Border Beautties - 2013 National Cage Bird Show

Beautiful Best Border Exhibited by Luis Belchior

Second place Exhibited by Luis Belchior

 This third place bird, also exhibited by Luis Belchior was one of my favorites!


Brian Johannson from Canada admired this lovely Border.

 My best Border that I exhibited took 3rd place in class! Of course, I proudly showed him to many Border exhibitors!

Several members offered me tips. Luis pointed out my wing carriage would be better if he wasn't so fat! Another member shared a training tip he originally got from Paul Dee that to make him stand better and show thigh, dip a short string in honey and hang in the middle of the show cage to train him to stand up better and show thigh!

Border Judge Paul Huyghe from Belgium, addressed the North American Border Club.

 Border Club President Tom Lauber

Paul Dee and Luis and others talk Borders in the show hall.

Luis's Phone Photos

Melanin Winners Lone Star 2013

1st Yellow Brown Exhibited by Jay and Brenda Varhola

2nd Yellow Isabel Exhibited by Oscar Roque

 3rd White Brown Exhibited by Ricardo Sanchez

4th Black Red Intensive and Best Novice Exhibited by Javier Martin

2013 Lone Star New Color Winners

 1st Place New Color Melanin - Brown Pastel Mosaic Male Exhibited by Oscar Roque

2nd Place White Satinette and Best Novice Exhibited by Javier Martinez

3rd Place Agate Yellow Opal Exhibited by Javier Martinez Notice the dark coloring on the underside of the tail compared to the top that identifies it as an opal.

2013 Lone Star Lipochrome Winners

Best Lipochrome - Yellow Intensive Exhibited by Jay & Brenda Varhola

2nd Best Lipochrome - Yellow Ivory Frost Exhibited by Jay & Brenda Varhola

3rd Best Lipochrome - Red Frost Exhibited by Ricardo Sanchez

4th Best Lipochrome - Red Intensive Exhibited by Javier Martinez Best Novice

2013 Lone Star State Canary Club Show Winners - Type Canaries

 While the show team put up the stands, I leisurely enjoyed a cup of tea in this delightful Halloween mug! It was a great show and we had lots of fun sharing our canary experiences!

Best Type  Canary - Fiorino Exhibited by Joseph Mikhailion

2nd Best Type Canary - Fife Exhibited by Ninez Giles

3rd Best Type Canary - Columbus Fancy Crested Exhibited by Javier Martinez

4th Best Type Canary - German Crested Exhibited by Jay & Brenda Varhola

Food To Jump Start And Advance The Song

Question: So what can I feed to advance the song, they are barely singing?

Egg yolk will stimulate singing and help bring the song along. The problem is that feeding just egg yolk can cause weight loss and if they lose too much weight they stop singing altogether and even if you get them to sing again, the song is not the same quality as before the weight loss.

This recipe is much better as the extra fat and carbs prevents the weight loss problem and protein with carbs is more effective at advancing the song than protein alone.

Jump Start And Advance The Song Egg Treat

1 hard boiled egg yolk
1 tsp butter
1 tsp honey
1 tsp poppy seed
1 slice Zwieback toast (similar to melba toast, check grocer baby section)

Every other day feed 1/2 tsp per bird. You do not want your birds pushing the song so evaluate them the following day and determine if tomorrow they need another dose. Thanks Almin for sharing this recipe!

Previously, I also mention using Biodecken "Jingle" or if unavailable Boost vitamins or if unavailable some product containing vitamin E at 1/2 strength and then evaluate the next day.

Sweetening Up The Song - Sweet Song Tea

 Lucca, my Belgian Malinois, likes to help train the German rollers. Maybe because before I stack them I remove yesterdays old dry bread and Lucca is happy to dispose of it for me!

 He is vigilantly keeping a close watch on them.

 Lucca loves hollow roll and if they are really good, they put him to sleep.

Often I stack the teams with a last year bird tutor in the middle. Especially when there is a tempo problem like to slow hollow roll, too fast hollow bell and high flutes.

 If they get the tempo right I move the tutor to the top but keep reinforcing the tempo till they give up and sing the right tempo.

A few minutes ago, my favorite team let out a rare obnoxious high pitch route rou ou. I was watching the birds at the time and for the life  of me, I couldn't figure out who did it. Then promptly it came again route rooou. I thought that sounds familiar like a rooster crowing. I look over to see Lucca laughing as he promptly jumped on his real sound rooster toy!

Yesterday I use a new water concoction which Almin shared with me that is to sweeten the song and I am quite pleased with the result!

Sweet Song Tea

1 Liter boiling water
2 tsp fennel seed or 2 fennel tea bags
2 tsp brown sugar

Cool and use for the birds water periodically and 3 days before the show.