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Alexander Leidy New user Greenwich, Connecticut 33 Posts |
I recently have decided to open my act with the production of a canary. Is anybody who has worked with one before willing to share some wisdom? Will a canary work with the Mikame bird cage? Any advice is helpful.
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DJ Trix Inner circle 1197 Posts |
I have not worked with them but I do work with budgies. When I started working with small birds I was told that canaries are not workable, lets see what everyone else says.
DJ |
Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
I don't know a major reason for not using canaries. I think the reason some of us silver-haired guys shy away from them was because of an exposure in Readers' Digest about 1950. Some carnival shows were vanishing canaries and the method usually killed the bird. It was just a reputation we didn't want. I remember my dad (who just never read to me) reading that report to me. It was another ten years before I took up magic but I'll never forget that article. I may be the only one living who remembers it!
My professional reason for working with doves, chickens, ducks or geese instead of a canary is because they are simply so much larger and make for a more incredible production or vanish. Why produce a dime if you can produce a silver dollar? It would have to fit some theme (mining etc.) that denied me the use of a larger load. On the other hand, use what you have. Lucy uses live unicorns! We have three of them. (OK, Off stage their papers say that they are registered quarterhorses.) Enjoy your animal magic. Bob Sanders Magic By Sander |
DJ Trix Inner circle 1197 Posts |
Ok but aren't these guys much harder to train than a budgie?
DJ |
Crispy Loyal user Louisville, KY 207 Posts |
I use canaries in the OLEC cage routine. Here, the simple reason is you want it to appear that the canary flies out of the egg, while a parakeet is too large to give this appearance.
Canaries are expensive, quite frail birds, and not really trainable. If your effect is not "canary specific," then I would see no reason to use a canary over a parakeet. (canaries must've been cheap in the 50's. The cheapest I can find them now is $30 for a female and $60 for a male. The petshops sell them for $100 a piece.) Cris |
Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Parakeets were cheap too. We raised them commercially for about $3.00 each in the 80s. Top price for something really special was $6.25.
Times do change! Bob Magic By Sander |
Daniel Faith Inner circle Neenah, Wisconsin 1526 Posts |
Lance Burton uses a canary in a routine where he tears up a piece a paper and wads it up. Then it turns into a canary in his hand.
Daniel Faith
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Bob Sanders Grammar Supervisor Magic Valley Ranch, Clanton, Alabama 20504 Posts |
Back in the 80s, one of our Las Vegas best did a barehanded parakeet appearance on a TV special. Due to video recorders, it exposed the trick to the world. Beware of small birds and zoom lenses. If you allow video photography of your show. Use so much of the stage all the time that the zooming is hopeless. At my shows I try to enforce no video pictures but allow all the stills you want with only a still camera. You do own your show.
Using the whole stage with a canary isn't easy. Scheme! Bob Sanders Magic By Sander |
Alexander Leidy New user Greenwich, Connecticut 33 Posts |
Thanks to everybody for all the advice!
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magicgraham Regular user Mesa Arizona 138 Posts |
I have found canaries for want of a better word not as durable but as fore mentioned they are best for OLEC. In speaking to a breeder some time ago he told be the ones that lived longer were not as "in bred” as much, not sure why this makes a difference but who was I to question the gentleman.
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paraguppie Elite user Forsyth Montana! 411 Posts |
I have seen Dave Womach perform OLEC using a parakeet (I'm 90% sure at least) and it looked fine. I know he is on a ship right now, but maybe he can chime in. I am currently waiting on apparatus to do OLEC, and was planning on using a parakeet. Maybe I should reconsider?
Keith
Check me out at www.magickeith.com
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paraguppie Elite user Forsyth Montana! 411 Posts |
You'll have to ask Dave, I think right now he has a Cockatoo, Toucan, at least 4 doves and 2 parakeets on the boat. I could be wrong about that, but I think that's what he has. He's a busy boy!
Keith
Check me out at www.magickeith.com
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BAN New user NJ 26 Posts |
Quote:
On 2005-12-26 23:41, Bob Sanders wrote: make that two people! I didn't read about it, but I can not remember where I heard that. Oh well now you going to drive me crazy. As for the topic question I don't use canaries they are to small, but I plan on getting 7 doves. |
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