when can i put the nest? and something bout courting..

[marfogel]

Hello every one,
I'm new here and new to rising canaries so I'll need your advices.

I have a pair of canaries and i like to try and breed them soon. I'm rising them just for fun and not for selling and just like to see the whole cycle of their life, I'm not even sure about their kind so my next post would be with pictures asking for identification.

I have the male for about 3 months now and i bought the hen ten days ago.
I keep them in separated cages for now one next to the other. i also let them fly free every other day and the hen is much more bold than the male and tries to interact with him but he doesn't seems to be very interested even that he do sings every day. I wonder why he isn't seems to be more interested although he sings-because I understand that the singing can be territorial or courting and he is alone in his cage.

to my other question, i like to know if i can put the nest in the hen cage already?
and is it ok to leave the nest in the cage for the whole year?

thanks:)

[debbie276]

I'll let the canary experts answer your questions, just wanted to say welcome to the forum

[Sally]

I also can't help with canary questions, I have no experience with them, but we do have some very experienced canary breeders on here who can help you.

And welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at the Finch Information Center, linked at left, and the members are always ready to help.

[marfogel]

thank you for your warm welcome.

[lovezebs]

Shalom from Canada.
Mah neeshmah baAretz?

As to Canaries.... I have a male, but I do not breed. I keep a large mixed community flight, with canary and finches together.

Many years ago, I did breed canaries for a short while, but then went into love birds for about twenty years.

From what I remember, the idea was to keep them in a breeding cage with a divider in the middle, or in two cages side by side . This way they can get to know each other. Give your girl her nest and nesting material, so that she can start adding on to the nest and build it up the way she likes it. The boy gets to sit in his own cage and sing.

When she really starts to build, if I remember right, then she is interested in breeding. At that point, your boy goes into cage with his new bride and the honeymoon should begin.

Once you see their fist egg, remove it to a safe place and replace with a fake egg. Keep doing that until she is not laying any more eggs, then take out the fake eggs ang give her back the real ones.

As I recall, this is done, so that all the babies will hatch same day and all wii be the same size.

An important thing, is to give them all a really good diet, before breedin, during, and once babies are hatched. Good seed mix, lots of fruits and vegetables, and lots of hard boiled eggs mashed up WITH the shell. Also cuttle bone for extra calcium for her. Good idra to also have a bottle of liquid calcium available, in case your girl has problems with egg laying. It could save her life, if she's in trouble.

[jonvill]

In addition to the very informative post by Lovezebs, I would add length of daylight hours. Canaries need at least eleven hours of daylight to come into condition and in my opinion they should be at twelve hours to raise a clutch.

[30 Seconds to Bob]

First of all, hello and welcome to the forum! How old are these canaries? Canaries breed best at age two. They can be bred at one, but tend to make lots of mistakes as far as courtship and raising young as young parents. By age two, they seem to instinctively have things all figured out.
As Jonvill mentioned, canary breeding (and their entire health and well being for that matter), revolves around a natural daylight cycle. They begin to come into breeding condition in late winter, and the optimal breeding time is early spring. Both parents should be in top condition, having been fed fresh greens, sprouted seeds and eggfood for several weeks prior to pairing and introducing a nest.
As lovezebs mentioned, it is easiest to use a divider cage, where the divider can be pulled when both birds show an undivided interest in each other. The male will constantly sing and display while contnually feeding the hen through the cage bars. You can also place two cages where they are close enough to touch each other. The hen will "present" herself by sitting low on the perch and hold her butt up in the air. Her bottom will be red and swollen like that of a baboon. She will also quickly build a nest. Once the divider is pulled, it's "game on" and mating usually takes place very quickly. Again, this all depends on length of day and proper conditioning. I've never pulled and replaced the eggs with fakes, as healthy parents can usually handle a clutch of five or six no problem - even if the latest to hatch are a lot smaller. Any other specific questions, feel free to ask. Just a few years back, I've bred many, many, healthy, happy canaries. Nearly all the ones I've given away are still happily living with friends or relatives. Bob

[marfogel]

thank you (and Toda Raba ) !

they are 1 year old (that what i was told by the one who sold them to me). the female LOOK smaller and younger to me, but maybe that doesn't mean anything.

they have about 12 hours of light each day.

i don't know if they are on top condition but they seem happy to me.
i feed them Versele-Laga Prestige Canary seed mix, and i started to add versele laga orlux eggfood when got the hen (on the 14th).
about the eggfood, they do eat it but not as much as they eat the seeds, any advise how to make it more delicious? how much should they eat of it?
i also give them Chard and carrots and they always have cuttle bone.
should i add boiled eggs to their diet even thou i give them the versele laga orlux eggfood ?


Bob you said: "The male will constantly sing and display"-display what? something specific or in general display interest.

so about the nest, i understand that you advise to put it only when i see the male start to feed the female. and in any case to to make sure they eat their eggfood for at least two more weeks before letting them be together,right?

Thank you again everyone!

[lovezebs]

Erev Tov.

About egg food. Hard boil your eggs for about ten minutes and mash with a fork, the whole egg with the shell. Eggs offer protein, shell gives them (especialy her) much needed calcium.

I feed my birds ( canary and finches) romaine lettice, apple, red chard, kale, rottini, red beet greens, grapes, pears, spinach, carrot greens, parsley, occasionally half a mandarine, broccoli, cucumber ( which they really love), grated carrott, spray milllet, and dry meal worms (which I crush into tiny pieces.)

Just a few ideas of the things that can be fed and that they enjoy eating. These guys eat better than I do.

They also love to take baths, so a shallow bowl or container of water is a good idea.

Good luck.

[30 Seconds to Bob]

"Springlike" veggies work best to bring canaries into breeding condition. Leafy green lettuces, dandelion greens, endive, beet tops, mustard greens, etc. Soaked and sprouted seed is probably the most important.
"Displaying", simply means that the male will "strut his stuff" while singing. He will be in a frenzy. Standing high on the perch, chest puffed out, wings flapping, singing twice as much as normal. He may fly in circles, land and begin his display all over again.
Ideally, birds should be conditioned for several weeks (or even months) prior to breeding. Don't forget the eggfood and supplemental calcium. And don't worry that the hen is small. Some of my most productive hens were quite tiny, relatively speaking. Bob

[Mexicancanary]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your canaries. Watching and participating in the life cycle is an amazing thing....mother nature at her best!

I agree with everything you have been told by Bob and the other poster (sorry forgot name) with one exception. I never never remove the eggs and replace them with fakes. The eggs are extremely fragile and sometimes the hen will get really upset. Just let mother nature take her course and you will have many beautiful babies naturally. I also start my breeders at one year of age and have had many wonderful healthy babies. Also remember, each time they have a clutch the coloring will be a little different. Don't think they will always be the same!

Linda

[marfogel]

Thank you so much everyone!
I fell more confident after I heard your advices.
so for now i"m just waiting for my guys to show intrest on each other.
i'll let you know when we move to "phase two" and let them be in the same cage.
again, that you all so much, Linda, bob, lovezebs (luciano is adoreable), jonvill, sally, debbie and everyone in that lovely forum.

i'll be posting their photos soon, and be glad if you could help me identifying them.