When do canary chicks start feeding themselves

[Ricardo Ronsini]

Don't take it personally, but i would never separate a chick that young, not even with societies or zebras.

I respect your experience, but would not recommend anyone to do it either.

[Stuart whiting]

Don't take it personally, but i would never separate a chick that young, not even with societies or zebras.

I respect your experience, but would not recommend anyone to do it either.

No problem mate but in fairness although it may appear to be a little on the early side for you we've been doing it this way for the best part of 100 years or so with canaries throughout Europe,

I noticed that you mentioned about leaving youngsters with parents for upto 35 - 40 days,
We possibly couldn't do that here and is really not necessary because you'd be cutting yer breeding season down by virtually half.

Very big breeders are breeding a lot of canaries and often targeting around the 100 + mark with youngsters and need to get the pairs back down again to breed more youngsters,

Over half of these youngsters will be sold on after the moult but by breeding a lot of youngsters gives the professional exhibitor a better chance of producing the right birds.

I'm talking in terms of an experienced professional scale here and not just a handful of pet birds bred here.

However I did originally state in me earlier post that birds can vary and obviously one would only take birds away from parents if they were 100 % feeding for themselves.

Be lucky

[StodOne]

Stuart whiting What would happen if I put only the chick with the father alone without a hen and get the hen into another room so that it doesent urge the male to go with his instinct , would he start feeding the little guy? Also while observing them they engaged in so many different ways , first time the cock opened his beak and spread his wings towards the chick and chick did the same , second time the chick actually attacked the cock , then the cock started to sing and flew above the chick , anothertime he sang and actally looked like he was trying to copulate with the chick , while in the same day he mated with the hen . when i removed him from the cage he started going insane couldnt stop chirping at the hen and taking nesting materal left on the bottom of the cage .
I really want the cock to start feeding the chick plus so that he can teach him to sing if he is a male.

[Stuart whiting]

Stuart whiting What would happen if I put only the chick with the father alone without a hen and get the hen into another room so that it doesent urge the male to go with his instinct , would he start feeding the little guy? Also while observing them they engaged in so many different ways , first time the cock opened his beak and spread his wings towards the chick and chick did the same , second time the chick actually attacked the cock , then the cock started to sing and flew above the chick , anothertime he sang and actally looked like he was trying to copulate with the chick , while in the same day he mated with the hen . when i removed him from the cage he started going insane couldnt stop chirping at the hen and taking nesting materal left on the bottom of the cage .
I really want the cock to start feeding the chick plus so that he can teach him to sing if he is a male.

The only advice I can offer is to try as you've just mentioned, perhaps leave with the cock bird and move the hen to another room,

Obviously all birds are different and can't guarantee that this'll work but if this chick needs feeding then you've clearly gotta go with yer instinct and make that decision.

What I'd like to know is that you still seem a little unsure in what to do with the rearing of the chick, surely if the chick wasn't being fed it now wouldn't be alive

Even though you may see the occasional bickering between the canary pair and the youngster if the chick is being fed I'd be inclined to leave em as they are until you are sure that the chick is eventually eating for itself.

Just keep a close eye on em and go with yer instinct

[StodOne]

Stuart whitingThanks a lot , sorry for my late responses i never notice that i have received a notification .
I am sure he is being fed , even I catch her feeding him while I am arround , but i wish that the cock would start feeding him I don't know if there are any benefits but as far as ive heard the natural proccess is the cock starts feeding the young after they fledged right?

[Stuart whiting]

StodOne

Yea in general mate yer right the cock bird if he's with the young will under normal circumstances still feed for about 1 week after fledging,

Sometimes it can all depend on the individual parents, some are obviously better than others,

After the youngsters gave fledged from the nest and providing that the hen bird has not gone back down to nest in another nest pan she should also normally help the cock bird with the feeding,

If the hen has gone back down to nest then the cock bird will usually carry on feeding the youngsters until independent.

Hope all continues to go well,

Be lucky

[lovezebs]

StodOne

How is the baby doing?

Is he eating on his own now?

[StodOne]

lovezebs Shoot i absolutely didnt notice a new message , sorry .
Yeah he is pretty much feeding himself , i am going to snap a few pictures he is starting to chirp but i cant tell yet if he is a male or female , he even chirps when i whistle near him and it looks like a conversation xD

[lovezebs]

StodOne

Cool,

So glad to hear that everything has turned out well.