Rapid Male Readiness Screening Test - Cock Feathers

When I want to make a quick assessment of how the cocks are coming along, I observe the perched cock to see if I can see cock feathers hanging down. 

 A closer look at the same border males looks pretty good. He is ahead of his peers!

 So what about lagging Richey, he is really catching on and developing since a few days ago when I made those light and dietary changes. Today, I could see a hint of cock feathers hanging down on Richey! His vent is also starting to point forward toward his head and starting to get a red color. It is still too yellow in color and need the sides to engorge rather than be parallel. He is very active now and does have a hint of fat layer on his lower abdomen.

Yesterday, I decided to add the new Biodecken product Novafood breeding on the Border cock above and Richey. Even in 24 hours the vent is development is dramatic. They are both individually caged so can't tell about aggressive tendency but I will be evaluating that too. When I scan, the cocks getting all the other changes except Biodecken novafood breeding, I do not see any cock feathers hanging down. Now I will try it on a flight of two and see if they start being too aggressive with each other. Report: cocks are much more active and doing some chasing but nothing serious. A couple of border were very lazy and like to lay down on the perch. They are up and moving!

When cocks are ready, I will try it on some hens.

Later in the day, I observed a slight reddening of the Border cocks legs and feet. Borders are sensitive to protein, ideally it is probably 16 to 18%, and when they get too much you see reddening of the legs and feet. Immediately, I removed the Novafood Breeding diluted mix and feed unlimited greens, oats, and bread and today I also gave each experimental cage some of the Avi-Gain which is high carb and fat. The color has now dissipated. I will have to be a lot more careful with the amount. I did mix Novafood breeding (25%) with food at the ratio listed but the food I use was regular Novafood (14% protein) which not knowing the amount to feed, pushed the protein way over. Oops. I need to mix with something with very low protein content and feed very little. For right now, I have stopped this experiment taking the advise "If it isn't broke, don't fix it"!

Update: Well the lazy Borders are still moving and one started singing a breeding song. So am I going to keep trying this product. Yes, it has quite an effect but what I need to figure out is how much to use and how often. Have contacted Ricardo Sanchez, Biodecken distributor is the US, and he will be getting with the company nutritionists for advise.

Getting The Birds To Eat Kale

 Seems like every health food icon is promoting the benefits of dark leafy green vegetables especially Kale. My family eats kale in scrambled eggs for breakfast most mornings but when I feed it to the birds they either avoid eating it or eat very little and waste most of it!

During the summer months, I fed my birds lots of dark green minced broccoli leaves, so why not minced kale.


I simply put the kale in the food processor and process and add it with broccoli to quinoa along with maybe some thawed peas and corn. Birds love it then and clean up every bite.

If I see excessive aggression and I am interested in slowing the aggressive cocks down a bit, I add more greens to the menu! Today, I saw some cocks feeding other cocks and likewise hens feeding hens but I observed an occasional cock cage where the border cocks were trying to jump on top and pin other border cocks. I do not want to see this get out of hand and become a blood bath. Even with this behavior most are not tubular enough in shape and I do not see cock feathers hanging down.

You may have noticed that I am not feeding cous cous at this time. The reason is any wheat products seems to promote early egg laying and I am at least 4 weeks preferably 5 or even 6 weeks till I am totally happy with the cock and hen readiness. I do not give the cous cous to hens till all conditions are right for breeding but I may give some to cocks if they are lagging a bit in a couple of weeks. When breeding begins, lots of cous cous will be fed.

Friends In The Fancy - David and Edith Benites - Quinoa Eggless Nestling Food Recipe

The Benites’ quinoa mix recipe is:

Quinoa is a grain, just like rice, but a lot more nutritious.

http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/whole-grains-an-important-source-of-essenti al-nutrients

How to prepare quinoa has the rule of plus one, meaning…

4 cups of quinoa to 5 cups of water

… all in a rice cooker. (quick rice setting)

Once cooked, turn off cooker with lid on. Within an hour open the cooker and empty cooker onto large containers ( we use two for the cooling to be faster)

Leave the quinoa drying and cooling for an additional two hours.

Our nestling food mix for the breeding season is as follows:

·         4 cups of quinoa already cooked and as dry as possible

·         1 cup of nestling food (commercial brands like Quicko, Orlux, etc.)

·         1/2 a cup of Petamine (multi-vitamin mix)

·         1 heaping tablespoon of Probios, powder form  (probiotic)

You can buy Probios in the 5 lb. jar (best buy and you can split is with a friend) from Jeffers… 1-800- Jeffers. We use two 5 lb. jars of it, per breeding season. It stimulates hens to feed and offspring to ask for food.

·         1 teaspoon of vitamin E. (The vitamin E is powdered from Ruben Alonso, who is a wonderful person and very prompt in his deliveries. His phone number is: 561.670.1481.)

·         Use of vitamin E, one month prior to the breeding season and the following first two months.

·         1 tablespoon of Calcium (powdered calcium called CALCI-LUX by OROPHARMA. You can buy it in Amazon. $32.00 plus shipping for 500 grams.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=calci-l ux&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acalci-lux

·          
 Mix and refrigerate

Other than the fantastic properties that is contains, there is nothing to peel, which in turn, allows the parents to regurgitate with ease! 

PS Quinoa at COSTCO costs $12 for 4 lbs. Use as you go.

Feel free to contact us at canariesandmore@cox.net

Best regards,

David J. Benites

NCA & COM-OMJ

Judge

Bottoms Up - Male Physical Exam

Richey, my new German Roller male, looks at me in disbelief. "Isn't the fact that I am always singing when you peak in the aviary good enough? ....  No and that is final!  I do not want to bare all on your blog!"

 As I proceed to catch him, he shyly hides from me and puts up quite a chase in protest.

 First the breast bone. Oops Richey, it is a bit sharp to my liking! Pelvis bones are also too prominent and no slight yellow fat layer on the lower abdomen. Richey, you are a little too thin!

When a male is too thin, they may not come into breeding condition and infertility is common. Too fatten him a bit, I add a generous amount of sunflower chips (pieces) and hulled hemp seed to some song food mix (Higgins brand). To this mixture I added Avigain from Avitech company.

Note the small vent is pointed toward the tail instead of bent forward toward the head. The color is yellow and not fiery red. The sides of the vent are parallel and not engorged. He is not ready but on a good note he has some development in spite of being on the thin side. (Sorry Richey about the slight trim so I could get this only slightly revealing photo, a little tricky shot since you are in one hand and the camera in my other hand, but when the time comes, I'll shape it some more and really trim off the side feathers! My husband Pat told me to just tell you to turn your head and cough!)

Time for extra nutrients. One of my favorites is 4 cups nestling food (Biodecken Novafood from Ricardo Sanchez ricardo@ricardosanchez.cc or 214 998-7474) and 1 tablespoon Miracle New Canariz vitamin amino acid from Italy (ABBA Products). At present I only feed this to males but will give to hens when close to breeding.

Today, I started coating the regular seed mix for all birds with fortified wheat germ oil. I use one cup to 50 lbs seed mix. First take about 5 lbs and add the oil and mix well and let stand till the oil is well absorbed into the seed, then mix in with rest of seed. I continue this till breeding season is over.

Today, I also will turn the lights up to 12 hour days. Richey being new to the aviary in November has been housed in his own cage. If I put him in with other males, to bring on some territorial fighting, he would lose more weight and condition.

As a side note: when you put males together for territorial fighting to condition, the easiest way is to put them all simultaneously into a different cage rather than adding a bird to a cage where the territory is already established.

Passing On The Flock

Perhaps you have also thought of what to do about your flock should you pass on. David Bopp of Ohio had made specific plans that should he pass, his flock would go to Richard May.  Richard had proudly told me how he would pick the birds up and take care of everything so that the birds would not be an issue for David's wife Judy or his family. David also had shared his plan with me and was so relieved and happy that he could trust Richard to handle it for him.

Then at Christmas time, Richard unexpectedly passed on.... Like most of us, Richard had no family members who were bird people and wanted to carry on after him. But what he had was wonderful bird friends who stepped up to the task.

First, Dave Galloway working with Richards family, picked up the birds and took them to his place for temporary housing while plans were being made with David for distribution. David and Richard, both being from Ohio, had driven considerable distance too many bird shows together. David had also shared his stock with Richard and shared his joy when Richard first become a Master Breeder and then when he won the Roller Division at the National Cage Bird Show in both 2012 and 2013 and Best Bird in Show in 2012.

From the time they had spent together, David knew Richards likes and dislikes pretty well and he wanted to place Richards birds as best he could as Richard would have wanted so that his flock would continue on. As a result quality birds have been relocated with several breeders in many states including Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Washington, New York, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

Should this have happened to me, I would want my birds shared around with breeders all over the US just as Richards were!  

Bird Friends Are Priceless!
 

Richard May National Cage Bird Show Banquet 2013

David Bopp National Cage Bird Show Banquet 2013

Family Condolences may be sent to:
 

Robert W. May

P. O. Box 752

Azle, TX  76098 

First Aid - Pasted (Caked) Vent

After washing and cleaning this hen's pasted vent, you can note a rare area on the upper part. In addition, to cutting feathers away from the area, I will treated the bird with Dr. Rob Marshall's KD Powder in the water for five consecutive days.

Biodecken moisturizing ointment  contains 12% Aloe vera and can be used to treat the cloaca, legs or beak as needed.

Biodecken also sells a Fungicide containing .15% ketoconazole for treatment of fungal skin disease in ornamental birds.

A number of things can cause pasted vent. As simple as feeding too much flax seed to infections which require treatment with various agents. If a sweet chicken-like smell is noted it is likely bacterial usually E. coli, Clostridial, or Streptococcus or even caused by yeast (Candida). If the caking is hard and dark black it maybe a a low grade Megabacteria. Dark green and greasy caking and sweet smelling is characteristic of Candida. In breeding hens it may signify uterus infections.

No unusual odor was noted in this hen so I will start with just the cleaning five day treatment with KD Powder followed by probiotics.

Friends In The Fancy - Dr. Jan Vanderborght - The Molt

Managing the Molt

The molt is one of the most demanding periods for our birds. After breeding, incubating and feeding the chicks  the birds start molting on a bad timing, meaning they already are tired!

The energy needed for a proper molt is needed for the formation of new feathers, and knowing this constitutes around 20 to 30% of their body weight, I don’t need to tell you how much energy is needed for this. In fact the molt is the first step towards a good breeding season next year! It has been proven feathers produced at daytime are of better quality as to feathers produced at night, when the birds are fasting and there is no continuous apport of energy. Some fanciers make a quick drop in daylight hours regimen after breeding, but let us be cautious with this as impaired feather quality can pop up. Remember energy needs at peak molt period is about 20% higher as to other periods.

Therefore trying to get birds through the molt only on seed and water is almost criminal.

So, what should we do?

First of all providing a good quality softfood every day, with the same protein level as during the breeding season.  Also birds have higher needs of the amino acids methionine and cysteine for proper building of new feather, for which we can use some supplement like B-Chol or Sedochol.

Over here we give softfood every day, one day supplemented with sprouted seeds, the other day with some broccoli and some wild seeds.

We also have to pay attention not to stress the birds, so keep manipulating the birds at low level, also as to starting too soon with show training, a mistake often made.

Vitamins are given by us every other day, as some birds do not eat softfood but have to drink. Acidification of the drinking water is done twice a week with products like apple cider vinegar or Vior.

As to disease this is a very critical period, as sick birds in this time of the year can quickly be fatal.

A preventive cure with Baycox for three days, 3 ml/L can be given.

Also keep a close eye as to mites and give the birds a drop of the Frontline spray in the neck.

As to get some better colour one can help mother Nature by providing the right building blocks. A supplement containing enough copper, zinc and iron improves the eumelanin formation, and the cysteine  supplement favours the phaeomelanin formation. Carotenoids from spirulina, pollen or marigolds can enhance the yellow colour, but have to be used with caution as artificial colouring is forbidden in Borders.

As the molt is almost finished we do lower the protein level of our softfood increasing the amount of carbohydrates, with the addition of a vitamin B complex which helps in getting a better closed feather coat.

Don’t forget to provide a bath on a regular base, but don’t leave the baths on for too long as the birds might drink contaminated water. We provide baths but once the last bath is provided we already start taking away the first ones, don’t  panic if some birds don’t bathe, after a few times they know to hurry up.

In conclusion, take good care of your birds in the molt and you will be rewarded!

Dr Jan Vanderborght       dr.vanderborght@gmail.com