It is very necessary to procure for house birds food which is like, or
at least which nearly resembles, what they would procure for themselves
in their wild state. This is rather difficult, and sometimes almost
impossible, for where can we find in our climate the seeds on which the
Indian birds feed in their own country? Our only resource then is to
endeavour, with judgment, to accustom these birds to that food which
necessity obliges us to give them. There are some birds, such as
chaffinches, bullfinches, thrushes, and the Bohemian chatterer, which
are so manageable in this respect, that as soon as they are brought into
the house they eat without hesitation anything that is given to them;
but others, which are more delicate, will absolutely eat nothing,
either through disgust of their new food, or despair at the loss of
their liberty; with these great precaution is necessary. Dr. Meyer, of
Offenbach, writes to me on this subject as follows: "The following is
the best method of accustoming newly-taken birds to their change of
food, a thing which is often very difficult to accomplish with some
species. After having put the bird in the cage it must be left quiet for
some hours, without disturbing it at all; it must then be taken and
plunged into fresh water, and immediately replaced in the cage. At first
it will appear faint and exhausted, but it will soon recover, arrange
its feathers, become quite lively, and will be sure to eat whatever is
given to it. It is a well known fact that bathing gives an appetite to
birds, for the same reason that it does to men."
If, as an exception, one of these delicate birds, among which are most
of the songsters, eats with eagerness as soon as it is brought into the
house, it is a sign of death, for it seems like an indifference which is
not natural, and which is always the consequence of disease. Those birds
which retire into a corner, moping for some hours, are the most likely
to live; it is only requisite to leave them alone, and by degrees they
recover from their sullenness.
In order to give some general rules for the best food for house birds, I
have divided them into four classes:--
The first comprehends those birds which live only on seeds, such as
canaries, goldfinches, and siskins.
The second are those which feed on both seeds and insects, such as
quails, larks, chaffinches, and bullfinches; some of these also eat
berries and the buds of trees.
The third are those which seek only berries and insects, such as
nightingales, red-breasts, thrushes, and fauvettes.
The fourth are those which eat insects only, such as wagtails,
wheatears, stonechats, and blue-breasts.
The species in this last class are the most difficult to preserve; but
most of them, having nothing particular in their song, offer no
compensation for the trouble and care which they require; but the
following is the best method for success. After having collected the
flies, which in spring may often be seen in great numbers on the windows
of old buildings, they must be dried, and preserved in a jar. When live
insects can no longer be found, these flies must be mixed with the
paste, hereafter described, which may be regarded as a general or
universal food, and given to the most delicate birds, such as
nightingales, provided ants' eggs or meal worms are now and then mixed
with it.
RECIPE FOR THE GENERAL FOOD.--In proportion to the number of birds, white
bread enough must be baked to last for three months. When it is well
baked, and stale, it must be put again into the oven, and left there
until cold. It is then fit to be pounded in a mortar, and will keep
several months without becoming bad. Every day a teaspoonful for each
bird is taken of this meal, on which is poured three times as much cold,
or lukewarm, but not boiling, milk. If the meal be good, a firm paste
will be formed, which must be chopped very small on a board. This paste,
which is very nourishing, may be kept a long time without becoming sour
or sticky; on the contrary, it is always dry and brittle. As soon as a
delicate bird is brought in, some flies or chopped worms should be mixed
with the paste, which will attract it to eat. It will soon be accustomed
to this food, which will keep it in life and health.
Experience teaches me that a mixture of crushed canary, hemp, and
rape-seed, is the favourite food of canaries; goldfinches and siskins
prefer poppy-seed, and sometimes a little crushed hemp-seed; linnets and
bullfinches like the rape-seed alone. It is better to _soak_ it for the
young chaffinches, bullfinches, and others; in order to do this, as much
rape-seed as is wanted should be put into a jar, covered with water, and
placed in a moderate heat, in winter near the fire, in summer in the
sun. If this is done in the morning, after feeding the birds, the soaked
seed will do for the next morning. All of them ought to have green food
besides, as chickweed, cabbage leaves, lettuce, endive, and
water-cresses. Sand should be put in the bottom of the cages, for it
seems necessary for digestion[7].
Amongst those of the second class, the quails like cheese and the crumbs
of bread; the lark barley-meal, with cabbage, chopped cress, poppy-seed
mixed with bread crumbs, and in winter, oats; the chaffinches,
rape-seed, and sometimes in summer a little crushed hemp-seed. Too much
hemp-seed, however, is hurtful to birds, and should only be given as a
delicacy now and then, for when they eat too much of it they become
asthmatic, blind, and generally die of consumption. Yellowhammers like
the same food as the larks, without the vegetables; the tits like
hemp-seed, pine-seed, bacon, meat, suet, bread, walnuts, almonds, and
filberts.
The birds of the first class are easily preserved in the house, at least
if not taken during the pairing season, for then the loss of their
liberty affects them so much that they become sullen, and die of hunger.
Although the notice of a universal remedy is generally rather suspected,
I cannot refrain from here recommending one or two sorts of paste which
I have always used, and which agreed so well with all my birds,
excepting those which I keep in cages on account of their beautiful
songs, that it may justly be termed general or universal food: it is not
only very simple and cheap, but also prevents great loss of time to
those who possess a great many birds.
THE UNIVERSAL PASTE.--To make the first paste, take a white loaf which is
well baked and stale, put it into fresh water, and leave it there until
quite soaked through, then squeeze out the water and pour boiled milk
over the loaf[8], adding about two thirds of barley-meal with the bran
well sifted out, or, what is still better, wheat-meal; but, as this is
dearer, it may be done without.
For the second paste, grate a carrot very nicely (this root may be kept
a whole year if buried in sand), then soak a small white loaf in fresh
water, press the water out, and put it and the grated carrot into an
earthen pan, add two handfuls of barley or wheat meal, and mix the whole
well together with a pestle.
These pastes should be made fresh every morning, as they soon become
sour, particularly the first, and consequently hurtful. For this purpose
I have a feeding-trough, round which there is room enough for half my
birds. It is better to have it made of earthenware, stone, or delft
ware, rather than wood, as being more easily cleaned, and not so likely
to cause the food to become sour.
The first paste agrees so well with all my birds, which are not more
than thirty or forty, at liberty in the room, that they are always
healthy, and preserve their feathers, so that they have no appearance of
being prisoners. Those which live only on seeds, or only on insects, eat
this food with equal avidity; and chaffinches, linnets, goldfinches,
siskins, canaries, fauvettes, red-breasts, all species of larks, quails,
yellowhammers, buntings, blue-breasts, and redstarts may be seen
eating out of the same dish.
Sometimes, as a delicacy, they may be given a little hemp, poppy, and
rape-seed, crumbs of bread, and ants' eggs. One of these is necessary
for the birds of the third and fourth class.
Every morning fresh water must be given to the birds, both for drinking
and bathing. When a great many are left at liberty, one dish will do for
them all, about eight inches long and two in depth and width, divided
into several partitions, by which means they are prevented from plunging
entirely into the water, and in consequence making the place always
dirty and damp[9]. A vessel of the same size and shape will do for
holding the universal paste, but then it must have no partitions. Quails
and larks require sand, which does for them instead of water for
bathing.
Some birds swallow directly whatever is thrown to them: great care must
be taken to avoid giving them anything with pepper on it, or bad meat.
This must be a general rule. I shall also remark, that food sufficient
for one day only must be given to birds kept in cages, for they are
accustomed to scatter it about, picking out the best, and leaving only
the worst for the next morning; this makes them pine, and puts, them out
of humour.
MR. SWEET'S FOOD FOR SOFT-BILLED BIRDS (SYLVIADÆ).--The birds of this
sort, though the finest songsters and most interesting of all the
feathered tribe, have been less known or noticed than others, probably
owing to the greater number only visiting us in summer, when the trees
are so densely clothed with foliage that birds are not easily seen, and
when heard sing are generally considered by those who hear them to be
either blackbirds or thrushes, or some of the more common singing birds.
When they are seen the greater number of them receive the general
appellation of white-throat, without distinction, though this is rather
singular, since they are all very distinct when examined, and their
songs are all very different. If you speak to a bird-fancier or
bird-catcher about any of them, you might as well talk of a bird in the
wilds of America, for they know nothing of them. Many of them are
therefore difficult to be procured in the neighbourhood of London,
though most of them are plentiful there.
With care, the whole of them may be preserved in good health through the
year, and many of them will sing through the greater part of the winter
if properly managed. They require to be kept warm; the room in which
they are should never be allowed to be below temperate, or they will
suffer from it, particularly the tender sorts; at first the cold will
make them lose their sight, after which they seldom recover. The
redstart and nightingale are most subject to this; it sometimes also
happens to the fauvette, and also to the whinchat.
When in a wild state, the birds of this sort feed principally on insects
or fruit, and berries of various kinds. None of them are seed birds, so
that they must be managed accordingly. The general food which I give
them is hemp-seed, bruised up in boiling water, as small as it can be
made; I then put to this about the same quantity, or rather more of
bread, on which is also poured boiling water, and then the whole is
bruised up together into a moist paste, particular care being required
that there be very little or no salt in the bread; for should there be
rather much it will kill the whole of the birds. The food should also be
mixed up fresh every morning, as it soon spoils and turns sour, in which
case the birds will not touch it, and sometimes it will make them go off
their food altogether. When given to the birds, some fresh, raw, lean
meat ought to be cut up small enough for them to swallow, and mixed with
it I generally put about the same quantity of meat as paste, and
sometimes they will peck out the meat and leave the paste; at other
times they will eat the paste and leave the meat; but in general they
eat it all up together, particularly where several different species are
kept together in the same large cage, a plan which I consider by far the
best, as they amuse each other, and keep one another warm in cold
weather. Besides the above food, an egg should be boiled very hard, the
yolk taken out and crumbled or cut in small pieces for them; the white
they will not eat. One egg I consider enough for twenty birds for one
day, with their other food, it being only intended as a change of diet,
which they will not continue well in health without.
The sorts, which feed on insects when wild, should have some of these
preserved for them through the winter, except where they can be procured
at all seasons. At a baker's shop, for instance, there are always plenty
of meal-worms, crickets, and cockroaches, of which most of these birds
are very fond: when those are not to be procured, a good substitute is
the large white grubs that produce the cockchafers, which in some years
are very plentiful, and may be kept in pots of turfy earth through the
winter, as may also the maggots of the bluebottle fly, if procured late
in the autumn; and they may be generally had as late as December. A
quantity of these, kept in a pot of turfy earth in a cellar, or any
other cool place, where they may not turn into flies too soon, is, I
think, one of the best sorts of insects, and easiest kept and procured,
for such birds through the winter. They will not touch them until they
are well cleaned in the mould, but are then very fond of them, and a few
every day keeps them in excellent health, and provokes them to sing.
HON. AND REV. W. HERBERT'S FOOD FOR SOFT-BILLED BIRDS.--Milk, which Mr.
Sweet recommends, I have found very fatal to many of the soft-billed
birds, and I never give it; but the blackcaps do not seem to suffer from
it. They are very fond of a boiled carrot mashed and moistened, or
beet-root boiled and mashed. A boiled carrot will keep fresh many days,
in a basin of cold water, and is an excellent substitute for fruit in
feeding them. Boiled cabbage, cauliflower, green peas are good for them;
all sorts of puddings; a very little roast meat minced, I give them
every day, and a little yolk of egg when it suits, but it is not
necessary. The standard food is hemp-seed ground in a coffee-mill, and
bread crumbs scalded and mashed up together, and fresh every day. They
are very fond of ripe pears and elderberries (but elderberries stain
the cage very much), currants, cherries, honeysuckle, and
privet-berries.
Professor Rennie says, "I have more than once given the blackcap and
other birds a little milk by way of medicine when they appeared drooping
or sickly, and with manifest advantage[10]."