BIRDS & BIRDKEEPING
CANARIES
AUGUST and September are the months of feathers in my birdroom. The birds are in rags, moulting heavily before emerging resplendent in their new coats. When I returned from holiday towards the end of August, one of my Yorkie hens was on three eggs in her flight cage, surrounded by other, moulting birds. A mosaic pair had also nested again, despite the attentions of three-week-old chicks. Good try, but I’ve thrown the eggs away. I’ve got 89 young this time, three up on last year, and they have filled my cages. It’s time for you to moult out, too.
A friend called in early September to cast his eyes over the new birds. “It’s the year of the hens in your birdroom,” he commented, and