FINCHforum

If I was to get the red factor stuff for canaries that go into the water or the red factor eggfood will it hurt my gouldians ? I asked a few breeders at the bird show and I got mixed answers so I thought I would you guys on here cuz there are some really knowledgable breeders here.

Thx in advance
Cath

Hi, my uncle gives his canaries the redfactor eggfood, but when he had them with goulds he didn't, said something about changing their color, that may be an issue.

Any birds that have yellow or white feathers will be affected!
My mule and goldfinches had the yellow feathers turn to a golden brown and the white markings turn a dusty pink!
So it will affect the gouldians!

Jerry

Thx for the heads up..... I did find something interesting while surfing yesterday though. It appears that canaries inherited the gene from the siskin to be able to turn yellow lutein into red also. If this is true that is very interesting. This is the quote....

Red Siskins have the ability to convert the common dietary yellow carotenoid lutein, into red carotenoids.

The Red Factor has inherited the red siskins' ability to transfer yellow lutein into red, but it also retains the canary gene for changing

the yellow carotenoid lutein into yellow!

The site itself...
http://www.thecanarysnest.com/color/

Now I want a pair red mosaics......LOL I must butter up the hubby for that one....LOL

A couple of my yellow canary chicks have been eating alot of carrots and they are turning a bright red. I've never fed them a color food. The red color is spotty though, not evenly throughout.

Because you have to color feed the red factor canaries, I would keep them separate. That makes it easier to deal with their specialized food/suppliments.

Although you guys now have me curious. Would my YB gouldians turn orange at the next molt if I fed them the red color suppliment? Interesting thought that I might try out one of these days on a couple of YBs that I won't be breeding.

I keep getting mixed messages about color feeding canaries in general. On one forum I go to say if you breed a yellow to a red it WILL dilute the red to an orange but babies that are born to be yellow can eat the food and not turn but the babies born to be red will turn. I am not sure I beleive it. But here is the part I dont understand....if they used a red siskin to create the red canary then why would ANY normal yellow canary turn red with the color food ? I know that the red canary inherited the gene to turn lutien into red but if the regular non red canary can turn yellow carontenoid into red what is the point in using the siskin in the first place ? I guess I am mildy confused....LOL

Hi Cath,
Red factor canaries have inherited the gene from red siskins that can produce red-orange feathers from Lutein and other carotenes.
Yellow canaries only produce yellow feathers from Luetin and other carotenes.
Commercial Red-Color foods contain the carotene cantaxanthin. Cantaxanthin colors both red factors and yellow canaries to varying degress of red. I understand the reason for this is because cantaxanthin (red) is very similar in molecular structure to xanthophyll the primary yellow carotene used by yellow canaries.
Hope this helps.
John

Great explanation Jonvill.
In regards to using the water additives and your question of Will it hurt my other birds? It will hurt all birds if not used properly. Many time improperly mixed or a product that is not of the highest quality can destroy a birds liver. Forget that it can hurt the feather colors... be careful of hurting the liver
Whenever you cross the red factor canry with a yellow you will dilute both of the birds colors. If you do not colorfeed a red factor it still will never be the bright yellow of the yellow canary... I will always have hues of peach/orange. so if you bred the red to the yellow you will muddy the yellow to a degree and cause the red factor to be orange as opposed to red. Your truest red color comes from the white ground birds and not the yellow ground birds.
Other bird such as gouldians will not benefit from colorfood. A diet rich in luetin is all that is necessary. Greens are the best source for this.

I dont plan to show any canaries for a long while ( I am waiting on my pair of red clear mosaics). The only color food my reds get is red egg food for colorbreds and LOTS of veggies. Unless I am breeding for show I dont see the point in usung that liquid color stuff and I know if mixed wrong it can harm the bird so I have steered clear of it. I give greens and carrots and the ocaisonal red pepper. I am still unsure if my darker red is a male or female. Still no song and not interested in building a nest so I think I may bite the bullet and just do a dna for 17.00. This bird has me totally confused. I would think if it was a hen it should respond to my yellows song like the lighter red hen did immediatley. I do know that when I had all 3 housed together my yellow AS male would dive bomb the dark red bird in question but not the lighter red known hen so perhaps he is a submissive type ?