It is normal for a bird to replace its feathers with new growth each
year. Moulting usually starts in July, but the actual date may vary in
different climates. A complete moult may take about three months. It is
not a disease, but the drain on the vitality of the bird requires that
he be given particular care and special supplementary feeding. The first
symptoms to be noticed are a general lassitude and drowsiness followed
in a few days by a loose feather or two on the floor of the cage. In
order that this normal yearly occurrence will proceed as uneventfully as
possible, we suggest the following procedure:
Keep a French's Bird Biscuit and Cuttle Bone in the cage at all times,
and add eight to ten drops of French's Iron Compound to the drinking
water occasionally. By way of supplemental feeding, add about ¼
teaspoonful of either flaxseeds or niger seeds to the French's Bird Seed
daily. Two or three times a week give a portion of hard cooked egg that
has been mixed with toasted bread crumbs, etc., see under "Egg Food," in
"General Care" section. About half a teaspoonful should be sufficient
with each feeding. In addition, feed French's Moulting Food in place of
French's Song Food two or three times a week and continue the cultivated
and wild green foods. It is normal for most males to lose their song
during the moult. They usually start singing again within a few weeks
after the new feathers appear.
When song is first resumed the adult bird may sing much like a baby
bird. However, the volume should increase to its full capacity within a
short time.
Spring hatched canaries going through their first moult usually shed
only the soft body feathers. Only after a canary is a year old does it
shed the tail and wing feathers as well as the body feathers.
Birds have been known to skip the entire moult and apparently be none
the worse for it. Also, some canaries continue to sing right through the
whole process, with no interruption.
Loss of feathers at other than the regular moult indicates a weakened
condition and is not normal or desirable. Sometimes referred to as soft
moult, this condition may be due to interruptions of the bird's sleep
when a light in the room is turned on and off at night. Wrong feeding is
an important cause, and keeping the bird in a hot, steamy atmosphere
will also lead to this trouble.
Feed freshly made egg food, as above, daily for two weeks or so, and
place French's Iron Compound in its drinking water (10 drops daily) for
the same period. See that the cage location is changed if it is in a
room that is too warm, even for brief periods, as is usual in a kitchen.
The cage should also be moved if it is where the bird might be disturbed
several times during the night. Examine for lice and make sure that mice
are not keeping your bird awake by climbing into his cage for seed and
water.