When to check or remove eggs

[Jamm972]

Thanks Animalzoo, that is very helpful. I'm going to be there in about another week n 1/2 or so. Just trying to think ahead. I went and looked at a prebuilt aviary today after work. It was huge. It was custom built for finches, but is just as good for Canaries. putting nests in any corner and perches. It was a little to big for my taste but I am thinking of having him build me a custom made one for around $400 to $500 depending on what I want done to it. He was selling his custom built one for only $500. Very tempted to just get it.

I don't want my birds to be in an aviary year round, I like the concept of pairing them up in a breeder cage cause you can monitor it more closely as well as pair up birds to improve better singers and or looks. The benefit to Aviary breeding though is it allows each hen to beg males, bad side is you never know who the parents are. Kind of ruins it being a hobby if you know what I mean. So I think I might get a custom built aviary to suit the canaries for when they are molting and can get some exercise.

People in California are saying Canary breeding season is about half over with and almost to the end. My 2 birds seem to have just gotten started. Most of the issue was human error not Canary.

Update:
Donald and Whitey being great parents all 3 chicks are strong and healthy.

Blanca and Zorro are now at 3 eggs, I think Blanca is going to go for 5 eggs this clutch. (Fingers Crossed) and Pray atleast half are fertile.

Toopay and Noname well don't think they are a match but will give them about 7 more days. I will have more time this weekend to observe them. If no luck I think I might Put stud in with Noname.
Orangie and yellow, they are getting along better but not sure they are a good match either only time will tell. Will give them about another 7 to 10 days.

Tails and Brownie there duds. I think I'm going to ask another breeder who can sex his canaries to see if he wants to give them a try. There just not building a nest, maybe they don't like the wicker and plastic nests. I was almost tempted to try and buy a closed wicker nest. but I think I'm just going to separate them When I figure out what I'm going to do with Stud.

I tried uploading pics last night but computer got all funky. so will retry after this message.

[Jamm972]

Hope you like
They all look the same just different angles so will only upload 1.
this was taken yesterday evening.

[Animalzoo]

Jamm972

Fabulous photo. They look well fed so good luck.

I'm really looking forward to Blanca and Zorros eggs hatching. When are they due?

So a little bit of sad news re. Jack and Jill's 5 babies. The youngest was suffering so I tried to supplement feed it but sadly it died last night. The 4 others are doing so well and growing very fast. They all have their fathers coming though and their colours are adorable!

Romeo and Juliet's 3 babies are doing great. I ringed them too so growing up slowly.

The baby from Sonny and Cher is now separated though bars and is eating but dad feeds him every now and then still. I've put dad in with Cher but they're in such a small space it's not really fair. Also the same day I added the male I found 2 eggs in Cher's nest which I can safely say are not fertilised. I'm not sure I'll have too much success this time round with them.

So....I have a friend who used to breed canaries. He visited yesterday and suggested Mulder and Scully may be 2 females. I had this suspicion too. My friend has a male canary so he's lent him to me for a few months to breed with. Yay!!! He's actually identical as Romeo. So I'm debating putting this loan male in a large cage with Mulder (possible female) and a new crested female which I'm yet to find/buy. I'll leave Scully alone on her eggs, just in case. You never know.

So a little bit of news my end and more to report over the weekend. I'm quite excited going looking for a Donald Trump of my own

You know you're looking at a larger aviary and found someone who custom builds them, is it an indoor one or for outside? Where are you planning on putting the babies when they are weaned?

[Jamm972]

Animalzoo
I have no idea where im putting the babies once they are weaned. i have a flight cage i can use but im not sure.

Yeah the guy that custom builds aviaries can do both inside and outside aviaries. I want one that is universal and i can roll inside and outside for convenience. I want an aviary more inside cause you can control it better but it requires alot more extra cleaning or it gets smelly.

I live in a sunshine state so it gets very hot in summer like in the high of 120 winters it usually only gets as cold as 30 degrees. but this only lasts for about a week and it starts warming up again. the average coldness is about 50 degrees but almost every day is 60's to 70's high. in winter summer always over 100 degrees regardless of day or night. I know they need shade but still. im just concerned the weather is to much for them to handle. but its really perfect for birds.

I ended up putting orangie in his own cage by himself. I put yellow in with Stud and Tails. to see how they get along as a trio. Blanca is sapose to lay her 5th egg today. so the eggs are due to hatch 14 days from tomorrow.

Donald and whitey doing great. I think whitey is looking for another nest. she has been playing with the nesting material. but i dont want her starting to soon. wont put in the new nest until the babies are atleast 14 days old.

Toopay and Noname, cant figure them out. i havent seen any mating going on but she is laying in her nest like she wants to lay eggs. so will see what happens.

I have some information for you....
A canary can carry a males sperm for up to 10 days. So if Sonny and Cher were together within the last 10 days the its possible she held onto the fertilizer until she was ready to sit in the nest. Keeping fingers crossed for you.

I have a feeling that because this is my first year next year can only get better. I am learning as i go. Next year i will have more control over the lighting and heating situation to get the canaries into condition.

Is this true i was told we can mate canaries all the way up til june. and after that you should prepare them for molting. Some one told me we are almost done with breeding season but i find that hard to believe because some of my pairs are just persistent and want to keep going. 2 successful clutches is my limit per pair. then the hen gets to rest. Next year i may move the male around once the hen starts to sit and lay eggs and see if he wants to fertilize other hens. they say this is a healthy practice for males and hens because they wont get accustomed to the same mate each year. for when 1 dies the other gets heart broken and a 50/50 chance will die along with them. Sad really but touching.

anyway will give an update on birds when i get home.

ta ta for now

[Jamm972]

Animalzoo So Blanca did not lay a 5th egg only 4. So looks like it will be hatching 14 days from today. Keeping Fingers crossed.

Noname appears to be sitting on the nest a lot but no eggs as of yet. I think she is trying to entice Toopay to mount her but no luck as of yet.

Brownie looks depressed for being alone. I'm beginning to think Brownie might also be female and just hasn't found a perspective mate.

[Animalzoo]

I don't think the breeding season is almost over. If it starts in March how can it almost be over by the start of April? I think if some pro breeders are prepared enough then it starts end Feb for them and seeing as the canaries have a quick turnaround re. incubation to weaning then I suppose experts will be towards the end of clutch 2 by now.

Us mere novice breeders are going through trial and error like you say ha! Also, breeders want birds old enough to be able to show by the end of summer I think hence why they are eager to start early.

It was total coincidence that I got my birds in February. Just before Christmas I was thinking of getting canaries then in January I was enticed by my friend so he helped me look for a breeder. He used to breed canaries so gave me some pointers. After learning about the seasons I was excited it timed perfect. I understand that for so long as you can simulate /spring summer via lighting and heating you can go on for as long as you want. Then allow the natural light and cooler Autumn season to start them molting naturally.


I went to Phoenix once when I was really young, about 12 and fell in love with it. My whole family had a great time. It was only for a weeks holiday but it's left a mark on me to go again. I can't remember what month we came in but I do recall the temps being high and were told they get higher. I'm in centigrade not fahrenheit but I know that 120f is crazy mega hot! Nearly 50c - wow. I'm also in a hot climate, we're averaging 20c most days right now and it'll just keep getting hotter until our days average 30-35 easily. So I get the thoughts about being too hot. Do you have air con in the house? I have a permanent outside aviary for my budgies and I'll have them outside for the summer but with plenty of baths and water!! Its completely sheltered from the sun and in a shaded spot with a blind I can roll over the top even. But I also have a metal larger flight cage on wheels and I too have thought about leaving this outside for the canaries. Spanish love canaries and lots of them have a male sitting in a small cage on their balconies in the apartment blocks singing away to themselves so I think they can take the heat. Otherwise I have a large cage inside my birdroom that the babies can go to. I have an underbuild (basement) where all my birds are. Its got air con for when the heat really picks up and is setup for them with the lighting. There is one window in the bird room so I have put the canary cages nearest it. I keep lots other bird species too (lovebirds, budgies, different finches) so they're all in together.


I'm sitting here now listening to my new Mr Singer (on loan) while I type this.....I decided to bring him into my lounge for a few days to listen to him It's 9am and he loves to sing and sing and sing in the mornings. He's quite cute. I'll grab a pic of him.....

[Animalzoo]

This is Mr Singer.

Here he is in full melody....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQcjSl1sHMo

He's identical to Romeo so possibly related? Unsure but he came from the same breeder at the same time so its a possible. My friend who came with me to the breeder decided to get him too for singing but he's loaning him to me for 2 months to breed. Romeo sings like this too.

I think I'll ask the forum what mutation/colour canary he is.

[Jamm972]

Animalzoo

OMG OMG OMG... So uhh I woke up and decided to check Nonames nest and lo and behold she laid an egg. So she is officially in season condition. Hope she lays 4 more. Problem is I never observed Too[pay Mounting her to inceminate the eggs. I just hope they are not Infertile cause all that hard work would be sad. I just want 1 offspring from Toopay before he gets to old. He is at the 5 to 6 year mark on age. I think he may have inseminated Noname though because he is being overprotective of the nest. He sits under the nest and he crouches up in defense mode if anybody comes near to take a peeksy.

I found one of the bnaby chicks on the bottom of the cage this afternoon, he had his head stuck out the side of the cage with one wing. I gently pulled him back through after bending the cage bars to avoid any bones breaking. The I put him back into the nest. I think he got excited when he opened his eyes and climbed to close to the edge of the nest. I say within the next 4 to 5 days they will be starting to want to fledge. So in 3 days I am going to clean the cage tray as best as I can and clean the food and water dishes with antibacterial soap for when they start to explore. I Observed Donald Pulling the nest apart, I think he was doing this to make inprovements to accommodate the birds so they wont fall out, or he is getting nesting material for Whitey to start the new nest, but I haven't given her a new nest yet. I was told to wait until the babies are getting in and out of the nest. then leave them with daddy for about 7 to 10 days and wean them.

Blanca is being a good mama she wont budge from the eggs, and the nest seems to be prevailing and holding the eggs sturdy and secure. 7 more days and I will candle them.

I put Yellow with Stud, I had to remove tails because both Stud and yellow were attacking tails. How Rude...... Stud has been trying to make yellow build the nest in the wicker nest but she is trying to put it in the food dish I use for the egg food. Its a bowl that is in the same shape as thr canary nest.

Orangie is all by him self. I think he jumped into a small molt and decided not to sing and fell out of condition. this tends to happen sometimes by human error in lighting and being disturbed.

I put tails and Brownie back into a cage together witout a divider. I doubt it will do them any good unless they are late bloomers. I believe these 2 birds are off spring from a mix of a finch and a redfactor canary. They were red when I got them with some brown spots, now there losing there red but are showing behavior of finches rather than canaries....... Shrugs who knows. I'm going to take 1 of them to the vet in a week and I'm going to have em DNA tested and to have em sexed. I'm doing the vet thing only because there is this one feather that is crooked and not growing out right. When he/she molted thought it would fix itself but it didn't, it grew out crooked again.

Anyway. fingers crossed for Noname and Toopay. I just need 1 offspring just 1
Will update you tomorrow when I can.

[Animalzoo]

Jamm972

YAYYYYYYY!!!!! Noname is laying her eggs...woooo.
Oh I'm so hopeful they're fertile. I've never witnessed mating with any of my birds so you never know, perhaps Toopay is just shy and does it when you're not looking hehe.

Isn't it frustrating with the others. Hopefully Stud will get on with it now and yellow will like him.

You know your nest with the babies, you can help a little and clean the nest out and make more room perhaps. I did that with Jack and Jill and their 4 babies. I have a spare nest cup so made a new clean one with a little bit of nesting material and swapped the babies into it so they sat lower down safely. Mine are just getting so big now that 4 will struggle to sit low down, I think they'll start sitting up and standing on the edge soon.

Cher has 4 eggs now in her new nest but I'm not convinced on them being fertile. I'll be candling soon enough.

Scully's 4 eggs are not fertile. I candled them and all clear Now I have this loan male, Mr Singer I have Scully and Mulder (possible female) to experiment with. I'm going to either separate Mulder into a cage alone to see if he sings and if not he is going in with Mr Singer immediately as a potential girl.

I wanted to experiment with 2 females/1 male though AND I wanted a Donald Trump of my own with a crest. My flock will be expanding soon I think!

[Jamm972]

Animalzoo Some pics of babies

[Jamm972]

wrong pic uploaded

[Animalzoo]

Jamm972

Aww these pictures are beautiful. I tell you what I am jealous of Donald and Blanca. I wanted a white one and a crested canary but I'm not sure I'll be getting them this season.....or if I do it'll be to prep for next year and to allow them to mature.

Mr Singer is now named Lucky. He had a run in with my cat last night while I popped out. I thought the cat was out and came home finding the cage on the floor, bars bent, cage base off and smashed with mess everywhere!!!!!! But Lucky was still inside even though the cage was sitting on its side with no bottom. He was standing on a perch, the poor fella. My cat knew immediately and as I opened my front door, she bolted out the house! I sorted another cage for Lucky immediately and he was fine. Acted as if nothing had happened, like just a normal day haha. So, Lucky is going to be paired with Scully. Her eggs are not fertile so I'm going to take out the nest and place Lucky and Scully in the same cage with a divide to get to know each other. I'm then bringing Mulder into my house alone away from other birds to see if he/she sings.

As my budgies finish breeding and their breeding cages free up, I'm going to take one (or 2) and use them for 2 hens/1 male setup. So I might buy more or I might use birds I already have, we'll see.

I've added a 2nd nest to Jack and Jill. They were pulling up the newspaper I have on the bottom of the cage and hopping about with it in their mouths. They want to build a new nest. It's time. Their oldest baby is 16 days old, no one has fledged yet but that doesn't mean they cant start building. I've tried and external nest this time, one enclosed on 3 sides with a sliding door to access it from the back. Hopefully they'll like it.

Nothing new with the others for now. I need to move the oldest baby from Sonny and Cher but not sure where to put him yet! Space is a premium hehe

[Animalzoo]

So I just looked up the hoohoos of Mulder and Scully and Mulder is a male. It was obvious difference to Scully who I checked as well so I'm content knowing they are boy and girl but for whatever reason they are not compatible when it comes to breeding. I candled her eggs and the oldest at 10 days they are all still see through. So I'm swapping Lucky and Mulder to try again. Hopefully out of the bird room and on his own Mulder will sing. Then I'll be on the hunt for a blana of my own or even better a crested white one to put with him.

[Animalzoo]

oh I feel quite guilty now. I've taken Mulder out and put him in the main house with me...he's not stopped singing, its great. He is a boy yay!

I've removed the nest from Scully. I feel so bad for her, the poor girl will wonder what on earth is going on. I hope she doesn't hate me. Hopefully Lucky and Scully will get to like each other but I feel bad for breaking up a really nice bond between mulder and scully. Oh well, I can't be doing with more dud eggs!

[Jamm972]

Animalzoo If Scully and Mulder bonded on a manogomy level you will know. That means there is no pairing up for either of them. But I'm sure you will be ok because of the fact that the eggs were always infertile. Mulder is prolly just lonely and wants another female. See if you can contact a local breeder and borrow a female. Most breeders always have back up hens just in case something goes wrong with one of their current pairings. Wont hurt to ask
If they are stubborn maybe you can loan him out and make the other breeder do all the work but I'm sure that mght be hard cause you have a bond with him

Like ive been told zillions of times. We just have to be patient. we still have 2 months left of mating. The the Summer molt begins.

I have decided to not build a custom built aviary. I'm going to buy to extra large aviary cages. the problem with these is I will still have to separate all the males in their own cages.

So my main issue this year for a first year is When do I start conditioning the birds and start pairing them up. I have a lighting schedule it says to pair them January with a work up of 13 hours of artificial lighting. Guess that's the confusing part. I know you have to feed the red factors color food just before their molt and again for breeding season to keep the color. Guess I have my work cut out for me.

I have been also trying to find a twice a year lighting schedule. I don't want to really practice this but hate to say it. if I want to keep this as a hobby and eventually enter into shows I need some reimbursement for the food and care it takes to raise the good ones.

Another breeder I was chatting with gave me a crash course on it but it went into one ear an out the other but now I sorta understand what he was talking about. When the birds get fed better than I do something is wrong lol