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Hints on the Rearing and Keeping of Birds — Part 1

Most of the hard-billed birds and many of the soft-billed may be reared with ease, but the latter are rather more delicate. The hard-billed birds, so called, include the finches, sparrows, and any birds that break seed. The soft-billed are those that eat chiefly insects and fruit.

People often complain that their birds die from no apparent cause: my experience has been quite different, for though I have reared a good many birds of various kinds, I have never had but one death in my bird family, and that was a young redstart which had fallen from the top of a tree, where its nest was situated. I attribute my good fortune to the fact that my young birds get their meals with regularity and with each meal a drink of water.

I believe it is the lack of water that is responsible for so many deaths, especially when the birds are very young.

The best time to take fledglings is about a day or so before they are ready to leave the nest; they are then fairly strong and have something to boast of in the way of looks.

When the nest happens to be a long way from home, it is necessary to feed the birds every hour en route. With any of the frugivorous varieties a blackcap or any thoroughly ripe berry may be given, but it should first be masticated. For regular diet during the first two weeks or so feed with mashed boiled potato thoroughly mixed with the yolk of eggs hard boiled; this must not be used if in the least sour, and to guard against this it should be made fresh every day. A small smooth stick of hard, nonabsorbent wood, such as clay-modellers employ, may be used for a spoon; after each meal it should be dipped into water and a few drops put into the bird's mouth; every hour this performance takes place, from six in the morning till nearly dark. You see bird children are almost as much trouble as the human variety, and no one should keep them who is not willing to take infinite pains.

The next article of diet should be ants' eggs (which may be procured from any bird fancier), mixed with the potato and eggs--a little at first, and gradually increasing the amount; finally, with hard-billed birds, seed may be given as soon as the bill is hard enough, though at first it is sometimes necessary to crack the hemp-seed before giving it.

For soft-billed birds I know of nothing better than what is known as "mocking-bird food"; this may be bought either in the dry or the moist form. The latter kind can be made from the following recipe:

6 parts corn-meal.

6 parts pea-meal.

6 parts German moss-meal.

Add a little melted lard and molasses, fry well for half an hour, keeping it well stirred. If put in a covered jar it will keep for a long time.

This is rather rich, and if found to disagree with the bird the dry form of food should be substituted, mixing it fresh every day with grated carrot and water sufficient to moisten it. Birds must be watched carefully to see that their food agrees with them; except when moulting they should be lively and have good appetites; if such is not the case, it is probable that the food does not suit them, and a change should be made immediately. Occasionally birds have fits; that is to say, they drop down without any warning, and either lie perfectly still, with feet upturned as though dead, or they revolve rapidly while on the ground. This happened to one of my favourite pet birds, and in despair I consulted a bird dealer, who told me to cut the nail and thus draw blood. I did so, but without any result. Several times on alternate days the poor bird had these fits, and every time we believed him to be dying. Finally, as a last resource, we changed his diet from the moist to the dry food with plenty of carrot, and from that day he has been perfectly well, very much to our delight.

It is advisable to give birds as much ripe fruit and green stuff as they wish. Young lettuce they are particularly fond of, but they will eat almost any young leaves.

Frequent baths will do much toward keeping birds clean and healthy; every day or two they should be given, but it will be noticed that during the period of moulting the bath will be but little used.

Never put young birds, no matter how young they may be, in any artificial nest that differs essentially in texture from their own; for example, a young crow or catbird should have sticks and not soft rags or cotton, but a young phoebe may get along very well in a cotton nest. The reason for this is that some birds require greater development of the leg muscles than others, and when quite young they keep their feet in constant motion, grasping the small twigs that form the inside of the nest; in this way they develop and strengthen the necessary muscles of the leg. When unnatural conditions have prevented this exercise, I have known the birds to become partly paralysed and die, and I have no doubt that the absence of suitable rough material was the direct cause. Nature is very wise in regard to her children, and you will do well to follow her example whenever you are at a loss.