Choosing a taimong

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:53 pm Post subject: Re: Choosing a taimong

Hi David,

I notice that this period is a good time to choose a taimong. Thank you for listing down the criteria to choose a taimong. In fact, I have bought two taimongs recently. Would you be able to share with us how do you care for your taimong and make it molt earlier? Thank you.

God bless you!

Cheers!
Birdnie

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:20 pm Post subject:

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I would not advise that any attempt be made to try to get a shama to molt earlier than it normally would. This applies to both adults and taimongs. The development and yearly cycle of the bird is determined by the hormones that the body releases. If the cycle is interrupted or disturbed, eg by the bird molting before it is time to do so in the yearly cycle, the body may not (after the molt) produce the hormones in sufficient quantity for the next stage of the bird’s life during the year.

In the normal yearly cycle, the shama will decline in song and display, molt, then there is a rise in song and display as the hormone testosterone is released into its system, then mating and looking after the chicks as the testosterone is replaced with prolactin and then gradual decline into molt again as the hormone for molt takes over.

I don’t know if you have had personal experience of a shama not coming into form after the molt. This happens because the bird has not had a good molt due to inadequate nutrition or an unsuitable environment and testosterone is not released into the system after the molt as it normally would. Studies have established that this hormone is required for the bird to sing and even females will come into song if they are injected with this hormone.

So let your bird molt naturally. Feed it with a balanced diet which you can read about elsewhere in this Forum.

Most taimongs will tame quite readily. If yours is a little wild, offer it tidbits daily and it should soon become tame.

Bear in mind that in the forest, a taimong that has been weaned will be attacked by the parents if it ventures into their territory while they are raising another brood. The taimong will therefore hide on the outskirts of the territory where he can hear the father and other birds and learn their songs. It is important that your taimong hear the songs of other shamas but, like the wild taimongs, the songs should be heard from a distance. The taimong’s cage should not be placed close to an adult shama’s.

If a tutor is not available, a taimong should not be kept as it will be unlikely to develop a full repertoire of songs. I find that shamas don’t learn much from recorded songs on the CD. I think this could be because the CD just cannot reproduce the high notes in the natural song. I have carried out trials on this. Amongst others, I purchased CDs that were supposed to teach song birds to whistle. My birds did not learn any of the songs. However, if they hear the live songs of birds or humans, they will quite readily pick up the tunes.

I wish you joy and enjoyment with your shamas.

David

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:26 pm Post subject:

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David de Souza wrote:
I would not advise that any attempt be made to try to get a shama to molt earlier than it normally would.




Hi David,

Thank you for your advice. I have read your web site www.shama.com.sg under "Chick Development" Section - The plumage of the chicks will be drab with yellow spots. Between 2 to 6 months of age they will commence to molt and their drab plumage will be gradually replaced by adult plumage. My chicks commence to molt at about 2 months of age but those of other breeders tended to molt much later. We used to think that this was because my chicks were mostly kept outdoors whereas theirs were kept indoors in cages. However, when my friends fed their chicks the same vitamins and supplements that I was using, their chicks also tended to molt earlier. We have now concluded that healthy chicks tend to molt much earlier because their robust health enable them to do so."

Based on the above, I thought I would like to clarify how manage to molt the taimong earlier and what vitamins and supplements you feed your taimongs?

BTW, I really learnt a lot from your website and your contribution to MBF. Appreciate it.

May God bless You!

Cheers!

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 8:51 pm Post subject:

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Thanks for your kind comments. I have mentioned in a post on this forum that my taimongs tend to molt earlier than those of others and that I attribute this to proper nutrition and care. This is different from feeding the taimong with with the main aim of trying to get it to molt earlier. The shama, regardless of whether it is a taimong or an adult will tend to delay its molt if there is insufficient nutrition to enable it to have a proper molt. Feeding the shama proper nutrition is something that should be done to ensure proper development and molt at the appropriate time. I think I misunderstood you when I replied earlier.