Hi Curt. As long as the hen is fit enough carry on breeding with her but do watch hen and give her extra care as she will go to nest anyway. yes I think that you will get smaller visual cinnies or pink eyed birds from a cinni pairing but its all about how you use the feather
HIGH DEFINITION VIDEOS OF THESE 2009 WINNING BIRDS CAN NOW BE FOUND ON YOU TUBE
Please add a comment to my guestbook
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(Posted on 2010-02-23 11:25:00 by )
-
Hi Brian Best you give me a ring as recommending products that are not prescribed for birds we can't do in writing. 01451810248
(Posted on 2010-02-23 11:19:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
Hope you are well and all the best with your birds breeding this year. I have been in touch with Donald and he has given me some advice and an invitation to see his birds which are off your stock. Looking forward to thatâ¦â¦â¦
Please tell me how long can you breed off a border hen, I have a hen that breeds well each year and she is now 6 years old and still looking fit and healthy. I don't know if it will be advisable to breed with her again this year. She is a nice big variegated buff cinnamon hen and last season I paired her with a dominant white cock which was not a big bird, the two white chicks I got from this pairing turned out to be a bit on the small size and the other variegated yellow chick turned out to be a lovely big bird. I herd that breeding cinnamon gives good feather but also small birds, its this true.
Regards
Curt
(Posted on 2010-02-20 08:53:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
With the breeding season just around the corner is their any benefit in worming my birds. I have friends that keep poultry and pigeons and worm there stock on a regular basis.Is this something you do and if so what product would be best to use on my birds. Big thanks also Phil for providing a site with so much usefull information.
Kind regards, Brian.
(Posted on 2010-02-20 08:33:00 by ) -
Havent forgot mate will give you a call.
Gaz
(Posted on 2010-02-16 22:47:00 by ) -
Hi Curt
Give me a call 041 368 1185 or 082 334 1844
Regards
Donald
(Posted on 2010-02-14 20:04:00 by ) -
Curt You don't want birds with any splits in your stud, they are ferret food as an old game keeper used to say to me! Don't even give them away.
(Posted on 2010-02-14 19:32:00 by ) -
Hi Curt, I can see the problem with your rings, I had the same problem with birds we had to ring for the world show, but all the best borders in the world are in the UK so why put the birds through two weeks of trauma as half the birds that returned were not fit enough to breed! Rearding your soft food I would not give hens with day old chicks broccoli or carrot as this can upset the chicks.
(Posted on 2010-02-14 19:26:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
I would also like to know about the visible line or split down the middle on some of my birds chest, do birds have points deducted for this when judged and what is the problem or cause for birds having this line or split.
Regards
Curt
(Posted on 2010-02-14 12:06:00 by ) -
Phi,
Excuse me for sending the same message twice, not sure what happened there.......
Curt
(Posted on 2010-02-14 08:19:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
Thanks for your comments.......
My first year of breeding I did very bad using the AV-Plus soft food and mixing it with water, when I started mixing AV-Plus with broccoli, carrots, oats, boiled egg, chicken mesh and maw seed, I have never had any problems. I do not add any water to my mixture because my mixture is moist enough and the birds seem to love it and do well. I have to say that I feel broccoli is one of the best greens for birds, I have never used chick weed because I cant seem to find any, this year I have more tips which I found in your guestbook and I am going to give them a try.
I have a few concerns that I hope you can help me with.
Firstly-our round nesting bowls which we buy from the pet shops seem to be very small because our borders seem to be bigger over the years and when there are three or four chicks in a nest, they seem to be very cramped up when they are a few days old. Could this be one of the reasons why we loose chicks from time to time.
Secondly-we here in South Africa use closed rings to indentify our birds, the problem I have with this is that you can hurt the chick when putting on these closed rings because they are so small. I know this exercise comes with experience. The next thing is that we are only are allowed ten derby rings per club member which I have a problem with because if you ring your first ten chicks and they donât turn out to be good birds, you have already used up all your rings, the next ten birds can be your better birds and you wont be able to show them at the derby show because they donât have derby rings. Maybe Donald can comment more about this.
Thanks
Curt Louw
(Posted on 2010-02-14 08:11:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
Thanks for your comments.......
My first year of breeding I did very bad using the AV-Plus soft food and mixing it with water, when I started mixing AV-Plus with broccoli, carrots, oats, boiled egg, chicken mesh and maw seed, I have never had any problems. I do not add any water to my mixture because my mixture is moist enough and the birds seem to love it and do well. I have to say that I feel broccoli is one of the best greens for birds, I have never used chick weed because I cant seem to find any, this year I have more tips which I found in your guestbook and I am going to give them a try.
I have a few concerns that I hope you can help me with.
Firstly-our round nesting bowls which we buy from the pet shops seem to be very small because our borders seem to be bigger over the years and when there are three or four chicks in a nest, they seem to be very cramped up when they are a few days old. Could this be one of the reasons why we loose chicks from time to time.
Secondly-we here in South Africa use closed rings to indentify our birds, the problem I have with this is that you can hurt the chick when putting on these closed rings because they are so small. I know this exercise comes with experience. The next thing is that we are only are allowed ten derby rings per club member which I have a problem with because if you ring your first ten chicks and they donât turn out to be good birds, you have already used up all your rings, the next ten birds can be your better birds and you wont be able to show them at the derby show because they donât have derby rings. Maybe Donald can comment more about this.
Thanks
Curt Louw
(Posted on 2010-02-14 08:11:00 by ) -
Hello Curt Thanks for your comments, you do well to get 25 from 7prs. as for clear eggs, we all have more clear eggs than other breeds of canary because the border has advanced far more in the last few decades, when I first started with borders over 50 years ago, breeding was so easy, now we all told to use this or that product and end up making hard work of breeding every year. Keep in touch, all the best Phil
(Posted on 2010-02-13 22:51:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
We spoke on the phone a few days ago. I asked you about buying some of your stock. I am new to your guestbook and have only started reading all the articles and have to say they are very interesting and give allot of good advice. I am from South Africa and live in the Durban area and I belong to the Durban Canary Club. I have been breeding borders for 4 years. I work abroad and I am away from home often working a 28/28 rotation. My wife and maid take care of my birds while I am away. They have done an excellent job while I am away. I bread 25 borders from 7 pairs last year and the years before have been similar.
I did not lose many chicks but I did get allot of clear eggs. My one buff hen laid around 15 clear eggs, she finally gave me one chick after putting her with a third cock, it was her first and she did a good job bringing the chick up. The chick looks like its going to be a good bird.
Our birds are now molting and we will be able to see what birds we have after this. I am hoping my birds do well on the show this year, tired of getting runner up's.
Speak soonâ¦â¦.
Curt
(Posted on 2010-02-13 13:20:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
The answer that I am eluding to is breeding Borders in colonies.When I first got Borders from you in 1989 I bred nearly 200 on a yearly basis,breeding trios and quads in one unpartitioned cage.
I am going to try it again this year.
Regards
Donald
(Posted on 2010-02-11 05:30:00 by ) -
Hello Linda Hogan, I did not realise that it was you, we trust you are well, and I would like to thank you for all you have done for the fancy over the years, and your great book canary tales, its a must read for every breeder, wishing you the best Phil
(Posted on 2010-02-10 15:46:00 by ) -
Gary. The best time is between 5 and 7 pm, but do try anytime Phil
(Posted on 2010-02-10 15:37:00 by ) -
The answer to what Donald?
(Posted on 2010-02-10 10:07:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
It is good to see Linda Hogan on your site.
The 3 chicks from my imports are doing well.2 yellows and 1 l/v buff.
Phil,Linda is going to flock breed some of her Borders in four large cages this year as in the past she has had good results.COULD THIS BE THE ANSWER THAT WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR?
(Posted on 2010-02-10 04:22:00 by ) -
Whens the best time to ring you at the weekends phil?.Im on 12 hr shifts at the mo.
Gaz
(Posted on 2010-02-09 23:09:00 by ) -
Igohan. many thanks Phil
(Posted on 2010-02-09 19:37:00 by ) -
Gary. Your young bird could be either, and as for the Ivermec I am not qualified to say yes in writing, sorry, but if you care to give me a ring I then can share with you my thoughts on how to use such products, 01451 810248.
(Posted on 2010-02-09 19:36:00 by ) -
Loved your videos!! Will post a cover shot to recommend it to my bloggers. www.canarytales.blogspot.com
(Posted on 2010-02-09 15:42:00 by ) -
I have young variegated bird which looks buff to the eye but my question is its parents where a white vgtd hen x yellow cock so could you put this to either buff or yellow?.
Would it be a good idea or not to give my birds 1 drop of ivermectin and then 1 more in 1 months time or would you advise against it?.I do not have any mite nor did i last year just thought this was the done thing this time of year.
Cheers
Gaz
(Posted on 2010-02-07 15:07:00 by ) -
Gojo We order pin head oatmeal from top seed merchants but porrage oats can be used,
(Posted on 2010-02-07 14:27:00 by ) -
Bojo. Our soft food dish is 1/4 cup.
(Posted on 2010-02-07 14:24:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
How much is a dish in measurement, i can follow the cup side of the mixture. Also by oatmeal do you mean the oatmeal used for porridge like quaker oats ?
(Posted on 2010-02-06 21:34:00 by ) -
Hi Bojo. For 1 hard boiled egg. (20 mins) 1 cup soft food 1 dish cous cous plus 1 dish of coarse oat meal, the most important advice I can give is dont feed too much for the first week
(Posted on 2010-02-06 20:38:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
Iam wondering what your eggfood mixture consits of and to what portions please ?
(Posted on 2010-02-05 18:07:00 by ) -
Toni, Thank you for your comments, We keep 30 cocks and 60 hens,then at the end of May we part with 20 hens that have produced three or more chicks, this then makes more space for the chicks to develope, Phil
(Posted on 2010-02-03 19:22:00 by ) -
Trev, I have not been asked that question before, If you put it on the neck, then a few days would be OK, on the rump then perhaps a week, in any case I dont think it would do much harm, but better safe than sorry.
(Posted on 2010-02-03 19:16:00 by ) -
Hello Phill . How many couples of borthers have you in your breethroom?
Regards from Mallorca.
(Posted on 2010-02-02 18:24:00 by ) -
Hello Mr. Warne.
Congratulations for your borders,from Mallorca.
(Posted on 2010-02-01 21:17:00 by ) -
hi phil
hope your breeding preparations are going well
i have just treated all my birds with frontline, how long do you recomend till i put the baths on again
(Posted on 2010-02-01 16:58:00 by ) -
Hi Chris, Have a look back a page on this guestbook you will be able to follow excellent advice on conditioning your birds.
(Posted on 2010-01-31 15:29:00 by ) -
Hi Phil, hope you are keeping well as i have had 3 bad breeding seasons.
i know a workman always blames his tools but im sure it must be my fault as ive suffered with this damn arthritis it seems to be im worse in hot weather when the breeding season starts.
I think the problems im having is conditioning them up to breeding time, what is your suggestion on conditioning cocks and hens? At present i am using a probotic in the water once a week, also calcium once a week. And im using a commercial egg food elisir once a week with a powder vitiam suplement and conditioning seed once a week. ive decided this year to keep the birds on a very plain seed diet 80% plain canary. They have had this diet from mid december. All the hens are in flight cages and single caged cocks. Ive recenty discovered the cocks are too fat, what am i doing wrong?
Best regards
Chris
(Posted on 2010-01-30 17:23:00 by ) -
Gary. I would not worry about this cock, when it comes to mate he wil be a different bird, that's his main aim in life and you will get all full eggs from him we hope!
(Posted on 2010-01-30 12:21:00 by ) -
A bit of advice please Phil i have a young bird from last year a white variegated cock bird who is very aggressive and nasty and i would like to breed him this spring but im afraid this nasty streak might be a problem down the line.Any tips on calming him down for when the magic deed needs to be done.I have all my birds side by side what i will be breeding but i have the divider shut.
Cheers
Gaz
(Posted on 2010-01-28 23:03:00 by ) -
Hi Phil my email address is aquiken@gmail.com , so I'll hear from you then.Thanks.
(Posted on 2010-01-27 14:55:00 by ) -
Gary, We have a Border Convention ringing scheme run by Malcolm Scott tel
0191 4132830 or scottsx2@blueyonder.co.uk. You do not have to have any colour or closed ring, most of us use split metal rings supplied by the convention (Mr Scott) have a chat with him he is most helpful.
(Posted on 2010-01-26 21:32:00 by ) -
Stevecanary. The best cure is Tylan, or better still Tylan-plus from Belgium, the problem is getting these products, do try your vet.
(Posted on 2010-01-26 21:22:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
I recently recieved my closed anodised bird rings for this year and they all have the numbers 1 to 50 which i asked for and the year number 10 on them which i have been told is compulsary from AC HUGHES LTD middlesex which is obviously the year,so i rang them and asked would this count against me in a show?,and they said it should not as it proves that this bird is a current year bred bird.I do not like using split plastic rings as i am more comfortable using the closed rings.Where do you stand on this ring situation?.
Cheers Gaz
(Posted on 2010-01-26 19:47:00 by ) -
hi phil. i have bred borders for 39 years and on the odd occasion i have had the odd bird which wheezes. i have tried different remedies over the years. have you ideas to cure this as i have two birds at present with in this situation.
(Posted on 2010-01-26 18:34:00 by ) -
Hi Ken, If you would like to leave your e-mail address, we can then send you details
(Posted on 2010-01-25 13:08:00 by ) -
Hi Phil , great site , I new to the border fancy and I would like to buy your dvd' s, is it possible to send them to Malta. Have you ever shipped or sent birds to Malta? Thanks Ken
(Posted on 2010-01-22 20:31:00 by ) -
CAN ANYBODY HELP ME ? We are trying to make contact with a Mr S Webb from Cheshire we think. please contact me or ask him to get in touch. 01451 810248 thank you Phil
(Posted on 2010-01-18 16:20:00 by ) -
simes a lot of breeders have bred a yellow from buff x buff.!
(Posted on 2010-01-18 16:12:00 by ) -
Fifeman
As far as I am aware the inheritance in the young for these matings are as follows.
Yellow X Yellow
50% Yellow
25% Yellow double factor
25% Buff
Buff X Buff
100% Buff
Hope this helps
(Posted on 2010-01-14 18:29:00 by ) -
fifeman. yellow x yellow results, you will breed all yellows but you can produce a buff from time to time.
(Posted on 2010-01-13 16:43:00 by ) -
mb Everything goes back to normal when the hens start laying, eggs are included in the normal softfood mix for hens feeding chicks, you can give a little egg in the soya mix or a little egg every few days pre season but don't use soya to feeding hens.
(Posted on 2010-01-13 16:39:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
just wanted to know for example if u pair yellow x yellow would u get all yellows or buffs aswell, same with the buff pairing
thanks
(Posted on 2010-01-13 14:12:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
Sorry to post again but i was just thinking, have you stopped using hard boiled egg in your softfood and now use soya beans instead, if so what ratio do you mix them at. Sorry to keep pestering you ;-)
m.b
(Posted on 2010-01-12 21:19:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
Thankyou for your reply. When your chicks hatch do you feed the hens the soya mix or is it just used for condtioning then stopped once the hens are down on eggs, maybe you could post on your site a page of your guide to feeding for breeding condition and rearing :-)
m.b
(Posted on 2010-01-12 21:04:00 by ) -
Pagey 7 Thanks for your comment, yes you are right the forum is the place to chat to each other, then that leaves this free for me to answer questions, cheers Pagey!
(Posted on 2010-01-12 19:43:00 by ) -
MB When we mix the soya it is always a little wet, I used to dry the soya beans after soaking but now I just ad a little dry softfood to the mix. I stop all extra food when the hens start to nest because we have a problem with the hens getting over fit and not sitting or they produced extra large eggs. My old records show that the best results were produced when the hens were fed less.
(Posted on 2010-01-12 19:35:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
Iam wondering do you still give your birds softfood aswell as the soya bean - brocoli mix or is the soya bean mix to replace the softfood pre breeding season, then stopped once a hen lays then softfood given once the chicks hatch? Iam curious as to how you use the softfood if using soya beans to condition the birds.
M.B
(Posted on 2010-01-11 18:43:00 by ) -
Taken from Linda Hogans Blog at Canarytales
The First Ever Tuesday Tipster is Donald Saunders, a Border breeder, from South Africa. I received this e-mail January 7, 2009. The canary seasons are about six months ahead in the Southern Hemisphere of the Northern Hemisphere.
Donald, who currently is in molting season and looking ahead to show season, reflects on his past breeding season. He writes: Linda, I have had my best breeding season in many years. Final count is 58 Borders! I must also thank you for the border veggies.
Border Veggies the South African Way
We in SA have modified it slightly by putting 1/2 head of broccoli and 1/2 head cauliflower with 2 cups of soaked soya beans. This is fed to the birds every day except the day (once per week) that I feed Vit-E. I am feeding ABBA Vit-E âThis is given in the drinking water. This with the vitamin E really gets the Borders into tip top shape.
I start feeding the veggies to the cocks 6 weeks before breeding season and the hens 3 weeks before .I stop feeding the hens once they start to lay.Continue to feed the hens that have not come into BREEDING CONDITION .The excess Border Veggies is stored in the deep freeze and thawed in the fridge and used when required.2 cups of soya is enough for 1 week.
DO NOT FEED THE INCUBATING HENS ANY SOFT FOOD UNTIL THE 13 DAY
Take soya beans (2 cups) and put into dish. Cover well with boiling water. Allow to stand so that water is absorbed and cooled down .Drain and rinse .Dry with a towel-I find if the beans are wet it becomes a paste.
I do find that once the Boiling water is poured over the soya beans it absorbes the majority of the water. I allow the beans to cool and then pour them into a colander in which I rinse them well. I will dry the beans in a towel .I will then chop them up in an electric coffee grinder
Linda Hogan-The original reciepe is in her book Canarytales
Congratulations Donald and Thanks So Much for these tips!! I am a real cauliflower convert!!
The original intent of Border Veggies was to improve border vent development. I had noticed that compare to rollers and colorbred, their vents were smaller and poorly developed. Being concerned that this would add to infertility problems, I needed to get them to eat more soy products, hence Border Veggies came into being. Although it was designed for borders, it works well with all types of canaries. Not just cocks benefit from Border Veggies, it is also good for conditioning hens, once the hens are about three weeks out from breeding.
Original Reciepe for Border Veggies
The basic original recipe is to soak human quality soybeans, available at health food stores, in boiling water for 2 hours to soften them. Soaked soybeans will double there original volume, so you might like to use 1/4 or 1/2 cup to start. The soaked soybeans were then processed in the food processor and broccoli added and processed again.
Have you ever fed your canaries cauliflower? I had never thought of feeding canaries cauliflower or the advantage it could bring to the border veggies recipe. And was I ever pleasantly surprised! Birds loved it and the mixture was much lighter, which meant that instead of wasting what packed down, every trace was cleaned up!
I like to soak enough soybeans (1/2 cup) to make for two days of Border Veggies. Each day I use 1/2 cup soaked soybeans, process in the food processor, and add in 1/4 head of broccoli and 1/4 head cauliflower and continue processing. Extra soaked soybeans are refrigerated and use the next day to make up a fresh batch!
to use soya the SA way
(Posted on 2010-01-10 21:37:00 by ) -
Phil you will already have the link but If anyone else is interested the Cage and Avairy Birds has a weblink to archived issues and photo galleries etc.... hours and hours of browsing through back issues and articles. http://cageandaviarybirds.typepad.com/cage-aviary-birds/
(Posted on 2010-01-10 12:57:00 by ) -
Furthermore to my post below is frozen brocoli and califlour thats been thawed in hot water for a set period to be used or has it to be fresh bought from the shops ?
(Posted on 2010-01-09 18:41:00 by ) -
Hi
I have seen mention of soya beans, brocoli and cauliflour blended on this site a few times and was wondering if anyone could explain what use it is to border canaries, how and when to feed it and stop feeding it ? i assume it is used for condition of the birds but i seek an explanation of its actual benefit over traditional conditioning with softfood etc please.
m.b
(Posted on 2010-01-09 17:07:00 by ) -
Hi
It seems people are now just using the guestbook rather than the forum page.
I reckon that if general questions that effect the whole fancy were put on the
forum page we would get far more points of view,also I am sure this is why Phil
had the forum on the website,Hope this is correct Phil ,,if I am wrong please let tell
me to shut up
Regards
Mike
(Posted on 2010-01-08 18:17:00 by ) -
Hi Julia, If you start the soya mid Jan cocks two weeks before hens you would look for signs of your hens going down approx end of March, do still give condition seed etc, we use Boost 250 twice a week as well in the water. just a little of anything you have your trust in, but the soya mix will work on its own!
(Posted on 2010-01-08 18:14:00 by ) -
phil
can you please tell me when you would start to give soya beens to the birds will this realy help to get them in to breeding condition. Do you give it to the cock birds instead of conditioning seed or do you mix it in, at what rate do you feed them and for how long.
thank you
julia
(Posted on 2010-01-07 20:52:00 by ) -
Hi Donald,
You have to look at the calcium concentration in the bottle, and see you get the calcium at around 1%, phosphorus 0.5%, with a ratio of 2/1.
Take care!
(Posted on 2010-01-06 17:03:00 by ) -
Hi Dr Jan
Sorry I made a mistake it is 20ml per liter water 3 times per week.
Regards
Donald
(Posted on 2010-01-06 14:36:00 by ) -
Hi DR Jan Vanderborght.Thanks for these good coments.The liquid calcium that is available in South Africa the directions are 40ml per liter of water 3 times per week during breeding and twice per week the rest of the year.Would it be rule of tumb to use 40ml per 1kg soft food ?
Many of the vitamins have calcium in them,what would be the correct proportions for calcium,vit Dd,magnisium and phosphorus be?
Regards
Donald Saunders
(Posted on 2010-01-05 19:36:00 by ) -
Thankyou for your very interesting replies, as many Uk breeders use softfood to condition their birds for breeding by gradualy increasing the frequency would it also be advisable to offer a multi vitamin with caution say maybe no more than once a week as with calcium due to the vitamins contained in undiliuted softfood ?
(Posted on 2010-01-04 16:41:00 by ) -
Hi Dr Janvanderborght. That is very good advice so many fanciers in the past have phoned me with problems that have occurred by overfeeding calcium products, the problem is a lot of the companies that make these products donât inform us of the side effects of overdosing their products.Thanks again Phil
(Posted on 2010-01-03 19:56:00 by ) -
Donald, Thats fantastic,to think the father of these chicks was only a chick himself in my shed just a few months ago! What a great start to the new year for you, well done Donald.
(Posted on 2010-01-03 19:45:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
All 4 eggs have hatched.I have taken a chick from each hen and placed it with feeders.I hope this will ensure that I will get at least 1 from each pair.It concernes me as the hens that I put into flight cages have started moulting,so just hope that the feeding hens do not mess about.
Regrads
Donald
(Posted on 2010-01-03 15:09:00 by ) -
Just want to say you have to be carefull with giving too much of calcium, especially the liquid form, calcium citrate, especially when acoompanied by high doses of vitamin D. Be careful not to overdose, because calcium levels peaking in the bloodstream can have severe adverse effects like lethargic birds, impaired renal function, constipation, and even cardiac arrest due to cadiac rythm problems.
Just like with other supplements, be moderate, and don't try or give everything one hears. As for the calcium, if you have a good egg food with sufficient levels of calcium/Vit D3, once a week an extra boost is enough. To me it seems lots of people spoil the balance of ingredients in their eggfood by adding rusk, couscous among other things. If you do so, you have to calculate for the lowering of protein levels, calcium and other minerals. You don't have to be a scientist to look for these things, but remeber every knife has two sharp edges
Good luck to all of you!
(Posted on 2010-01-03 10:37:00 by ) -
Darren,
Darren what I am advising is my own opinion but I know is the same as many border breeders that have gone to great lengths on the continent and in the States (Mr Walton) to research avain nutritian. Cuttlefish bone still hangs on my cage fronts but like the grit it is there to complement the natural grinding roughage in the gizzard once the seed has passed down from the crop. After leaving the gizzard the food is passed on to the small intestine where it mixes with bile and enzymes. The enzymes help with the breakdown of sugars, fats and proteins. Bile from the liver breaks down the larger fat molecules. The nutrients are then absorbed and passed on to the blood stream. Hens that are struggling to make egg shells very often get egg-bound. In this case there is insufficient calcium for the egg so the hen is in deficit. When the nerves and muscles run low on calcium they stop working properly. These hens simply cannot push the egg out. They tend to show other symptoms of poor nerve and muscle function too. They can't fly well, their wings droop and their legs are apart.
It helps to understand a little about how the body manages calcium in the body. The bones have the important role of controlling the blood calcium level. When blood calcium levels rise the bones suck it out. When it drops they pump it back in. This sounds simple but it is actually quite a complex process involving vitamin D and a hormone called parathyroid hormone. This process works best if it is well exercised. Giving the calcium supplement some days and not others ensures the bones have lots of practice at this job and they respond very well to the surges in demand from egg laying. This is all part of the process of preventing egg-binding.
My recommendation is to give the liquid supplement just once a week
There is no doubt in my mind that the introduction of highly bio-available liquid calcium supplements has been the most important bird keeping innovation for decades. I know that Phill, after using a calcium supplement for quite some time now, very rarely gets a hen that has becomes egg-bound and his breeding record, show record and quality of birds speaks for itself.
(Posted on 2009-12-31 20:27:00 by ) -
Hi Phil,
can i e-mail you a couple of questions regarding birds. just trying to get back into it after a couple of years out from showing. hope you and jenny have a great new year.
(Posted on 2009-12-31 15:36:00 by ) -
Gary No phone! what will you do if your house caught fire? or some nutter was knocking down your front door, do you run down to the end of your garden with your laptop and e-mail the police or fire service? As for your bird should you have bought a bird that was down on his legs? Sorry Gary I can't be of much help to you as do not work with birds down on the legs, as it is something we would not want to breed into the stock.
(Posted on 2009-12-30 21:03:00 by ) -
Hi phil thank you for your e-mail the bird in question is a variegated buff cock 09 breed when I brough him he was down on his feet he is coming up a small bit would like to have him up more I feed the bird canary seed and rearing food everyday he also has grit must be downing something wrong any help would be greatful sorry don:t have a phone to ring you thanking you very much Garry O Connor Ireland
(Posted on 2009-12-29 19:58:00 by ) -
Hi phil thank you for your e-mail the bird in question is a variegated buff cock 09 breed when I brough him he was down on his feet he is coming up a small bit would like to have him up more I feed the bird canary seed and rearing food everyday he also has grit must be downing something wrong any help would be greatful sorry don:t have a phone to ring you thanking you very much Garry O Connor Ireland
(Posted on 2009-12-29 19:58:00 by ) -
Hi phil many thanks for your e-mail can you tell me which protein to give and what Vitamine E would you recomand and when is the best time to give it is it to early to pair up my birds Happy New Year to you and your lovely family my e-mail address is garry40@hotmail.com.
(Posted on 2009-12-29 19:33:00 by ) -
HI again
So if one was to supply liquid calcium which product is considered the best at what dose and frequency during pre and breeding season i know phil has stated twice a week but is that in conjunction with also supplying cuttle bone and oyster grit aswell or only liquid calcium ?
(Posted on 2009-12-29 16:34:00 by ) -
Hi Phil, thought I would just chip in on this one :-) Calcium, or often the lack of it, causes us as many problems in breeding Borders as a lack of any other nutrient. I think most of people still believe that cuttlefish bone is the only source of calcium needed. There are those that still do not recognize the symptoms of calcium deficiency in their Borders. Many will be thinking that they will get no problems because their Borders have full on access to cuttlefish bone or they get oyster shell grit or crushed egg shells. They would be wrong to think this! Yes, of course, all these things contain large quantities of calcium but in this form the calcium is very difficult for the Borders to extract. All the animals/mammals supplying the cuttlefish bone, oyster shell grit or crushed egg shells use calcium for the bone or shell because it is very difficult to naturally dissolve and wonât give or erode easy when in contact with moisture. Think about it!! Otherwise what would be the point of producing it?. Modern liquid calcium products are the answer. Firstly the calcium is already dissolved. Secondly the calcium is linked to a molecule the gut actually absorbs naturally â most commonly a sugar molecule. The calcium is absorbed along with the sugar. One of the most obvious signs of calcium deficiency is a soft shelled or thin shelled egg. Eggs with a chalky texture are also included in this category. I will stop there but the journey from the beak to crop, gizzard and small intestine is linked to nutritian absorbtion yet not understood by many that breed and lose some high quality borders each year.
(Posted on 2009-12-29 16:03:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
Wouldn`t giving liquid calcuim aswell as oyster shell grit and cuttlebone cause hens to have thick egg shells that could cause dead in shell, and there is so many liquid calciums which do you recomend ?
(Posted on 2009-12-29 08:54:00 by ) -
Gary. Happy New Year to you, you did not leave your e-mail address! When birdâs legs go they donât normally recover due to problems with the liver. Sometimes caused by the lack vitamin D. However if the bird the bird can get around without falling over it may breed if left with the hen. Feed extra protein and increase vitamin E pre breeding season.
(Posted on 2009-12-28 14:12:00 by ) -
Hi Darren. We use calcium in liquid form, mix a little in the soft food or a little on soaked seed or condition seed twice a week. yes do give cuttlefish bone and oyster shell
(Posted on 2009-12-28 14:01:00 by ) -
Hi phil Happy New Year to you and your family just one question for you hope you can help me out i have a heavy variegate buff border cock that is down on his legs is there anything that i can do to bring him up on his feet would I be able to breed him and would any of the chicks be down on the feetlooking forward to getting your e-mail you can e-mail anytme regards Garry O Connor Ireland
(Posted on 2009-12-28 12:28:00 by ) -
My main area of interest is how you supply calcium to your birds during breeding what form you use and how you administer it, do you use oystershell grit and cuttlefish or purchase a product to supply the calcuim?
(Posted on 2009-12-26 18:52:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
With the pre breeding conditioning underway iam curious what tips you can offer in the way of applying softfood, vitamins and calcium upto and during the breeding season?
(Posted on 2009-12-26 12:27:00 by ) -
Hallo Phil
Tested 8 eggs , 4 from each hen,2 fertile from each hen.I will watch with bated breath when they start to hatch.It just show that when birds come from Northern hemisphere to Southern hemisphere this sort of thing is possible.We are now in summer.Our light hours is 15 hours.And when they arrived from the quarantine the 2 cocks were well developed.I fed them oil covered seed and broccoli,cauliflower and soya bean crush.
Thanks for Christmas greetings
(Posted on 2009-12-26 07:22:00 by ) -
Hi phil happy christmas to you and your lovely wife and daughter was delighted to read that you won best border at wessexs all border would like to see the birds that won at the show on you tube many thanks garry o connor ireland
(Posted on 2009-12-24 20:56:00 by ) -
Hi phil happy christmas to you and your lovely wife and daughter was delighted to read that you won best border at wessexs all border would like to see the birds that won at the show on you tube many thanks garry o connor ireland
(Posted on 2009-12-24 20:55:00 by ) -
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL from Phil and Jen Warne
(Posted on 2009-12-24 17:20:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
2 hens are down from my latest imports.It is the 2 brother-l/v yellow and l/v buff. I will test on Saturday and give you an update on the development.
Regards
Donald
(Posted on 2009-12-23 05:45:00 by ) -
hi phil
received those dvds, much appreciated!
Thanks and happy christmas!!
Daragh.
(Posted on 2009-12-22 23:59:00 by ) -
i would like to know how much do you sell your green pair of borders , every talks about how you have the best birds , so can you let me know how much in usa dollars , that is if you selling any
(Posted on 2009-12-20 12:43:00 by ) -
Hi phil thanks for your e mail sorry don"t have a phone to ring you but would like to keep in touch with you by e.mail already making plans to travel to england in october in 2010
(Posted on 2009-12-15 22:17:00 by ) -
Hi phil thanks for your e mail sorry don"t have a phone to ring you but would like to keep in touch with you by e.mail already making plans to travel to england in october in 2010
(Posted on 2009-12-15 22:17:00 by ) -
Hi Gary O Connor. Not this year as have sold out, give me a ring to talk about an order for next year.01451 810248
(Posted on 2009-12-14 10:16:00 by ) -
hi phil your birds form this year are really good would like to buy from you in 010 will be looking for about 5 pairs but can you give me match pairs thanks Garry O" Connor eire.
(Posted on 2009-12-14 12:35:00 by ) -
hi phil your birds form this year are really good would like to buy from you in 010 will be looking for about 5 pairs but can you give me match pairs thanks Garry O" Connor eire.
(Posted on 2009-12-14 12:35:00 by ) -
Hi Donald. I donât like to inbreed too much as you can lose size, but if itâs working for you then good! As it will fix the type, I went father to daughter this year and produced very good birds, and remember my birds are already line bred so going father to daughter for me is going in close. But wild birds must do it quite a lot! Its good news that a bird we sent you (current year bred) is already mating with hens, we hope you get lucky regards Phil
(Posted on 2009-12-11 14:09:00 by ) -
Hi Phil
Phil I am trying to reproduce No 123 that we got in 2004.I have mated him to his daughter and from that batch of chicks I have mated brother to sister.How close to No 123 will these chicks be?Currently there are 3 of these chicks in the nest.
Regards
Donald
(Posted on 2009-12-11 11:24:00 by )
Phil Warne's Winning Border Canaries
Hi dear Phil.Im Okan from turkey.you have perfect birds.i am new breeder and i need some advices about border canaries.Can you help about border canaries?i will wait your answer.
Congratulations...