♥ What Makes Asagi Koi Unique?

The Asagi koi traces its history back over 200 years ago when Japanese farmers started taking notice of the wild black carp known as "Magoi" that formed part of their local diet. These Magoi exhibited three naturally occurring mutations, the Tetsu (Iron) Magoi Magoi, the Doro (Mud) Magoi and the Asagi (Pale-Greenish-Blue) Magoi. The successive breeding of these brocaded fish eventually led to the development of today's koi and what is now recognized as a "pure domestic art" in Japan, justifying why koi breeders also call themselves artists.

In general, Asagi is used to describe a koi with a blue-grey color above its lateral line extending to its cheeks. It is also accented by red markings on its underside. The distinguishing feature of Asagi koi, however, are the "reticulations" or netted patterns formed by their blue scales.

For the serious Koi breeder however, these specifications become even more precise and sometimes extremely subtle. For instance, Asagi koi's reticulations must line up in perfectly uninterrupted rows and come in a graduated shade. Reticulation is what makes or breaks an Asagi's worth. Some breeders say, the preferred criteria is for the blue to grow darker towards the outer edges making for a more contrasted, more impressive netting effect. Others say the shade must grow lighter towards the edges. Whatever the case may be, the characteristic red markings underneath the koi must serve a balanced aesthetic purpose. Asagi koi is expected to have red on its undersides and sometimes on its fins, lips and gill covers, but the red should serve as an accent that gives an overall symmetrical and balanced look to the fish.

A clean unblemished white head is a rare but prized character of the Asagi koi. Its head must be symmetrical and in proportion to its perfectly "torpedo-shaped" body. Likewise its mouth must be just the right size without being flat-shaped like a beak or too big.

With all this to think about, the Asagi koi is considered a very expensive even risky investment as all the criteria that makes for a magnificent Asagi do not exhibit themselves before the third year of its growth. Tategoi or (show koi in-training) are usually seen as white with hardly any blue to them at all. They gradually develop the different hues of blue as time passes. Green markings on a young Asagi however, are known never to go away. Therefore these particular fish are culled early on in the breeding process. The same goes for Tategoi that exhibit early red markings, for these marks tend to grow and dominate the fish's appearance where aesthetically, they should be as an afterthought.

A variation in their bluish color depends on an Asagi koi's bloodlines. These hues may range from pale-blue to a darker grey. Occasionally, Asagi have also been described as having a pale-yellow or cream tint.

There are around six sub-classes of Asagi koi in the market. The Konjo Asagi is the darkest one which may even come in black. The Shusui is a popular variety of Asagi which has large mirror scales and lateral lines on either side of the dorsal line. This was developed from cross-breeding the Asagi and Doitsu varieties of koi. The Narumi, named after the town which produces cloth in the pattern of this Asagi comes in a deep blue shade with lighter edges. The Mizu Asagi on the other hand, comes in the lightest shade of blue. The Asagi Sanke which is a cross-breed variety of the Asagi and Sanke type of koi is known for having a white lower abdomen. Finally, the Taki Asagi is that rare breed with a red abdomen that is streaked by white in the middle.

Given its history and beauty, the Asagi koi is a formidable choice for any koi keeper and is sure to be a prized specimen of enjoyment in one's pond.

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♥ What You Need To Know About Finches Before Bringing Them Home

Finches are colorful, energetic birds that can be found in many parts of the world. There are different species of finches and about sixteen of them are found in North America. Finches are small birds and their sizes range from 4 inches to 9 inches. Science journals and nature magazines will describe them as having bright feathers and a conical bill.

Colors and Determining Sex

What attracts many pet lovers to finches are their bright colors. Different species of finches have different colors. The American Goldfinch, for example, has predominantly golden feathers, as its name implies. The purple finch has a somewhat purple, reddish color with streaks of black on their wings. According to official finches information, most finches come in brown and green plumage, and you will notice a general lack of white colors. Some breeds of finches are dichromatic, which means you can distinguish the gender by studying their colors. The males usually have bright markings as opposed to the paler colors of the females.

Location

While finches are mostly native to the southern hemisphere, there are plenty of breeds that can be found in North America. In fact, there is a family called the American Rose finches, which includes the purple finch, Cassin’s finch, and the House finch. There are finches that migrate to the continental United States at specific periods of the year because of food scarcity and extreme winters. These include the Redpoll and the Pine Grosbeak. You can check more finches information and geography on many authority sites on the internet.

Feeding

Most finches feed on seeds, particularly the American Goldfinch. They love eating thistle seeds as well as the seeds of spruce and pine. Many aviary journals have complete finches information on specific diets for particular specie of finches. Dandelion and chickweed make an excellent meal for tiny birds. You can also feed them eggshells and cuttlefish bone to increase their calcium intake. Make sure to heat the eggshells in order to kill fungi and bacteria. In most cases, your pet finches would be delighted on a simple meal of fruits and vegetables.

Health

Finches have a life span of 4 to 8 years. The best way to maximize their life span is by giving them the best possible care. It is important to spot signs of illness early on so that you can treat them accordingly. Finches information shows that common illnesses include, swollen eyes, fluffed out feathers, loss of appetite, general lack of energy, etc. Bring the birds to a veterinarian for proper care and attention.

Basic care of your finches includes giving them food and fresh water on a daily basis. It is also important to sanitize the cage at least once a week to avoid the birds catching diseases. You must also place a water bath inside the cage because these birds love dipping in water every now and then as a form of their bathing ritual. Breeding finches is an exciting endeavor but you must have complete finches information to do it successfully. All in all, finches are enjoyable creatures that can brighten up your home life.

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♥ Get To Know These Four Types Of Finches

Finches have been kept as pets for hundreds of years. And because of its popularity among bird lovers, they have been cross-bred many times that you could actually now enjoy different types of finches. An amazing thing about finches is that they are completely sociable and are at home in aviaries and cages. In fact, it is said that there are more finches being domesticated than being set free in the wild. With proper guidance and rearing, your finches can thrive in a man-made ecosystem and can live for several years.

There are about 145 species of these birds around the world. About 16 varieties of finches live and thrive in the United States. Although it is a small percentage compared to the actual number of finch species, it is enough for many pet lovers to enjoy different types of birds in their homes. Among the characteristics common to all finches are their conical bills and colorful, vibrant plumage.

Lawrence’s Goldfinch - Abundance of seeds and water attracts the Lawrence’s Goldfinch. According to published studies, they stay in one place for one year and then migrate to another the following year. The Lawrence’s Goldfinch differ from the American Goldfinch in that it has less yellow plumage compared to the latter. Their movement is usually east to west rather than northwards or southwards. They settle on fields with plenty of weeds and in areas where there are many seeds and grasses. The Lawrence Goldfinch is one of the popular types of finches that are considered as hobby birds.

Zebra finches – This type of finch is definitely a popular choice by bird enthusiasts. One thing that stands out about them is their zebra strips on the tail, which is alternatively black and white. They are also among the most colorful of the types of finches and are really attractive when placed in a garden. Because they don’t require too much maintenance, Zebra finches are also recommended for beginners. If you want to learn how to raise birds, start with this breed because they are easy to keep and maintain.

Red Crossbill – The Crossbill is found mostly in coniferous forests in the continental United States as well as Canada. They have the ability to breed during winter seasons, which is uncommon among the several types of finches. They can survive well in fluctuating seasons, but make sure that you keep the temperature of the cage just about right to ensure their safety and health. The way they extract seeds from coniferous trees is that they bite the cones down using their crossed beak until the scales begin to open.

Pine Grosbeak - The Pine Grosbeak is among the largest types of finches. They can grow up to 10 inches in length and can survive in the wild in different weathers. One peculiar characteristics of the Pine Grosbeak is that they their somewhat slow movements especially when looking for food. They can mostly be found in Canada and northern United States. They usually come in large groups and forage for food in groups.

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♥ When Can I Start To Insure My Pet?

Pet insurance will protect your dog against illness, death or injury for most of their life – however there is an age limit as to when pet insurance can start for your puppy dog.

You may want to protect your pet every minute of their life, but it is important to know that at the beginning of his or her life, your pet may have to fend for themselves.

Pet insurance is essential to protect you financially from the inevitable adventures life will throw at your pet. If your dog causes an accident, for example, your pet insurance policy provides protection against legal liability. Pet insurance will also cover up to a certain amount in vet’s fees each year, and good insurance companies may even cover you if your dog is stolen, including money towards advertising and a reward. This level of pet insurance means that both you and your dog are protected.

Your dog should benefit from this level of protection all their life, however you can usually only insure your dog once they reach a certain number of weeks old. This age will be specified by your insurance provider and will vary. In the first three weeks of a puppy’s life they have very limited awareness, and all their basic needs must be met by their mother. Little or no handling by humans is required as long as the puppy and mother have a healthy relationship. By weeks five to seven the puppy should socialise with the litter and humans, and they will begin to become more independent.

But what happens when the puppy becomes an older dog? With good pet insurance, there is usually no upper age limit to insuring your dog. The only benefit that may stop would be death from illness cover. You may find that when your pet is over a certain age, your pet insurance provider won't give you back the purchase price if your pet dog dies or has to be put to sleep through illness or natural causes. If you’re unsure what age limit you have on your pet insurance policy, it’s best to check with your provider. Otherwise, your dog should be able to enjoy all the benefits of pet insurance, such as protection against theft or veterinary treatment until they reach the end of their natural happy life.

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♥ A Brief Overview Of Puppies

A puppy is a child dog. It is very small. Some puppies have a small weight of 1-3 lb. A larger puppy can have a weight of 15-23 lb. The healthy puppy grows after their birth. The coat color of the puppies changes as they become older. It is common in the breeds such as Yorkshire Terrier. According to the English dictionary puppies means dogs and pup is used for the other mammals such as seals, giraffes, rats or guinea pigs. They are born after 63 days in their mother’s womb on an average.

Often they are eaten by their mother. They need care immediately after born. If there are more than six puppies then one or more are runts. The runts need mother care and proper nourishment though human involvement in hand feeding is there. When the puppies are of one month they can eat solid food. They are much trained about this at this time. The mother provides them partly digested food or she may allow them to eat some of the solid foods. It is the normal trend of the dogs.

When the Puppies are of seven weeks old they do not depend on anyone for nursing or food. Although they insist their mother for nursing but their mother usually refuses at this age. She occasionally does the nursing for her kid’s comfort. The puppies spend their time largely by sleeping and the rest by feeding. They like to be piled together into a heap. They feel unhappy if they are separated from each other.

They want physical contact of their littermates even in the short distance. Puppies have a good sense of smell but they cannot open their eyes. After the first two weeks their senses develop rapidly. Puppies have functional sense of smell from the beginning. The sense develops during the first two weeks of their born. In this stage their nose acts as the primary sense organ. They use this to find their mother’s teats and they locate their litter mates when they are separated by the short distance.

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♥ Know How to Stop The Barking Habit of Your Dog

We all know that when our dog constantly barks, it’s an irritating thing for our neighborhoods. When your dog scattered all the stuff in your house, then that won’t affect your neighbors too much. But the constant barking from time to time will result to getting mad of your neighbor and they might complain about it.

The main reason why we take care of dogs was to make sure we have someone present and willing to protect us. But the way they do that is barking. You must teach your dog to discontinue barking to overcome this natural characteristic. You should train your dog to stop continuously barking when they’re still young; otherwise you will suffer when they already do it as a habit.

The natural way puppies and dogs communicate is barking. Feelings like tired of something, trying to convince you to play, and welcoming people as well as in caution will make your dogs bark especially when they’re keyed up. The characteristics of the bark are usually a sign that the dog is trying to do or express something.

Some dog breeds are born with a very strong, as the terrier. When these dogs don’t get enough amount of workout, the outcome would be bad barking habits on their side out of stress. Indeed, boredom can be a big plot of dogs barking. This is in particular true if no one is at home all day and then the dog is unnoticed when you are home.

To resolve this bad habit, you should sit to it you understand that a dogs needs attention and work outs just like we do. It makes no logic to get a dog just to transfer it to the back garden never to interrelate with what is believed to be his human family. Do not get a dog if you have no time to spend with it. And perhaps think of taking some thought that varying cause for your family. Life changes over time, but the dogs will always be there and want caring, concerns and work outward.

If you have to be gone for a long span of time, there are more than a few things you can do to help out your dog deal with being unaccompanied. First thing is try to make him accustomed to you departing and returning back. You would like him to know you do return back and he has not been cast off.

Then, make sure that your dog makes it a habit not seeing you in a long period of time. Make sure you never left him staying alone for hours on end at the same time. Your dog, and this should be taught to him as a puppy, has to get accustomed to a longer period unaccompanied one step at a time. It may perhaps need a weekend of training or even longer. Begin with a very small absence and work your way up.

One more thing is providing your dog with playthings or any other chewable foods that can keep him occupied. Many dogs bark merely for the reason that they are fed up. Provide him stuff that could keep him occupied. Use playing tool such as Kong stuffed with kibble so you can make your dog amused if this used in the appropriate manner.

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♥ Humming Birds General Markings and Characteristics

Humming Birds like to flit around where they can get nectar from feeders or plants with their long straight bills. Folks that have nector rich brightly colored flowers or colorful feeders in their yards can see Humming Birds most every day. They make a sight as they seem to float in the air while their wings move so fast you can hardly see them. They are so small that most of them only weight an ounce or two. Much smaller than most backyard birds. But they are very fun to watch as they drink and collect nectar. With their inquisitive ways they explore woodlands and yards. They do not glide around in the air. They like to move in short hops or spurts that are so fast you have to really watch to see them at work. They usually are a somewhat drab light brown in color with lighter underbellies. But their antics make up for the loss of bright colors.

With your binoculars take some time and look for general markings and characteristics, things that you notice right off. Do not spend a lot of time trying to memorize different aspects of the Humming Birds. Just look for general information and then you will be able to quickly recognize what group these birds belong to by noticing size, general shape, colors and their behavior.

I suggest that you keep a note book of these characteristics. You can add to it from time to time. This will help you understand and learn. But be patient and note things only one at a time. Otherwise you may get tired and discouraged because you can’t remember everything at once. It will all come in time as you watch these birds. Also take a look at the field marks such as a wingbar and eyering markings to tie some IDs down.

Please remember also to note what time of year you see them as well as other kinds of birds you see in your neighborhood. Then you will be able to keep track of them better next year when the return.

A good field book on birds will help, but do not try to memorize everything in it all at once. Just learn about your specific bird of interest.

Humming Bird

Size & Shape

A small size, with a long straight bill, flat head and large eyes, short pointy tail

Color Pattern

Subdued light brown above, with gray-white underbelly, distinct necklace line and gray-brown wings

Behavior

Inquisitively explores woodlands and yards, moves in short hops or spurts

Habitat

Forest edge, woodlands, urban and suburban parks and yards

Birding is a great sport, especially watching Humming Birds. Their antics and activities will keep you busy for hours. With some enjoyable work in preparation by learning a few basics about them and with a good pair of bird watching binoculars you can have many hours of pleasure with your family or by yourself.

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