Canary Care

Male canaries are popular birds most noted for their beautiful song. Their warm colors, interesting manners, and graceful motions also add to their desirability. Canaries are hardy pets and require only minimal care. Just give your canary attention and some tender loving care and he will reward you with thousands of hours of pleasure.

What is a Canary?
Canaries are originally from the Canary Islands. They were taken back to Europe by sailors in the Sixteenth Century. From these original birds, many color varieties and types have developed.  Only the male bird sings. Females are normally purchased only for breeding purposes. The average life span is 4-7 years.

Choosing a Canary The most common variety is the American Singer, (or Roller Canary) The Red Factor canary is another popular variety that is often available. Both types are noted for their excellent song.

Canaries normally breed in the spring. Males come into song when they are about 9 months old. Therefore males born in the spring will begin to sing around November.

In order to assure you of a quality bird we sell only young birds from selected breeders. The age of all canaries sold in the store is 9-12 months old unless it is otherwise marked. Our breeders wait until the male begins to sing before they bring them to us.

Keep your canary in a cage by itself to insure good song. You may keep two canaries on opposite sides of the same room. Often they will sing to each other.

Housing At Elmer's Aquarium we carry several types of cages that will comfortably house a canary One of our salespeople will be able to show you which cages are recommended for canaries. Most cages come with 2 perches. You can add another perch, or a swing if there is room.

Birds are tolerant of normal room temperature (65-80 degrees). It is very important to keep them away from drafts. Also keep the cage away from direct sunlight to prevent overheating.

A layer of cage paper should be placed on the bottom and replaced 2-3 times a week.

New Arrivals Your bird will be frightened when it is added to a new cage. It will take him a day or two to get used to his new home. Locate the cage in an area where there is a lot of family activity, and talk to it in a soothing voice as often as possible. During the first few nights cover the cage in the early evening so that it can get proper rest..

Feeding: Why is a good diet so important ? Birds have a very high metabolism. Even though they spend much of their time just sitting on a perch their internal engines are constantly racing. (Their hearts beat at 900 times a minute, compared to a human heartbeat of 80 times a minute.) Diet deficiencies show up quickly in birds, and according to a recent national survey of Veterinarians, diet deficiencies are the number one cause of pet bird health problems.

Through the years we have talked to many canary breeders. They are unanimous in their opinion that quality foods are the best way to insure good song from your bird. Since your canary eats only a few tablespoons of food daily it is easy to see that the food should be of the highest quality available.

We at Elmer's recommend that you feed your bird a quality seed mix along with an assortment of supplements and vitamins to insure long-term good health. Feed your bird a good diet and he will reward you by remaining alert, active, and disease resistant.

For a basic diet we recommend Abba Premium Canary Diet. It is packaged here to insure freshness.

Good supplements include Millet Spray, Honey Sticks, Dry Greens, Petamine, Canary Song food, or Oats and Groats. Add supplements to their food daily. Either mix it in their food dish, or use a separate dish. Liquid vitamins are also a good idea.

Canary Song Food is a good supplement. It contains a high protein seed mix with thistle and Niger seed. It provides oils for their skin, enriches plumage, and restores song.

A small amount of Grit should be sprinkled on the floor of the cage or placed in a separate dish. Grit is eaten by the bird and kept in its gizzard. The grit helps the bird digest it's food. Grit can be purchased loose, or as gravel paper which contains both gravel and paper for the bottom of the cage.

A cuttlebone should be attached to the side of the cage. It will help keep the bird's beak in good condition, and it will serve as a source of calcium and other minerals. Replace the cuttlebone when the soft part has been chewed away. ( About once every 2 months).

Add fresh food and water daily. Remove the empty shells from the seed dish before adding new seed. (A seed dish that looks full may only contain empty shells.) Store food in a cool dry area. We recommend that you store the food in a sealed container to prevent insect infestation. (Keep it in the refrigerator for best results.) Be sure to buy only seed that you know is fresh. Water must be available all of the time. A canary can not live long without water. Clean food and water dishes with detergent at least twice a month.

Molting Your canary will molt about once a year. This is a natural process where it replaces old feathers with new ones. Molting usually occurs in the summer, and lasts about 8 weeks. Your bird will usually stop singing during the molting period.

Molting is a stressful time for a bird, and it requires extra energy. Give your bird extra Oats and Groats, and Petamine during the molting period. Also be sure to keep it warm (70-80 degrees).

Baths Most canaries enjoy splashing around in a shallow bath. You can let your canary take a bath during warm weather once or twice a week. During the molting period, let your canary bathe often. We sell shallow plastic dishes that can be used for a bath.

Song Quite simply a canary will sing if it is happy. It will take your new bird at least a week to adjust to his new home before it begins to sing. Keep your canary in a clean cage, feed him well, give him some attention and he should sing. If your bird stops singing here are the most likely causes:      1. drafts     2. molting   3. inadequate diet   4. general ill health

Suggested Reading To enjoy your bird the most we suggest you purchase a book on canary care. Our salespeople will be able to recommend a good book.

Problems A healthy bird will be alert and active. Observe your bird daily and be alert for possible symptoms of problems. A time proven method that is effective in treating many bird ailments is to provide warmth in the cage. This can be accomplished by placing an incandescent bulb near the cage. Maintain a temperature in the cage of 85 degrees for 5 days. During the 5 day period add an antibiotic to the water such as Ornacyn Plus.

Respiratory Infection (Symptoms) Sits with feathers puffed up, and eyes partially closed. Will appear listless, and in many cases will wheeze or gasp. (Treatment) Give heat treatment and Ornacyn as described above.

Diarrhea (Symptoms) listless, ruffled feathers, vent feathers moist, loose droppings. (Treatment) Give heat treatment as described above, add Ornacyn Plus to water. Stop feeding greens until problem clears.

Mites (Symptoms) bird continually picks at self and appears puffed up. Check for mites by adding white cloth to bottom of cage at night. Tiny red mites will be visible under cloth in morning. (Treatment) Clean cage. Use mite spray on cage.

Our Bird Department We want to make your pet ownership a very enjoyable experience. With 30 years of experience, we know that requires quality livestock and quality bird supplies. Just as important, we strive to maintain the area's most experienced sales staff. Our sales staff is trained in all aspects of bird care and will be glad to assist you. We also have a few bird specialists on our staff that can answer more technical questions.

We hope you will compare our pricing on pet supplies. Our volume buying helps us keep prices well below average retail prices. All of our foods are guaranteed fresh and we will gladly offer a refund for any bird food you are not satisfied with.

Our Guarantee: Male canaries are guaranteed to sing. If the bird does not sing within 30 days of purchase it can be returned for a replacement bird. Problems are rare, but should the animal die the following guarantee applies: (Dies within 7 days.-Replace at no charge) (Dies within 8-30 days- Replace at 1/2 price)

Elmer's Aquarium Pet Center,    4005 Wm. Penn Hwy, Monroeville, Pa. 15146       (412)372-6535           Daily 10-9:930   Sunday 12-5         Established 1969

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