September
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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This month, I was busy with ranch and family, so I spent less time in the bird room, which turned out to be a good thing!
I began a 'simple diet' for my adult birds: a basic seed diet, almost no fresh greens or treats, and no egg food. The young birds were given a few oil seeds, and various treats such as fall dandelion leaves, etc.
All the birds look healthy, happy and are growing like weeds. I have been VERY HAPPY with my new crop of youngsters this year! I have 35 set aside that I want to keep for myself! Yikes!!!
At this time of year, I want my adults to totally forget breeding!!! They have earned a rest period. If everyone is coming out of the molt in good condition, I even stop mineral supplements, except for cuttle bone. The youngsters do continue to have mineral powder in their cages.
I did intend to begin my 'apple-feeding' experiment this fall but I forgot this year!
(I posted last year, how feeding apples to my poultry flock caused them to stop laying eggs... so I feel daily feeding of a small slice of apple may help my canary hens stop tearing paper and laying.)
I was also late at photographing the young birds for sale... I just ran out of time.
I began my 'deep clean' of the bird room and all breeding supplies such as nests, cages, fake eggs, etc.
Both the cleaning task,and the realization of just how many birds I had for sale, made me realize... really and truly realize, I had begun this breeding season with TOO many pairs! ( I will address this top next month!)