Mixing types of canary

[hairycanary]

Hi all, I'm new to the forum but not new to keeping birds amongst far too many other things. Have had a pair of red factors for over two years now. They reproduce well (if we let them) but I'd like to know about what happens to an aviary of mixed canary types. We've had an offer to adopt our choice of number from an overcrowded aviary of healthy canaries of different types. Is this advisable or am I limited to keeping red factors only? What's your advice or knowledge on mixed types living and possibly multiplying together? Don't shoot me down because I haven't agreed on taking any yet, I take things like this seriously but would rather seek knowledge before making a decision.

Cheers

Neil

Oh and I'm not intending on breeding them, they are pets. I am just simply asking here because I genuinely don't know the answer

[GouldianGuy]

Personally I think you can mix any with any. If you don't want them to breed don't put in any nests... otherwise I'd watch out for competition during breeding season as you would with any species

[hairycanary]

I found some information here about this same question
http://forums.avianavenue.com/index.php ... ed.160125/

[lovezebs]

hairycanary

You could probably mix them in a large enough planted aviary. However be prepaired for some territorial displays from your resident male Canary. He will try to protect his territory, and this may cause issues, resulting in possible fights and injuries.

How large is your aviary by the way?

Once the initial issue is resolved (if it resolves) you will have to seperate sexes during breeding season, and possibly seperate several of the males who decide to go into combat mode.

Male Canaries, are not normally friendly with other male Canaries, sometimes not even with other females other than their mates.

If you chose to breed at some point in the future, you'll have to go into breeding cages, and away from the rest of the crew, or you will set them off into breeding combat mode.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

P.S.

Welcome to the Forum

[hairycanary]

Thanks for the reply, the aviary is around 2m tall, 2m wide and 1m deep. It's in storage at the inlaws house as we've just moved into a new house and been creating a garden out of the sandpit surrounding the house. Once it has it's place on the new property I can go grab our new friends. And after quarantine, move our two out of the patio aviary into the big one. most of these canaries that we intend to adopt will be these kitchen types of canary. I'd like to adopt 4 of which I'll do my best to get 3:1 leaving me two males and four females overall. We have plenty of spare cages from over the years so if things get nasty there's still a home for everyone, next time I pop over to see the lady I'll get a photo of her aviary and it's inhabitants.

I would only breed my red factors as a pair if I was interested, but like I said, they're more pets than anything. I don't know enough about canary breeding when you're talking about big numbers and genetics. My reds were bought as a pair from the breeder, female has a ring and the male has the sing!

One thing however, I have no idea of what feather type my two are, if anyone is interested in having a go, I can whatsapp you some photos of them.

Cheers for the good advice,

Neil

[w.l.]

Your aviary sounds very comfortable for 6 canaries, especially when we think of the tiny cages many solo canaries are still kept in.
And if your original male resists the intrusion by the new one, you can always separate the latter, or exchange it for another female. Of course chances of peaceful coexistence would be best if you moved all 6 into the aviary at the same time.
Color and feather type shouldn't matter, you can just pick the ones you like most.

[hairycanary]

thanks for the nice words, I don't like to crowd things or make work for myself or the wife. As with keeping all kinds of creatures over the past 20something years,

More animals = more poo = more cleaning!

This full aviary in question belongs to a retired coworker that my wife knew, she's getting on a bit and the birds are proving a bit too much work than she can give, she's managed to move on most of the adults but there are still many young left. I don't even remember all the colours and types as these are the ones that may have gone. They've all just been left to do what they pretty much want to and she wants us to have some. I may be able to pop over there in the next couple days for some photos

[hairycanary]

Went to see the lady today, took some photos in a bit of a hurry, have no idea how to post em on here, the guy that took 30 not long ago took all the nice ones (as I knew he would) there were still some lovely looking ones left, would like to share these pics with you somehow

[lovezebs]

hairycanary

I can tell you the way I post pictures off my tablet, although there are other ways that people do it.

1) Write your message
2)Hit PREVIEW on bottom
3) Click on CHOOSE FILE
4) Go to DOCUMENTS on bottom of screen when it pops up
5) Choose IMAGES or GALLERY
6) Click on the IMAGE you want

This should take you back to your post page

7) Click on PREVIEW again, and your picture should appear under your post

Good luck

[hairycanary]

OK, the files are too big but I'd rather not resize them so I'll just open a photobucket account and get back on here later.
Watch this space

[Sheather]

Use Imgur! Free and no account needed

[hairycanary]

I've tried imageshack, imgur and flickr, wasted three straight hours with no results, can't delete my accounts with any of them, ugh, this is why I keep away from technology. ..... Will try photobucket tonight when my eyes have uncrossed themselves from too much screen staring and head scratching

[hairycanary]

I've tried imageshack, imgur and flickr, wasted three straight hours with no results, can't delete my accounts with any of them, ugh, this is why I keep away from technology. ..... Will try photobucket tonight when my eyes have uncrossed themselves from too much screen staring and head scratching

[Sheather]

I don't understand because I upload dozens of images off my computer to Imgur a week with no account.

[hairycanary]

When I hit share, there's a sharing link for a million things but the link for a forum isn't there, I can whatsapp, tapatalk, email, all the attempts on posting something here just shows a link but doesn't imbed the picture on the forum page. I used to use photobucket around ten years ago when I bred and sold reptiles, I just don't know my username or password anymore but I know how to do it on that programme