FINCHforum

So my first clutch even is almost full grown and ready to be on their own. 2 of the babies are fighting. I was told that this is a clear sign that they both are males and should be separated as soon as possible. Am I being over paranoid or should I get a cage ready for them both so they can go solo and start the next phase of life by learning how to sing? They are starting to eat seed but I'm not sure of there cracking the shells just yet. Mom and pop are still feeding them through the cage.

Any advice on what other canary breeder do when this happens?

My only other possibility is the reason they were fighting is they were fighting over who gets fed through the bars first.

I wouldn't separate them until midsummer at least, if they don't spend their juvenile period in a flock setting and learn proper canary etiquette, they'll be behaviorally dysfunctional adults and more likely to attack their mates or pluck their babies. Juveniles will bicker, but it is never serious.

Canaries are not as solitary as they are said to be in the wild. Males associate with multiple females during the nesting season and for the rest of the year both genders gather in loose flocks to forage. It's only due to the constraint of captive housing, particularly small cages, that make it difficult to keep male canaries together since they need larger territories than cages can provide them to get along. You can keep multiple males in a large aviary with a number of hens.

thanks Sheather I think they were just fighting to get fed by there dad through the bars. I haven't observed any more fighting sense.
However I will have to move them to a flight cage in about 5 to 6 more days because the mama is about do to start hatching her second clutch. And I'm almost sure that dad will want to stretch his legs and get some exercise wile working on this second clutch.

I guess I really wont learn the sexes until late in the summer when the males try to sing. Cant wait to hear them because there dads song is beautiful.

Jamm972

Kids will squabble, it's no big deal. Brothers and sisters both, will have little spats, extending their wings, hissing at each other, occasionally having words.

I would not remove them from parents, until they are completely weaned , eating and drinking on their own, and refusing feedings from parents.

I was wondering is the parents in a separate cage ? Or just the dad ?

Barbara the dad is with the mom feeding the other babies through the bars. but mom is incubating her next clutch and is being fed by dad. They haven't been fighting any more but are still asking for food. They are getting food from the seed dish as well so hoping soon they will stop asking dad for food so I can move them to a weaned flight cage and open up access to the cage for mom and dad once the new clutch starts to hatch.

I never bred canaries I actually only just a few weeks ago had unplanned 4 society babies and there so easy going they are still all together,didn'the have to separate any ,I took out the nest so no more although dad finch sure is looking. (thought they were both males.I do have a canary in with them and all 6 are getting along fine,good luck with your babies canary babies are sooooo cute.