FINCHforum

Hi. A long while since I have posted due to a few personal problems. I had some Gouldians but the breeding results were disastrous so I got rid of them and now I have an aviary of canaries, about 30 in total but not sure of the exact number. A mixture of Fyfe, a couple of pair of mosaics and the bulk are red factors. They are all happily flying around in my aviary. I intend colony breeding this coming spring and will put in abut 30 nest cups for them. I have never colony bred canaries before but did breed Yorkshires for show many years ago. Can those members who colony breed canaries tell me of any pit falls I should be aware of. It is the middle of our winter at the moment and the weather is freezing down to 13 degrees C. that I think is about 55 degrees F. Too cold to go outside and do anything on overcast wet days. I have about 8 to 10 weeks to go before the birds will start breeding. Can't wait for summer. Any advice about colony breeding would be good. Thanks.

Hi I don’t colony breed canary’s but i colony breed a mixed species of different types and Indians the best way to breed them is to :

Have loads of different types of nests and placed in different heights and areas not all in one row

Make sure hey always have oyster grit, mealworm,mixed seeds ,millet,green veg and egg mix and shells

A good temperature, yours seems well

And make sure any bullies are sorted out straight away

Also it is usually best to pair them first

Goodluck

Fraza, and mick1933, I found that the nests should all be at the same height--they sometimes squabble over the highest one and many hens won't use the lower ones.

Have quite a few more nests that you have hens, also to avoid squabbling.

I also found that I didn't have to pair up the birds before the breeding season (at least those in the open aviary). They figured it out for themselves. You can also have less males than you do females. I don't know if pre-paired birds stay true in an aviary setting. I've seen some research that suggests they don't.

My aviary is a good size (16' long) and the several males in there didn't fight too much. They did have a few tussles, though. Having several food and water stations help avoid big fights.

I'm raising Canaries in an un-heated aviary where the temperature ranges are -18° C to 35° C. (0° F to 95° F). Some pairs raised young in very early spring when the temperature was usually below freezing at night.

Dave Yh actually I didn’t think of that I have nests placed different because I have mixed aviary so my bigger birds ,eg Java’s use the top nests and then the zebras and society’s and heck’s pick random and then my stars just nest in little hidden nest usually ones behind the big java nest box

Thanks for the advice. I think I am doing everything right. I will have double the nest cups to hens and all about the same height. Only one water station but two seed stations and two stations for greens and soft food etc. Just have to wait and see what happens. Our weather is pretty good where I live never gets much below 50 degrees F but it gets pretty warm in the summer, we normally have one or two heatwaves a year when the temperature get up to 100+ degrees F and that's pretty warm. But then I like the summer heat. Regards Mick

mick1933 that’s probably when u will have the most breeding going on in the summer and I like summer the most stuck a massive tub of water out and see all the birds bathing

I do both selective and colony but colony breeding of canaries never worked very well for me. If you want more birds, your chances for success are much better if you provide a little protection from other birds and some privacy so the hens can focus on the job.

Thanks, haven't thought about privacy but I can understand how that would work. Will have to give it some thought and see what I can come up with. Will let you know how I go. My breeding season starts August/September.

Wow thats a good mix. I have an aviary with fifes.

I do have a couple of thoughts... are you going to feed your red factors a carotene feed? This may give your other fifes a pink tinge..very pretty.

Do you know the ages of your birds? Cockbirds are ready to go with the next breeding season but hens need to be from the early clutch from the previous breeding year or they will have late clutches or not be ready and get harassed by the males.

Also do you have a separate area if a hen needs to retire.

I have 24 canaries and already I am thinking of 2019 set up and already know which hens need to stop.

The others have made very good points too

Claire

Hi. Yes I have been thinking about privacy for the hens and have made a proto type cubby for the hens. Have only made one so far to see what it looks like. It is made of ply and is an "L" shape upside down. The timber is 7" wide and the side and roof are 7" long. I can screw this onto the timber in my aviary. I will have them all facing the one way with perch under the nest pan to keep it upright. By doing this just about none of the hens will be able to see any of the other hens nesting. Each hen will have a little wall at her rear and looking at the little wall for the nest cubby alongside her. I am going to put about 30 nest pans in the aviary that swill be almost double the number of pairs I have. My aviary is a converted shed 13ft long and 10ft wide with a gable roof 7ft high. It is fully enclosed except for the front that faces north (the same as facing south in America I think) I have mouse wire on the front and my aviary is mouse proof. I will be starting shortly to colour feed my birds. I am not interested in breeding for variety or type etc, just want to breed pretty birds. I am not interested in breeding in separate cages. I had 30 plus years of breeding show budgies so I have had enough of that and at 85 I feel I am too old to be bothered.
Regards Mick

The Italians figured out the selective breeding thing a hundred years ago. The weather protected part of my bird room has 12 Italian designed apartments, all set up exactly the same - mostly for my own convenience. Each one has a removable partisan for the "dating cycle" that usually lasts only a day or so before he starts feeding her through the partisan.
This year I only set up six pair because I'm not in it for the money and I have plenty of high quality red factors already. But it's interesting to note that when given the exact correct conditions, a pair of healthy canaries can consistently produce 4 to 5 babies in a clutch. My best birds are only set once or twice (max) - and the rest have a semi-natural habitat and aren't nearly as successful.

Oh wow you are doing great for 85 Mick

I have to completely seperate the retired hens during breeding season or I would lose them. Sounds like you are very much on top of it all..can't wait to hear your stories

What’s the biggest clutch CANARYS can have my Java’s may on average 5-7 eggs my opal pair is just hatched 6 and my grey pied pair have laid 7

Canaries are normally 2-6 eggs in a clutch

Clairecanary15 Ohright okay I always thought larger the birds the more eggs but maybe not then