Canary care and maintenance

A Canary is the perfect pet bird! If you want a vocal bird than a male is best for you, they will song all day long! However if you want a quiet bird than a female would be more suited to your needs. As with many birds, females can be housed together however it can sometimes be a problem if there is more than one male as they have been known to fight.

There are a number of different breeds of Canary however the main ones are; the Gloster fancy, the border canary, the Norwich Canary, the Yorkshire Canary, the Lizard Canary and the Roller Canary.

Nature of the Canary

For a small bird, canaries have a very relaxed demeanour and can actually become quite tame and comfortable with human company, unlike many other small birds which tend to be very nervous and flighty.

Cage’s for Canarie’s

When selecting a cage, it is important to select the largest cage you
can afford, remember the bigger the cage the happier the bird. Canaries are small, but stilll need room room for toys, perches, food/water dishes, as well as sufficient space for them to move around.

Care must be taken that old food does not accumulate in the cage, on
perches or in feeders.

Diet for Border Canaries

Canaries should always have a fresh supply of water .

Seed– Feed a good quality mix of canary seed be wary of some super market brands as the quality can be low and also have filler seed added. to get the most if your canary add Niger to really get your canaries going and in winter feed your birds plenty of hulled oats especially if you plan on breeding.

Egg and biscuit- is also a great source of extra protein for your canary, especially important when they are raising their young

Shell grit– and is also important for a steady supply of calcium feed a fine mix consisting of charcoal, crushed cuttle bone, baked egg shell, shell and limestone. Never have your grit mix in the same dish as the seed.

Greens– Bok choy, spinach, seeding grass, silverbeet, broccoli and cucumber

Fruits– such as apple and orange are good too!

Vitamin supplements– add to the water to keep your canary in pristine condition!

Introducing your new bird to existing birds

Once you take your bird home you should keep it in a separate cage and allow the bird to adjust accordingly. Always allow at least 2 weeks before introducing the bird to an existing bird. Males can fight so always keep an eye on new birds.