What are my Fifes ?

Having read this section, would I be correct in saying that both my Fifes are :-

Intensive Clear Yellow Lipochrome

Ar they fifes mate Do not look like fifes to me

They dont look like fives, ah bit to big for me to be fives, they look more like 7 or 8 to me.

Was going to say the same myself they are intensive yellow feather birds [ie yellow feather] they look more like colour canaries than fife, although on saying that the last photo is showing a bit more fife type.

Forgive me but intensive,non intensive and mosaic are coloured canary and stafford feather types. In fifes they have only yellow and buff feather types as in most canaries,excepting lizards where they have siver and gold. So your birds without any melanin markings are clear yellow Fifes.

No shape of a fife in them + Too Big.

Hmm.....confusing isn't it

No....(if) they are Fifes, so none of the above applies, they are 'clears' & if they are not Buffs, they are "yellows". Yellow being a 'feather' type ( as opposed to buff)not a colour, hence you can have "self" green or cinnamon (brown) Fifes which are 'yellows' because it denotes the feather type.


Yellow = Intensive / Non frosted

Buff = Non Intensive / Frosted

Clear Yellow Lipochrome is terminology devoted to Colour Canaries.....

I always used to believe that Buff is Non -intensive, & Yellow was Intensive. That is what I was told.
It is the same just different names, well It is never to old to learn.
Just like Bronze & Red Blacks.

Dennis wrote: I always used to believe that Buff is Non -intensive, & Yellow was Intensive. That is what I was told.
It is the same just different names, well It is never to old to learn.
Just like Bronze & Red Blacks.

Frosted and apricot as well Dennis. I still call them Apricot to myself..lol

WOW

I didn't realise I would cause such debate.

I'm very, very confused.

So, what are my birds then guys.

Regards from confused novice

ste1960 wrote:WOW

I didn't realise I would cause such debate.

I'm very, very confused.

So, what are my birds then guys.

Regards from confused novice

What is happening is that those who have posted are looking to far into your photo's.

Yes if you go by the photo's they don't look much like Fifes they are a posture variety plus that is what you bought them as

And yes they are both yellow in colour and feather quality as has been discribed all ready.

I hope this helps.

Why not go to a Fife canary site and ask them. This site is for coloured canaries.

First off steve type canaries i.e. fifes ,borders etc use a different terminology than colour canaries. If you consider them colour canaries then they would be yellow lipochrome, if you use fife terminology then they would be clear yellow birds of yellow feather.

GeoffW

tut tut tut the guys only asking, it might be a colour canary forum but with a remark like ask a Fife forum,
no wonder people come in to the fancy and go straight out again, he might of tried coloured if helped for all you know
i expect he thought with all the knowledge people have on here someone might of had fifes before coloureds and be able to help.
Help & advice doesn't cost anything

Forest2709

Hiya,
i now run a bird auction every fortnight and tons of birds resembling them do get put in for sale as " fifes " we just auction them as canaries, they're deffinately not fifes as the size and body shape are all wrong,most of the bidders/buyers use them as feeders as they go dirt cheap and are sold in buff/yellow pairings..
They're both yellow canaries if your breeding them for pleasure or to get into canaries try to source a couple of buffs and put them too them, if you search for pics of fifes you'll see the difference in body shape and size..
Don't be put off by being a novice mate we ALL started there and it's a learning curve, hopefully someone didn't sell you them as a pair of "Fifes" ..
If you need any further help mate send me a message and i'll give you some other forums/websites that may be able to help you more..

Steve

ste, if you have any further questions to ask about your birds please ask, as there are plenty of members willing to help out.

David McCool wrote:ste, if you have any further questions to ask about your birds please ask, as there are plenty of members willing to help out.

i totally agree with this,,,i am sure i aint the only one that keeps more than one type of bird and i am willing to try and help anyone,,,johnboy...

Thanks for the last few posts guys.

you explained it in simple terms that I understood.

Basically I've got 2 lovely yellow lipochrome that I'm happy with.

Hopefully one of them will be confirmed as a hen so I will have a pair (fingers crossed)

If not, I've still got 2 nice birds.

Much obliged guys

I'm not a big bird man but pm me if I can help

they look like fife x irish fancy to me

ste1960 wrote:
Hopefully one of them will be confirmed as a hen so I will have a pair (fingers crossed)

You may have a 'pair', but they are not, I would suggest, an appropriate "pair" to breed with. They are already tending towards "typeless" & 'mean' & if you 'double-yellow' with those birds they will almost certainly produce progeny which are even more so.

I have no qualms about trying to offer 'advice', ......makes no odds to me whether it is listened to or ignored. There are Redpoll's in trios for sale on the J.W. I think this "Diamond Geezer" bloke is offloading some fairly dubious birds onto you. He certainly is not looking after you. You've got an "odd" Grenfinch, an "odd" Harlequin, an "odd" variegated, un-sexed Fife'ish, an odd Redpoll, because the hen didn't last 5 minites & "2" Goldfinches, which may or may not be a pair ?? Geoff's advice is 'sound', if harsh. I like to think mine is too, but you are not doing yourself any good by deciding to call x-breeds "Yellow Lipochrome's" just to justify keeping them & if you do, you at least need to try to find some "buffs" so you make appropriate pairings, for the sake of the chicks ?

I would get the contact details for the Redpolls & get shot of the odd's & ends. It costs just as much to feed 'pet shop' birds as it does something meaningful ? At this rate your canaries will 'mess up' your prospects with those British. You want to be filling your 'stock/breeding' cages with chicks, not someone elses 'cast-offs' & odds & sods......or you will have no room left before you start.

That is sound advice there Nigel and a good point very direct.

Assumite wrote:

ste1960 wrote:
Hopefully one of them will be confirmed as a hen so I will have a pair (fingers crossed)

You may have a 'pair', but they are not, I would suggest, an appropriate "pair" to breed with. They are already tending towards "typeless" & 'mean' & if you 'double-yellow' with those birds they will almost certainly produce progeny which are even more so.

I have no qualms about trying to offer 'advice', ......makes no odds to me whether it is listened to or ignored. There are Redpoll's in trios for sale on the J.W. I think this "Diamond Geezer" bloke is offloading some fairly dubious birds onto you. He certainly is not looking after you. You've got an "odd" Grenfinch, an "odd" Harlequin, an "odd" variegated, un-sexed Fife'ish, an odd Redpoll, because the hen didn't last 5 minites & "2" Goldfinches, which may or may not be a pair ?? Geoff's advice is 'sound', if harsh. I like to think mine is too, but you are not doing yourself any good by deciding to call x-breeds "Yellow Lipochrome's" just to justify keeping them & if you do, you at least need to try to find some "buffs" so you make appropriate pairings, for the sake of the chicks ?

I would get the contact details for the Redpolls & get shot of the odd's & ends. It costs just as much to feed 'pet shop' birds as it does something meaningful ? At this rate your canaries will 'mess up' your prospects with those British. You want to be filling your 'stock/breeding' cages with chicks, not someone elses 'cast-offs' & odds & sods......or you will have no room left before you start.

Thanks for your direct comments.

I have no problems at all with receiving direct comments like yours, as long as they are constructive that is.

I will take on board your comments & have a good think.

The canaries in question were given to me, not payed for.
These were simply to get me going to learn about setting things up, because as I have been told on numerous occasions, there are very few good birds for sale at this time of year, with most for sale being the ones breeders want to get rid of due them not being up to scratch etc.

I am already arranging to go to my first ever Canary meeting in Stafford next month with someone off here, where, hopefully I will meet some good contacts to help me plan for what this years birds I will be getting hold of later on this year.

I already have an idea what Canaries I want to breed.

I'm going to narrow down on what I am going to keep and select carefully.

So, thanks for your comments.

"I've just started up keeping birds this year, so i've got some breeding cage space for anyone local to keep some birds in if your struggling for space.
Canaries, finches etc.
Greater Manchester M29 post code "

As posted elsewhere....is this how you intend to cut down & focus Steve ? I begin to wonder whether you actually want, or are prepared to be "helped" / advised ? It is a shame if people trying to support you in your new hobby become so frustrated that they think the credibility of the Forum is being diminished to the extent that they leave ?

Especially if those participants are of the caliber of Geoff Walker. As someone said to me regarding another Forum where the core principals were usurped "all the noise is at the shallow end"

Never mind........... I won't waste any more time.....

I'll leave it to the 'dealers' & the messer's to sort you out....

Assumite wrote:"I've just started up keeping birds this year, so i've got some breeding cage space for anyone local to keep some birds in if your struggling for space.
Canaries, finches etc.
Greater Manchester M29 post code "

As posted elsewhere....is this how you intend to cut down & focus Steve ? I begin to wonder whether you actually want, or are prepared to be "helped" / advised ? It is a shame if people trying to support you in your new hobby become so frustrated that they think the credibility of the Forum is being diminished to the extent that they leave ?

Especially if those participants are of the caliber of Geoff Walker. As someone said to me regarding another Forum where the core principals were usurped "all the noise is at the shallow end"

Never mind........... I won't waste any more time.....

I'll leave it to the 'dealers' & the messer's to sort you out....

Nigel your getting a little hot under the collar here.

It has been Geoff's decision to leave and no one has forced him to go.

We have had a statement off the site owner that we are a Colour Canary Forum but welcomes any topic bird related.

you your self have commented many times about Lizards, but I don't see that many people abusing you for it

Please calm it down especially when people enter our great hobby at the wrong time of year, this is not the way to keep people interested.