Month by Month Journal
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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 have TWO BIG THINGS to face head on this month!
Managing the 'winter rest' period for the birds, and setting a good goal for myself and my bird room!
I have continued the simpler diet and also shut off the heat vents from our central heating system. The average temperature in the bird room was actually rising, because we had turned on the central heat in the house, and because the sun is lower in the sky at this season in Montana and was shining directly in the large window.
I now have my adult males caged in groups of three and the hens are in several larger fight cages. Everyone seems happy, and content to eat and sleep! No thoughts of nesting!
Everything has settled into a routine.... cleaning the bird room continues as I sell some of the youngsters and rearrange remaining cages.
So, now to the BIGGEST TASK of all: setting a realistic and satisfying goal for myself!
Every breeder's situation will be different, depending upon their time, other jobs, space, future breeding plans and your original reason for keeping canaries!
For me, I originally bought canaries for my interaction with them... for watching their individual personalities and how they responded to us humans.
In a few years, I realized I loved making breeding plans and kept a few tame ones that had attached themselves to me!
That began the slippery slope toward buying more breeds, types and colors... of keeping this one and that one 'to see what their pairing would produce'. This summer I spent my bird room time cleaning, feeding, washing and keeping records!
I did not have time to sit in a rocking chair with a cup of coffee and watch the birds. I took notes of the ones that were especially tame, were first to sing, or grew long nails and beak. But no time for anything else!
I do not want to be a COLLECTOR, where I would need a pair of every type that caught my eye. But it seemed to be where I was heading.
I want to remember why I began with canaries: the fun of each individual bird!
I have decided to keep only those that make me smile.. the ones that I have future plans for. I have five or six family lines of exceptional birds, both in singing and personality... and I have several family lines of American Singers. Plus, I have been very impressed with the qualities of the agates and opals.
This spring I began with 30+ pairs... and I set a goal of 20+ pairs for next year.
I feel happier already!
