CANARY CARE SHEET
CARING FOR YOUR CANARY
Canaries are native to the Canary Islands near North Western Africa, there are over 200 known breeds of canaries that differ in colour, size, and singing varieties including: Yellow canaries, Red-factor canaries, Variegated canaries. Male canaries sing to attract females during breeding periods, typically in the Autumn-Spring. During the Summer when canaries are moulting their feathers, males won’t sing. On average, Canaries can live 7-10 years (up to 15 in captivity), they grow 10-20cm and can weigh up to 20g as an adult.
DIET & NUTRITION
Canaries are granivores, needing high quality seed and grain in their diet, they also need access to plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables for micronutrients and pellets or crumbles (Canary specific) for added nutrients. A mix of 60-70% seed, 20-25% fresh food and 5-10% pellets is a good guide to follow when feeding your Canary. Canary seed mixes such as the Birdzone Blend, Forage Blend, Raw for Birds or Avigrain mix, as well as Vetafarm Crumbles and Murphys Pellets are a great choice. Appropriate fruits and vegetables to feed Canaries include Apples, Blackberries, Grapes, Strawberries, Asparagus, Carrots, Cabbage, Corn, Cucumber, Endive, Kale, Micro Greens, Parsnips, Pea pods and Watercress are safe in moderation for your Canary, ensuring you cut it up fine. For younger or breeding Canaries, it is important to feed a high protein, calcium and fat rich diet for growth and development, giving a boiled egg each day will assist with this. Do not feed Avocado, Garlic, Onion, Caffeine or Cocoa.
Red Factor Canaries require a specific diet to keep their bright red/orange feathers. Their diet directly correlates with its colour development, but diet only affects new feathers, changes will not alter the colours of feathers that have already grown in. Special colour diets are produced commercially such as Passwell Red Factor Canary Seed, which includes added colourants and seeds to support the red colours. Foods rich in beta-carotene and carotenoids are the key to vibrant colours in Red-Factor Canaries. Naturally red and orange foods are typically high in carotenoids, although broccoli and leafy greens, like spinach, are as well. A diet with a variety of red and orange fruits and veggies, like sweet potatoes, carrots, cherries, beets, pumpkin, paprika, cayenne pepper, strawberries, raspberries, and tomatoes, will bring out the brightest colours.
SOCIALISATION & TAMING
Canaries have very gentle personalities, they are generally one of the quieter birds, however they are known for their beautiful singing abilities, in particular the males who often sing when looking for a mate. They coexist peacefully in pairs or groups, which makes them great mates for other small aviary birds like Finches. While canaries can be hand-tamed with time and patience, they generally do not enjoy heavy handling in the way parrots, like budgies, do. It is important that hand-tame Canaries are given at least 3-4 hours of social interaction each day to prevent boredom, stress or anxiety. You can encourage your Canary to sing by playing tunes from your phone for them or talking to them daily.
HOUSING & ENRICHMENT
When selecting a cage, it is important to take the bird’s tail into account as they need enough space to spin around comfortably and stretch their wings. A quality cage will also feature doors that provide easy access for both you and your bird. This is especially important when retrieving your bird, as it minimizes stress, particularly for birds that were not hand-fed. A suitable cage size to house your Canary in would be 50cm x 60cm x 60cm or bigger. Perch placement inside the cage is another key factor, perches should not be located above food or water dishes to avoid contamination. Additionally, perches should vary in size, as perches of uniform diameter do not provide proper exercise for a bird’s feet. Natural eucalyptus branches make excellent perches, but they must be cleaned thoroughly to remove any pesticides or bacteria. Other tree branches can be used as well, but it is essential to ensure they are non-toxic. Canaries are natural foragers in the wild; toys are used as a form of environmental enrichment to prevent psychological problems such as self-mutilation, feather plucking excessive squawking or stress caused by boredom. Enrichment for your bird can be in the form of chew toys, play toys, leather toys, acrylic plastic toys, wooden toys, shredding toys, ropes, swings, ladders, bells, balls, plain cardboard, wicker baskets, plants and bird baths.
HEALTH ISSUES & SUPPLEMENTS
Like all pets, Canaries are susceptible to certain health issues. However, with proper care and preventative measures, you can reduce the risk of these problems. Regular veterinary check-ups are crucial to catch any potential health issues early on.
Vitamin Supplements- Can be added via the water supply a few times a year for an added immunity boost, high protein diets from pellets, eggs, fruits and vegetables can assist with moulting issues
Calcium & Iodine – Calcium perches, calcium and iodine bells or cuttlebone are recommended to keep your birds nails and beak trim. Also provides a good source of calcium for bone development and during breeding season
Vitamin D Supplements- Essential for inside birds that do not receive direct unfiltered sunlight. Sun through a window is filtered so will not allow your bird to absorb vitamin D. Birds are unable to absorb calcium without vitamin D supplement.
Worming- Worming will need to be done every 3-6 months depending on the supplement to prevent digestive issues and malnutrition
Lice & Mites- The two most common parasites that you may encounter when owning a Parrots is lice and mites, but they are easily controlled with a spray, which is available in store.
Respiratory Infections- (Bacterial or Fungal like Aspergillosis) can cause symptoms such as sneezing, wheezing, nasal discharge, laboured breathing, coughing, or choking sounds. Causes of Respiratory infections come from poor ventilation, dust, mouldy food, or weakened immunity from stress/diet. Prevention: Keep cages dust-free and well-ventilated, avoid the use aerosols or cleaning products around their cage, clean weekly with bird-safe disinfectants. Annual vet check-ups catch early signs are essential. Treatment can include antibiotics or antifungals from a vet; severe cases need hospitalization.