Extract of Cage & Aviary Birds, translation and adaptation of Ghislaine LEJEUNE, with the pleasant authorization of the B.P.C. the BRABANT (Belgium).

Extract of Cage & Aviary Birds, translation and adaptation of Ghislaine LEJEUNE, with the pleasant authorization of the B.P.C. the BRABANT (Belgium).

Harry Dix held and raised Norwich during nearly 60 years. Here, he tells us how he manages his stock.

Aside from the 6 years spent on board the "HMS Cumberland" during the Second World War, I have raised Norwich since 1937. When I began, I also raised some hybrids but I quickly realized that Norwich represented a greater challenge to take up and I decided to devote myself only to them.  I was always fascinated by the type of the Norwich, which can be summarized in a word: COBBYNESS (harmonious stoutness).  With the wire of time, I found that it was quite difficult to produce birds of high quality and I think that those who succeed in raising two to three specimens off line during its existence worked well!

Several years ago, I held carrier pigeons.  My current room is pigeon reconverted: a part of my material went up at the time of my beginnings, such as the supports of square breeding boxes out of wood with their perforated zinc funds. I still use them because they are practical for birds of the size of Norwich. They are enough roomy to shelter the young in full growth. Other very useful accessories are the racks in wire in which one can deposit materials of nesting by hanging them to the fronts cages, as well as the plastic ends which are adjusted with the perches to prevent them from turning at the times of the matings. 

With regard to the general management of my breeding, I always paid a detailed attention to the females because they are the "gold dust" of my stock. I start to bring my birds in condition as of December. At this time, the females are placed in a large birdcage and the males (by groups of three) in double cages of breeding. I seldom use illumination and heating in my room because I prefer that the birds arrive in condition of breeding most naturally possible. Their basic feed is composed of a mixture for Canaris of high quality, accompanied by egg food distributed once per week. This one is increased to twice the week as from February, and at several times per day as soon as the young are in the nests. This food is prepared starting from Rusk, some condition seed, soaked shuttle, the whole being mixed with two or three hard cooked eggs. During the winter, when the females take exercise in the birdcages, it is important to supervise the growth of the plumage which surrounds the cesspool.  If it becomes excessive, it should be shortened. This phenomenon often emerges when the winters are rigorous. However, when the breeding arrives, I cut the excessive feathers around the cesspools of all my birds, males and females and I take care that the nails are cut short.  From January, I plan the couplings on paper in order to know which I will link in April. I believe that that is not worth the sorrow to couple before April because Norwich arrive in condition of breeding more tardily than the varieties of smaller size. In April, the weather is usually better, the days are longer and complementary food such as pimpernel or the dandelion is then available. If you take an earlier departure, the results can be disastrous and your whole season can be ruined. I couple always intensive X schimmel and the subjects with "hard feather" with those with "soft feather" to maintain a high level of quality of the plumage in the whole of my breeding. The color must be well taken into account because I believe that the best results are obtained only when one uses green or mixed birds as bases. The sign of "green blood" can be detected in the lipochrome by blowing on the plumage of the stomach, seeking to see a prime coat more marked than one seldom finds in the young resulting from lipochrome X lipochrome. According to my experiment, Norwich which was high with an aim of a "natural" color lends better to being coloured artificially. In the past, I was accustomed to mixing Spanish red pepper with pâté with egg but during last years, the appearance of Carophyl Rouge facilitated the things and gives to my birds this small basic bit of additional color which draws the attention of the judges.

I try to expose a maximum of time to the local exhibitions, particularly with those organized by SOLENT CBS, CHICHESTER CBS, WORTHING CBS and BRIGHTON & HOVE CBA. Unfortunately, in much of exhibitions on the southern coast, the section allotted to Norwich was only slightly constant these last years, although there are now signs of improvement. If I can encourage more amateurs to adopt Norwich in the area, I would be really happy.

Feather Quality by Joseph Schifflers

QUALITE   OF   PLUMAGE

At the time of I have had the National" opportunity, to converse an amateur with who asked me to compose an article on the quality the plumage.
Usually, I approach that subject with the white but that time I will try to approach the problem under different angles.
En termes généraux, il y a deux types différents de plumages, l'un est doux et généralement large et arrondi dans sa forme, l'autre est plus dur et plus pointu et étroit dans sa forme.
This could be usually, falling, off respectively, in the categories colors the schimmel and intensifier, but always that is not the case. There has okay about fluffy downy, and conversely, schimmels a good deal of intensifiers, very tighten.
The color's depth follows usually the same formula. Indeed they go the hand in the hand, it is as good as the fluffiest of the schimmels lack often color, whereas intensifiers at very compact real plumage, have a depth in the color. This is a general and the rules rule once it have been to are transgressed.
For the artifact that drill, admit 6 categories orderly plumages from the beginning of a feather liked the soft until the very hard. That the like graduating are represented in the artwork infra: soft

	1	2	3	4	5	6
Plumage	--	--	XX	XX	XX	XX	Plumage
Schimmel	X	XX	--	--	X	XX	Hard intensifier
Soft at very soft	--	--	--	X	XX	XX	At very hard

   

Birds that fall off in the extreme categories usually 1 and 6 are difficult well matching. The bird at soft plumage (view 1) apparait usually ample, big, loud, but often, the size her body slim remainder.
The burden feathers gives distorts an impression.
The bird that has a very hard and narrow long and narrow plumage appears. He was decorating small possession also. these birds will have a lack, since at the grade level the GUY.
He is the possible shape and the feathers' character however, that hide a good shape a body. If you are fortunate, you can mate 1 with 6 and produce good youngs in feathers. But attention if you employ these ones the season breeding following, descended youngs could be being a return line the plumage their ascendants (big father - Big mom).
These write off extreme and examples is preferable of herself focus on the development a breeding plumages at similar qualities.
That goal affects, almost is filled out III once the necessity study the quality a plumage These qualities herself enroll in the genetic.
That material call all the hereditary relative factors at our canaries, only that is the shape, the color's, the presentation, etcetera, depth,,
The plumage's flawlessness will fall off usually in the categories 3 and 4, but, birds whose the quality plumage falls off in the categories 2 and 5 valent to are kept, about autant as they do not have other obvious errors.
In the categories 3 and 4, the coarseness the plumage a category 6 will be avoided as good as the sweetness a column 1. We will have a bird since whose the outline, the silhouette, the profile, will be smooth with a relative stiffness and sweetness.
The good schimmels will fall off usually in the block 3 and good the intensifiers in the category 4, but that is not and he cans always the case to have laps, imbrications, to it in them second directions. By example, a schimmel, with a hard plumage can fall off in the category 4. Consequently stringently of will the point of view the quality plumage, mate that bird be valid at schimmel, another probably the block 3 or block 2. The mate at an intensifier a block 5 or 6 will result almost by all means at hard feathers at the youngs, but he can be correct about the mate at an intensifier of his own gathers 4.
Grade well only that theory is simply relative about the quality the plumage coupled with the color. In every canary, the GUY ace criterion and the major requirement almost.
That theory in connection at the quality the plumage herself applies likewise at the colors "no cinnamon (green and white) normals,", All these colors can be divided in and intensifiers and schimmels, can also are divided in gather several of quality plumage.
If the illustrated system is employed, he is preferable at times resort at doubles or the schimmel at doubles the intensifier blocks 2 at 5, whereas employing a partner opposite color is usual.
Since years, the rule has been mating intensifier with schimmel and vice poured out, and that rule has been applied about the Greens and Cinnamons as good as yellow qu'aux.
The Whites have been processed however, newly. He exists a theory that recommends to get the good color at that the Whites, mate the White is necessary with a partner with a fewer about color possible depth. Is employed that the White is schimmel or intensifier a schimmel logically,, Indeed, alone youngs, schimmels whom half are produced, well Whites half Yellows. This results in two factors. Foremost, the feathers these youngs become a coarse actually bad, and second, when yellow) is mated normal schimmel, at a normal intensifier, the descended youngs run depth color.
Of that fact one imagined saying that a theory all the descended birds of White about their ancestresses would run color. In another words, the white had had an effect negative on the color.
My belief is the white plumage that has nothing to do with a I'autre color, it is the constant the schimmel that has dual employment creates the problem.

Frank PYE
Translates back of "Cage and Aviary Birds"
By Jos. SCHIFFLERS