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COMMENTS are enabled for these journal posts so please jump in with your advice or questions!
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I also learned something this month:
FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCTS!
If you suspect the seed mix you have trusted is NOT as good as it was in the past, stop using it and find another source for fresh seed!!!
For the past four months, I have battled seed/flour moths that I KNOW came from the 25# bags of seed mix. I also cringed every time I emptied the bottom 'dust' of each bag into the garbage.
Last fall, I purchased 100's of pounds of canary seed mixes from two sources. I had good storage areas and I was hoping not to worry about buying seed for some time. Well......
From the first bag, one of the mixes was less than ideal. I kept thinking the next bag would be better. It wasn't.
Poor mixes with stale seed and low quality ingredients WILL have a noticeable effect on your birds!
I 'got by' because I also had a good seed mix to feed... and my soft food mix recipe is very nutritious.
But as soon as I bought a new brand of FRESH seed mix, there was an immediate improvement in the youngsters' condition!!!
So, do not ignore your instincts! If you think something is not quite right, change it.
Another tip: Watch your youngsters for cage mates who fight. Sometimes it is simply a normal squabble around the feed dishes. Or it could be something really serious, such as young males fighting. Even if they don't show broken, tattered feathers, the more dominate birds usually keep one or more of the more timid ones away from the food.
Please watch for slower, thinner birds in cages where you have multiple canaries... they may not be eating or drinking enough.
I always keep extra cages ready so I can move out any that are causing disruptions in the flights.
