THE NON-FEEDING HEN
It is normal for a hen to stop feeding her babies when she takes to her second nest of eggs. The cock bird can usually be depended upon to continue the job. However, a hen sometimes stops feeding at an earlier time, often because of an upset condition resulting from improper feeding—or from a fright. Such things as stale or soured soft foods, food deficiencies, or lack of sufficient fresh green food are most often the root of the trouble, although overfat and lazy hens sometimes seem to find proper feeding too much trouble. Try allowing the cock to carry on alone, giving the hen normal feeding until she resumes her duty. When the chicks are not being fed by either bird, it is advisable to divide the nestlings among the other nests if you have other pairs with chicks about the same age.
Otherwise, handfeeding is imperative. Chew either Pablum or oat flakes and when mushy, feed it to the babies from the end of a toothpick. In a day or two the parents may resume feedings. Should they not, the chewed food will have to be supplemented with greens, egg yolk, and after the chicks are ten days old, a little soft cuttle bone scraped from the soft side of the bone sprinkled over the mush. A few grains of table salt should also be added.
If a chick is out of the nest, it is likely to be afraid and refuse to open its beak for food. Take such a bird in your left hand, pry open the beak with the right thumb nail and hold it open with the nails of your left thumb and forefinger. Avoid injury either to the bird’s eyes or through too firm a hold. Keep the head elevated for easy swallowing and feed from a toothpick. Always feed warm food. A little milk sop from toasted whole wheat bread makes a good change. The babies usually will begin to feed themselves a few days after leaving the nest and can then be given moist nestling food, sprouted rape seeds, and cracked seeds prepared from regular French’s Bird Seed.
(Continued on [page 64])
A Canary Family
1. Mating time, canaries wooing
2. The female builds her nest
3. The eggs are laid
4. Hatching process begins
5. Mother bird feeds new-born babies
6. The babies now 8 days old
7. Fourteen days old
8. Twenty-one days old
(Continued from [page 59])