Breeding is in full swing- 16 weaned chicks are in the walk-in flight and another 6 chicks are in the weaning cage with 5 due to join them today. Then a few days to adjust to life without Mom and Dad, then they go into the walk-in flight and are replaced in the weaning cage with 9 new weanlings. There are a number of stragglers that will follow in the coming weeks. All of the early hens are laying or sitting on their second rounds now. First round results: 45 American Singers and 3 Hartz canaries out of a dozen hens.

In all the excitement of breeding season, do not overlook your weanlings- they need care and attention more than ever now that they are on their own. Make certain that they are getting a healthy and nutritious soft diet- my own birds receive the same moist nestling food they were reared on twice daily until all of the young birds in the bird room are at least eight 8 weeks of age, when they can crack seed. After this, they get the moist food once daily. They continue to receive dry commerical nestling food daily through the end of the molt.

There are breeders who go into the molt expecting to lose young birds- I do not. I have never lost a young or an old bird during the molt for health-related reasons. I attribute this to ensuring that the birds receive the same quality of nutrition, care, and attention through the molt as they do during the breeding season. While the QUANTITY may decrease, the QUALITY must not.