take up the challenge.

The lizard canary is a self-coloured bird. In other words, it is a dark-feathered bird that has dark grey under flu feathers. The colour has often come under discussion. The breeders have always tried to keep the colour green out of the species as much as possible. The preferred colours are old gold and silver. However after being crossed with yellow-based birds it was difficult to do this. The breeders then turned to bronze reds and apricots that are in the new colour breeds. This has been brought in to this breed of canaries by hybridising with hooded siskins - this being one of the few hybrids that is fertile.

The controlling body for lizard canaries in New Zealand is the Lizard Canary Society of NZ. It was formed for the purpose of encouraging the breeding and exhibiting of this breed in New Zealand. This society was founded in 1974 and is responsible for determining the standard which the breeders are striving to achieve. Judging points are allotted to the spangles on the back, feather quality over all, ground colour, breast marking, wings, tail, cap, covert feathers, eyelash, beak, legs and feet and also the steadiness and staging.

When judging lizards it is best to view them at three different levels. Therefore clubs should supply the judge with a three-tiered judging stand. It is always best to have a good look at the birds on the show bench before you shift them. I have always said that often your first choice is your best choice in most breeds, but this is not the case with lizards, as there is so much to take into consideration.

First you need to look at the spangling on the back. This means that you have to be able to look down on them. They should be distinct and in good rows. I then take the best one and place it on the next shelf up. Then I select the next best and so on. If there are any light feathers in the tail or on the back, I put that bird straight to the end, as they will never make up the points lost with a light feather.

Always place your bird on the next level the way you read, from left to right and check that the cap is correct for the class it is placed in by the owner. The next job is to look at the rowing on the side of the bird; these should be individual black spots and should be in straight lines. They should continue around to the front of the bird leaving no gap under the chin. The body colour should also be considered at this level. Next you should place the best bird on the next shelf, but keep a note of how you placed them on the middle level. At this level you need to see if the marking continues past the vent to the tail. It should form a V at this point.

It is a process of elimination that you are going through all the time. Sometimes you have to weigh up which is the better form or marking and if you have some poor birds it can make it quite difficult at times. There are other things to consider also. Sometimes you have to make your mind up whether the colour is correct for the class it has been put in. I always take a bird from the other class that you think it could go in and compare it. Remember sometimes you just have to accept it where it is.

There are some faults that you must look out for such as light flanks and light bib marks under the chin or around the face. The face marks are called bald face.

Well, I hope this assists the lizard breeders and judges as well as other bird keepers when viewing these birds.

Copyright Monty Wright 2004. Used with permission.

Cuttlefish Bone

by Monty Wright

These are often called nature's source of minerals. We know the cuttlebone that our birds eat is an excellent source of calcium and other minerals, but would you recognise it if you saw it swimming in the sea? The cuttlefish is a mollusc of the genus Sepia, related to the octopus and squid and is a favourite food of the Chinese, being caught in their millions. The common cuttlefish has two gills, eight arms and two long tentacles on a board flattened body with an ink-sac and narrow elongated fin. In length it may vary from 15cm to 25cm and its colour varies from grey to brown. The genus is widely distributed and is notable as producing the pigment known as sepia. The calcareous shell is internal and after the animal dies' is washed up on beaches in many parts of the world where it can be collected, dried and is what we know as cuttlefish bone or cuttlebone. It contains over 80% calcium carbonate as well as trace minerals. These minerals are essential for the formation of healthy bones, for egg production and also for proper functioning of the heart muscle and nerves. Seed dose have some calcium, but it is best to supplement it from other sources such as Cuttlefish or oyster shell crushed. Of course commercial supplement may be added to soft foods, such as Sandoz powders for soft foods or Sandoz tablets used in water.

Copyright Monty Wright. Used with permission.