Canary Breeding FAQs
By Connie S. Soto
Canary breeding
is a very rewarding challenging experience. It can be easy one time or
extremely difficult the next. A successful outcome is dependent upon many factors
and the more you learn about the process the more comfortable you will feel.
What triggers
the breeding cycle?
Warm weather of
about 70 degrees and about fourteen hours of daylight typically triggers the
start of the breeding season.
When does the
breeding cycle start each year?
Typically the
canaries breeding cycle begins in April unless it is modified by light or air
temperature as some breeders are known to do.
What are the
natural stages of a canaries breeding cycle?
·
Restlessness
o
Males
vigorous singing
o
Hens
frantic paper tearing
o
Hens
setting in the food dish
·
Searching
for a nesting site
·
Choosing
a mate
·
Male
feeding the hen
·
Nest
building
·
Mating
·
Egg
laying
·
Incubating
·
Fledging
·
Youngsters
learn to eat
·
What should be done
for breeding preparation?
It is my
opinion that preparing to breed canaries is the same for all canaries
throughout the year. The basics all year include and are not limited to a
proper basic nutritious diet, fresh veggies and fruits, cuttle bone, oyster
shell grit and vitamins, clean drinking and bath water, clean cages.
The diet
changes for the rearing of young which includes an egg muss formula.
Can long toe
nails cause problems in the nest?
Yes, toe nails
should be clipped unless they are not long at the time that pair is moved to
the breeding cage. This will prevent a nail from getting caught in the nesting
material which could loose an egg or a hatchling.
Which nests work
well and are there any cautions about nesting material?
Good nesting
material should be provided, stay away from the very thin string like material
that can get wrapped around a toe or leg and cut off circulation. The thin
stuff could cause gangrene if not seen in time causing a loss of a digit, limb,
or even a life. Cotton is a good selection for the padding material that the
hen will use in the interior of the nest. The cotton should be offered along
with the basic material that you have chosen.
Wire and wicker
nests can cause problems such as toe nails that can get stuck causing babies to
fall out of the nest and the wicker cannot be cleaned as thoroughly as
necessary. The plastic nests seem to resolve those problems and can be used
again and again.
Which birds
should be chosen for breeding?
Too young or
too old is not a good idea and the male and female should be chosen to breed
only if they are in top condition.
If you have a
young canary what should you do for success?
Young canaries
sometimes have infertile eggs, or do a poor job of feeding the young, or they
may abandon the nestlings entirely. To help them to be successful it is
advantageous to mate a young male with a mature hen or a young hen with a
mature male.
What signals do
the canaries give you to know that they are getting ready for the breeding
cycle?
Male canaries
will sing vigorously and females will chirp slightly as she begs for him to
feed her. The hen will also sit in the food dish and shuffle the food around
trying to get it just right.
Are canaries
monogamous or polygamous?
Canaries by nature
are polygamous.
When should the
male join the female?
The female will
not mate until she is building her nest. If she is ready there should be no
fierce fighting. A little bickering can be expected but if she is not ready it
is important for her safety to remove the male and try again until she does
accept him. If it ends up that he does not suit her try another male. Typically
if she begs for food from him she will usually accept him.
How many eggs
per day will the hen lay?
On the average
a canary hen will lay a total of five eggs. She will lay her eggs once each day
in the morning hours usually between 7 and
Do the eggs have
to be removed and returned to the nest?
Removing eggs
and returning them all at once is sometimes done to have the babies hatch the
same day. This is not necessary and most of the time more babies is lost due to
improper handling or broken eggs or improper temperature, or insufficient
turning. The hen usually does not get serious about incubating the eggs until
the 2nd or 3rd egg is laid.
Does the male
canary share with incubation?
The hen always
incubates the eggs alone and the male provides supplemental feeding for both
her and the nestlings.
How long is the
incubation cycle?
Once the hen
starts to set, the incubation time is about fourteen days to hatch the young.
Can canary hen
bathe during the breeding cycle?
Yes, bathing
during the breeding cycle is actually beneficial to the embryo. It aids in
providing higher humidity keeping the eggs more supple instead of a dry
condition. This aids the embryo’s development and assists in hatching.
What is
candling?
Candling uses
an intense light and is a process that is done to examine the nesting eggs for
fertility.
When should the
eggs be checked for fertility?
Candling should
only be done once as the light is strong and it is not good for the embryo. It
is typically checked between the 5th and 8th day of incubation.
If candling is
not really good for the embryo what other method can a person use to check for
fertility?
An infertile
egg will be clear as light shines through it and it will look the same as one
that is freshly laid. With a fertile egg, holding it up to a natural light
source will display the embryo with an adjoining network of veins. If it is
hard to see with natural light then after the 8th day of incubation
an infertile egg will look pale red in color and the fertile egg will have a
shiny tint and look purplish brown.
Does the new
born hatchling need nourishment the first day?
No, the baby
canary does not need to be fed the first day after hatching as the baby has a
yolk sac that feeds the baby while it is still in the egg. This yolk sac is
drawn into the abdominal cavity during the last day before the baby hatches
which provides nourishment for the first day of life.
Is it good for
the nestlings when they fledge to provide soaked bread with milk?
Milk or cream
products can cause digestion problems in canaries and soaking bread in milk is
not a useful method of feeding young canaries. There is much more balanced type
of soft foods available that make it easy to feed the fledglings.
Does the
nestling behavior change before they fledge the nest?
The baby canary
does go through a behavior change when they reach 14 days old. They become wary
of movements and noise in their surroundings. The flight instinct takes over
when they feel threatened and will feel the need to escape to safety. A
thorough cleaning of the cage when the babies reach 12 days old will prevent
you from disturbing them when this behavior is reached. This will help them to
fledge naturally.
At what age will
the nestlings fledge?
The nestlings
typically fledge the nest between 15 and 17 days old.
At what age can
the canaries become independent?
The age that a baby
canary can survive without its parents is typically 31 days.
Will the baby
fledglings be able to learn to eat from the normal food dishes?
The fledglings
need low profile small food dishes to learn how to eat on their own at the
bottom of the cage. If you can find a small ˝ inch tall soap dish or something
similar it will work quite well. The important point here is it needs to be
available at the bottom of the cage. The babies have soft beaks and cannot
crack hard seeds so nestling food is important. It is good to continue to offer
egg mixture and gradually lessen the amount of egg while increasing the amount
of nestling food.
What is the
point of egg food for the young?
Egg food plays
a very important role in the rearing of canary babies. It is a supplemental
food for fledglings. It is one of the foods that is given to the parents to
help them with rearing the young. It can even be home made, although there is a
variety of mixtures readily available. Homemade mixtures are basically made of
whole eggs, Rusk flour and poppy seeds. They sift it until it is finely mashed
into a consistency of fine crumbs. Commercial egg muss is made from whole eggs,
wheat meal, white millet,
Will new canary
youngsters molt earlier than the adult canaries?
Yes, the
youngsters will molt earlier than adult canaries. During the time they are
learning to eat they have basically all of their feathers. At that stage they
will have a little down left on their heads and short tail feathers. The molt
is a partial molt and can begin as early as six weeks from birth through their
first fall season. The flight feathers and tail feathers are not replaced until
the following fall.
When do the
fledglings need to be separated?
November marks
complete independence, this is the time when the youngsters should be
separated.
6 Days Old
Red Factor Baby Canary