FINCHforum

My sons and I were in Petsmart last week, buying food for the snake. I always check the bird section just to see what's new, and they had the most beautiful red factor canary (at least that's what I think it was....I have very little knowledge on canaries). It almost looked neon orange. I was pretty shocked at the price, so I didn't buy it that day, but I couldn't stopping thinking about it. So on payday yesterday, I bought the little beauty. No one at the store could tell me if they had heard it sing, so I don't know yet if it's a male or female. I bought something on Lady Gouldian that's a colorant for red factors, so I hope I did the right thing. I think I'm supposed to add it to the water. When does a canary molt?

Yup! Petsmart's prices are up there!
Don't give him the colour unles he is moulting.
You can put it in the water but the bird will get it everywhere.
I mix in the egg food I make for them.
Simple recipe is, hard boiled eggs grated with equal part bread crumbs and some seed as filler. I freezes well if you make slot. Also you can grate some carrot or broccoli?

Jerry

Below is my pair of bronze canaries.[album][/album]

slwatson
On my wishlist! By the time I get to Texas you and Colt may have everything I ever wanted......sigh.

BigBear0007 hey I thought you feed them the red coloring just before the molt or little bits throughout the year. This is so the coloring has time to seep into the new growth of feathers. If you do it when they start molting wont the feathers be mixed in color?
I have 4 red factors 3 I owned for a wile they lost most of their red color only because I fed them regular seed. I just started feeding them the red factor egg mix food. I will also be buying the mix you add to the water. I am hoping to make them all have their color again by the end of the next molt.

Also quick question. When you pair up canaries, are the chicks born with the red color or just a carrier of the genetic trait until you condition them with the color food?

slwatson Hello I to was amazed by certain canaries at petsmart. the price is expensive but you know there well taken care of cause of the price. I was shopping at petsmart 2 months ago and my other half seen a crested canary that was housed with a Dominant white canary. My other half wanted to purchase the Crested canary (Donald Trump) I felt bad so I decided that I would purchase the Dominent White canary (Ms Whitey) I am so glad I did. As soon as we brought them home they were rehoused into a breeding cage. My intention was not to breed them this year because they needed to get used to the new diet as well as the surroundings.
Not even 3 days past and I witnessed Donald Feeding Ms Whitey. So I decided to throw in a nest into Ms Whiteys side. She had the nest built in less than 2 days. I decided to remove the divider because they were already housed together anyway. Well within the next 7 days I witnessed them mating and Whitey was sitting on the nest and laying eggs. Out of the 5 eggs 1 made it to hatching, but unfortionitley didn't survive 24 hours. Was sad but Whitey and Donald didn't give up there. She cleaned the nest made improvements and was ready for round 2 after 7 days of improving the nest, and allowing Donald to recharge. they are now on their 2nd clutch and have 2 live chicks and 1 on its way to hatch tomorrow.
Sometimes don't judge a book by its cover or price, you tend to get what you pay for Good quality and healthy birds for the price. PetSmart hasn't let me down yet on healthy Canaries.

Take care really hope you enjoy your new friend. If its a male and interested I highly suggest find a local breeder and maybe find him a female companion for next year or visa versa if you have a female.

slwatson

Congratulations Stacie!

Canaries, make wonderful pets.
If your bird is a boy, it will sing. Check out some videos on Google of singing Canaries, and play them to your new baby.

Regarding colour food, be very careful with it. If given too much, it will kill the liver, and therefore kill your bird. I don't use it personally. I only use natural means to enhance my kids colours, like grated carrot, red Swiss chard, beet greens, minced beets, Red peppers, etc. I figure, that I would rather have a healthy orange bird, than an unhealthy bright red one.

Enjoy your new baby.

Hi Stacie

I use a combination of the red veggies mentioned above plus a product called Canthaxanthin for two months in the fall during the molt at the prescribed rate of 1/4 tsp of the fine powder per quart of water. It's expensive but a gallon will keep in the frig for quite a while.
Babies might get a dose for a while in the Spring while they're still in the weaner cage but I try not to overdo it because as Elena said to much can be fatal. A deep orange is what I aim for. If you see any red color in the poop, you're using way to much color food.
Clear red factor canaries are a total hybrid that some of us are still trying to improve on. Before 1930 there was no such thing as a red/orange canary. If yours is clear (no variegation) and has good color, form and size, he's probably worth all of what you paid.
If you have a hard feather "intensive" male, I'm told by the pros that you will need to match him up with a soft feather (also called frosted or non intensive) female or else you could wind up with smaller birds and serious feather problems.

Best of luck with your new bird...you made the right choice!

Paul

Thanks everyone for the information and input! I'm thinking the canary is a girl, because I haven't heard it sing yet. I'll play some canary songs when I get home today and see if she (I'll call it a she until I'm sure) will respond. Also, I noticed she had very soft feathers. I'll take a good picture of her tonight and post it so you can see her.

BigBear0007

Gorgeous birds!!!!!

Thank you, mine are what you call Bronze factors.
I'm looking to get another pair or two.

Here's a couple of pics of my canary...yesterday I think I heard singing, but I couldn't verify for sure. I'll keep working until I hopefully catch it!

Nice bird!

This is a clear (no flaws), soft feather (non-intensive) red factor.

Prices vary across the country but the Finch Farm has these for $110 plus air freight over $50. I've seen high quality red factors like this for over $200 at select pet stores here in CA.

Try playing some recorded canary songs from the Net and see how he responds. Match up with a hard feather, (intensive) bird if you can - and for a deeper orange color, start color feeding in September or whenever you see some molted feathers on the cage floor.

Paul

slwatson

What a lovely little bird.

If he's a boy, he will sing. Girls will chirp, and do make sweet little companion birds.
https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=w ... 6thBYk2aaA

Paul's Amazing Birds lovezebs

Thanks for the info! I really love this canary...I just need to find the perfect name once I confirm the sex.

slwatson

I'm pretty sure my canary is a female....I've been playing songs, but all she'll do is chirp. She's doing great so far!