I Hear Singing Again!

I woke this morning to canaries singing again!  It was nice!!!
I haven't posted about my canaries for the past year... as there was only bad news to report!
Remember I bought canaries December 2010.  2011 was fun, with lots of nesting, babies, and many cages of birds!  I sold and gave away some, and saved several of my favorites.  Summer of 2011 I had 8 birds.
Then they began to die.  First ones to go were the two older ones, which didn't worry me much.  They were given to me as older birds.  Then I lost the white male my mother had raised.  He was less than 8 months old!  Next went another young male I had raised, also less than 8 months old.  Next one of the hens I bought, and she was just two years old.  Well, I still had one male and two hens.
I did some reading, and couldn't find what I may have been doing wrong.  They did not get sick before they died; just suddenly got weak and died in about two hours.  One day, my mom heard a news story that the Scotts company was being sued for contaminated bird seed.  They had treated bulk seed in storage with an insecticide that was known to kill birds and cause Colony Collapse Disorder in bees that may visit bird feeders, which they do quite often.  The contaminated seed was sold under 90+ different labels, and by more than one company. 
I had purchased several specific types of bulk seed, from a lesser known seller on Ebay.  I had noticed that some of the birds did not eat much of it. 
Was this why they died at various times?  Did it depend upon how much they ate?  ????
I also changed the water I gave them.  Maybe our well water HAD changed somewhat after the flood, although the first three had died before the flood. ????
Then last month, my lone male died.
I intended to just let things be for a while, and not get in a hurry to buy more birds.  Although it was a pretty lonesome corner where the single cage now stood.  Even the hens were quiet... and one would call, and call!  She really missed the male.
THEN, we made a 'goat deal' with the canary guy and he 'talked' me into bringing home a few more birds.  :)  It didn't take much talking, as I had taken a cage with me when we went to pick up the goat!  :)
I have birds that sing!  And the two older hens are happy and lively again!  :)

Left to right:  In black cage are two Red Factor birds, a pair.  In the white cage are two males and a hen.  On the right, are my two older hens.
P.S.  The 'canary guy' and others have offered the opinions that I 'overfed' my birds last summer.  They think I gave them too much to eat.  I was following all the instructions in The Books, but I might admit that I had so much fun mixing egg foods, breeding formulas, alternating fruits and veggies, and adding treat seed mixes... that I might have gone overboard and 'killed them with kindness'.  I HOPE it is ONLY THAT!
So, they are getting a set amount of simple canary seed mix, and a small amount of green and orange vegetables several times a week.   :)
P.P.S.  One other possible cause of the deaths:  shortly before the deaths began, I had bought glazed pot saucers (made in China) to use for food dishes in the cages.  Over the past years, we have heard cautions about using China-made dishes/mugs ... especially items listed as 'not for use with food'.  There have been other cautions about toxic metals in other China-made items, especially the cheaper ones.  These pot saucers were cheap/cheap, and definitely not intended for use with food!  ?????

"Going to the Birds" was a great trip, man!

Things around here are 'goin' to the birds'! 

I have canaries!  :)   Waa-hoo!

After several years of  'if I find one, I'll buy it'..... I determined to get a bit more serious.
Pet stores were clueless, and the various 'grapevine' sources of information came up empty-handed.
Finally, I got the name of a breeder in Billings.

Thanks to Anne, I had a phone number! 

After a few weeks of phone conversations, and some planning.... we had agreed on the birds I wanted, and a money order was sent! 

BUT.....

Many of you know how hectic things are around here... and how there never seems time to get away from the ranch!  Now you know it really is true:  I couldn't see how I would have even one day free to drive to Billings!

I made arrangements with a local trucker, who makes regular trips to the Billings Livestock Yards... to pick up the birds.  But that wasn't very satisfying!

Besides, Bruce Thompson (the canary guy) sounded interesting, and I wanted to see his Sanaan goats, chickens, and other animals!

Winter hit Montana mid November, and the road conditions hadn't been great!  There were days and days of 'emergency travel only' in either the Billings or Harlem areas!

BUT WE MADE IT!

Last week, everything seemed as fine as could be expected, and with an approaching storm due to arrive the next day, we took off for Billings.  My son went along to share in the driving!  We left at 6 am and got home just after 8 pm. We didn't do a single other thing than drive and visit with Bruce AND LOOK AT THE CANARIES! :)

Bruce said let's go look at the canaries.. .and a blind man would have been able to find his way to the canary trailer! :)

You could hear the singing by LOTS of canaries from some distance!

The three of us went in the trailer... and found ourselves in the first little 'bedroom' filled with double and triple stacked cages with a narrow U-shaped aisle between!!!! Later, we went through a little bathroom crowded with supplies, etc. trash... into the 'kitchen/living room' where there were even more canaries. Bruce said a friend was in advanced cancer stages, and Bruce had 'adopted' his canaries.

Bruce apologized for the 'disorganization'... saying he had been spending time with his other barnyard animals, getting them ready for the cold weather, and had much to do in the canary trailer.

Yes, I saw seed on the floor, and lots of cages stacked up willy-nilly....... but every water dish was sparkling clean... and the birds just never stopped singing.... EVEN WITH TWO STRANGERS in the cramped quarters! I don't think the trailer has many visitors other than Bruce, but those birds were not scared a bit, and kept talking/singing even as Bruce caught the ones chosen for us!!!

He said 'disorganized', but actually, he knew each and every cage... which hatch it was, and from which parents, and how each cage was related to other cages. He had a breeding/hatching chart for this year.. on the back of a seed sack... and he used it for reference once or twice.... but he didn't need to refer to the records of band numbers to know which were hens, males, and which month they were hatched in!

He will soon put all the females in several large flight cages, and the males (singers as he calls them) in individual cages. He does a fall 'deep clean' and assessment of birds.

We had sent a money order for 7.... but I found a Gloster male that gave me a 'flirting look' and I was in love... so also bought him and a female Gloster.
Here is what we came home with....

• A white male and a grey/white female for my mom.
• A yellow male and yellow female for my cousin.
• A yellow male and two females for me... one solid yellow, and one with small variegation on the head.
• A grey/white Gloster male (consort plain headed) and green/yellow crested female for me.

After delivering everyone else's on Friday... I have 7 canaries in my house.  :)

Mom and I compared notes tonight, and all the 'singers' had sang today!!!

They settled in very nicely and have surprised us with their confidence and calmness... while being so alert and busy.
They are different than the canaries we had before... these are not spooked by even the dog shaking himself a foot from their cage! and these are so alert and happy!

A few more photos:

There were BEAUTIFUL reds: 

 These four cages were Bruce's friend's canaries: