Chuck’s Pet Center

Canary

Care Sheet

Average size: 3”-4” long

Average life span: There is some speculation but on average 10-14 years

Diet: Whether you decide on a pelleted/extruded diet or a seed diet is up to you.  Either way there are good mixtures of each.  We feed Sun Seed Vita Canary seed along with Sun Seed Peak Health (an egg based supplement) and fresh fruits & veggies.

Provide fresh, clean water daily.

Vegetables: Corn on the cob, celery, green peas, carrots & beans.

Fruit: Apples, peaches, bananas, melons, strawberries, grapes, pears, papaya

Treats & supplements: 8 in 1 Conditioning, Song Plus, Moulting & Color Plus, Sun Seed Grainola Honey bar.  Treats should make up no more than 25% of their diet.

We also recommend 8 in 1 Oyster Shells instead of grit to aid in digestion as well as L/M cuttlebone

Housing: Canaries do best in cages that give them enough room to fly around.  A cage that is 24”x16”x16” is sufficient for a pair.  Most home temperatures will work well.  Avoid drafts and dampness.  We suggest Sun Seed processed corncob, aspen shavings by North East Bedding or 8 in 1 gravel paper.

Cage cleaning: Cage, food & water bowls should be disinfected weekly.  Substrate or papers should be changed at least weekly.  Sometimes more often if your birds are particularly messy.

Perches: Canaries require 3” of perch per bird.  Offer varying perch diameters to promote foot health. We recommend the cement Poly Perches.  If perches are constructed of water resistant material they should be disinfected weekly with a mild bleach solution. (32 parts water to 1 part bleach).  If perches are wooden, feces should be scraped off as needed.  Replace any worn or damaged perches.

Sexing:  Short of DNA testing it is difficult to tell the sex of a young canary.  However, once mature the male has the most wonderful song.  Females will sing but there is no comparison to the song of a mature male.  An experienced breeder may be able to tell by looking at the vent but that’s no guarantee either.  So DNA testing and song are the two most common ways.

Breeding:  Canaries should be at least 10 months old before breeding.  Conditioning your birds is critical.  Make sure they a fed according to our suggestions above.  Breeding canaries can be somewhat of a challenge.  There’s a lot you need to know before attempting it.  We suggest you purchase The Canary Handbook published by Barron’s. This is available at Chuck’s Pet Center.