February In The Bird Room --- Month by Month Journal

I began the month of February with an abundance of ideas, a notebook stuffed with written plans, AND a terrible head cold!
I was careful to limit my time in the bird room to the very necessary and tried to rest.  I was sick off and on most of the month!  As a result, the month passed in sort of a holding pattern.
The birds were fed the planned diet, minus any soft food. I did organize all my nests and other breeding supplies.

I also ordered 250 pounds of my favorite Roller seed Mix, 100 pounds of Song Treat (which I will feed to the youngsters learning to eat on their own, and during the molt), a bag of Flock Raiser crumbles, and various ingredients for my soft food recipe.  So, I am stocked up!  :D

I've been watching the birds, and continue to be very excited about this year!  Wow, I am in LOVE with so many of them, young and old!

While I was resting, I dug out some canary books, and refreshed my memory reading my favorites! 

It may be easy to impulsively post a question on a social group, and wait for answers...
but why not read a book... you will find all the answers and more!
Please, check out the list of my favorite books!

On that topic, a question was posted online about what to expect (variegation) from pairing two birds... such as clear, self or variegated.  This is a fairly basic subject.... without definite answers if the birds are not of your own breeding.  The grandparent birds appearances do influence future generations.  So, these basic guidelines are simply a starting point in guessing what the offspring will look like.

However, these guidelines are a good place to start!  They are quotes from several of the best books there are!  The photos below are from The Practical Canary Handbook:  A Guide To Breeding & Keeping Canaries  by Marie Miley-Russell and Canaries and Related Birds by Horst Bielfeld.  These books also cover other aspects of pairing two birds, such as color, feather type/quality, and other traits.

TOPIC	BOOK QUOTE
types of variegation ➞
predicted variegation in chicks ➞
predicted variegation and color in chicks ➟

"And the greatest of these is Love."

There are many reasons people own a canary ..... or two birds, or more!
I have talked with many 'canary people' over the past dozen or so years.
I may be looking for new birds, or someone is inquiring about any extras birds I may have.

Many are breeders:  some with half a dozen pairs, many with hundreds of birds in their flock.
Some are older people, who have found the comfort and pleasure of having a singing companion.
Others are young parents, wishing to introduce their children to bird keeping.

These people own a canary for many different reasons. 
Often is is to add yet another breed or species to their collection.
A few have dreams of being well-known in the bird show world.
A great many are thinking of the dollar value of the youngsters they will sell!

It is just my opinion, but the best reason to own a canary is because you love the beautiful little creatures. There is nothing wrong with all other possible reasons for keeping a canary, but

the greatest benefit you will gain
is the personal enjoyment you experience every day!

I know those who own canaries because they love to watch them --- are the most interesting to talk to!
If the second question a person asks is "How easy are they to sell?" OR most of their conversation is about taking birds to sell at a show, our conversations usually tail off into silence.
If the breeder is excited about training and exhibiting a bird, with breeding goals to work toward, our phone calls often become quite expensive! 😆

Please, keep canaries because you love them,
not because you dream of becoming rich and famous!

Below, I quote Matt Eld's words in Episode 3 of The Canary Room, which prompted this blog post!