Answers to Kostas Kiourtidis, a greek fancier:

I’d like to take the opportunity of having received an email from one greek Spanish-timbrado fancier, Mr. Kostas kiourtidis with a set of interesting questions, most answers are probably in the blog’s posts, but as he correctly points out, the automatic translators are not always accurate enough and since, lastly I haven’t being writing the english version of the posts (my bad!) I will answer his questions through this post so the english readers can also take advantage.

Here are Mr. Kostas kiourtidis questions.

I would like to ask you a few questions about the Training of canary Timbrado.

(1)How many hours should listen to the day the little birds sounds-(cd)

They should be listening 2 blocks of three hours, one in the morning and another one in the afternoon. In between these blocks, birds stay in silence (i.e, without listening to any other audio source) or  they can listen to some kind of acoustic barrier (i.e. classical music, radio or any other that prevents them from listening to undesired songs or tours). The rule is very simple, if our young canaries are kept with adults you need to establish an acoustic barrier if they are kept separated (which is the recommended situation), they may remain in silence. These silence periods are used by the young birds to review their learnings and to rest from the audio, it is very important they are provided with these “rest” periods. So I highly discourage the permanent use of the audio or its usage during night, this does not allow the birds to rest and rest is critically important for a correct and healthy development.

(2)what is the age that your should star to hear the small canario Timbrado,to get good results??

To secure good results, young canaries should be start listening to the training audio once he is 30 days-old and has just become independent. There are two critical learning  periods for young canaries ; when they age between 30-60 days and when they are about to finish their first molt. Adult canaries go thru a critical period at the end of every molt since neurons die and another ones are generated, they are able to learn new notes and tours, that’s why I recommend that they should listen audios if we’d like them to preserve their repertoire.

(3)The volume should be low?loud? to get good results?

Volume should be adjusted to the level of the normal song of adult canary.  Not higher not lower.

 
(4)For how many months should listen to their sounds?

Already somehow anwered on (2), but to complete the answer: if we want to secure results they should listen to the training audios from 30 days-old to the finish the molt and close their repertoire, as this is an individual process and several birds are normally kept together in the same cage, I don’t take the audio out until early December.

(5)Is it bad to be with their parents when they hear sound?

If you keep them with their parents, they will copy both, the audio and their parents and probably you don’t want to do that because they will copy both: the good and the bad things (defects) from the adults.

(6)Should not listen to their parents?

Answered in (5)

(7)The room sould be light?or litle light?

I don’t alter the light provided, when their young they need to bathe on a daily basis and also receive sunlight which is extremely good for their development, these applies for most of the birds, and there is always one or two ahead of the pack that we would like to isolate so they don’t affect the learning of the rest, for these birds I keep them with low level of light and in a separate place.

(8)Is something else i need to do to have good results,i read what you write on your blog ,but the translation from Spanish into Greek is not good,and can not understsnd.

I agree and that is the sole intention of writing this blog, to share with you humbly what I have learnt in this fascinating hobby.  I am glad I get readers from United States, Greece, Italy and France among other countries. So I will do my best when I write something to provide the English version.

Lastly, thank you for writing and providing good feedback about the blog, it’s very hard for me to find time to write as I am constantly travelling for work reasons.