Recommended cage sizes for singing canaries: length – 35–40 cm, width – 20 cm, height – 20–25 cm. The perches in the cages should be placed in such a way that the bird, when jumping on them, does not touch the cage walls with its tail. It is recommended to hang feeders and drinkers near the door.

An indicator of the optimal cage size is the bird's wingspan. The cage should be of such a size that the canary can fully open its wings in it without touching the bars of the cage. In a large cage the bird will feel even better.

One rule to remember is that the length of a canary's cage is more important than its height. It is better to let the cage be low, but long, so that the canaries have the opportunity to fly a little. The cage can be made of wood, metal, plastic. Each of these materials has its own disadvantages and advantages.

When keeping several birds together, you should have not 1 or 2, but 3 cages at once: a small single one (for the autumn-winter keeping of the song canary), a nesting cage, a spacious flight cage, where the female and the young will have sufficient freedom of movement.

Nesting cage

The nesting cage is intended for the general housing of one or more pairs of birds, and therefore should be much more spacious than a single cage. Its dimensions are: length – 60–80 cm, width – 35 cm, height – 40–50 cm. Cages with a wooden floor, plywood ceiling and walls made of metal rods are best suited.

The nesting cage can be equipped with a retractable tray, which will greatly simplify cleaning and maintenance of the cage. The nesting cage should have 3 doors, one of which is located in the lower middle part of the front wall, and the other two on the sides of the cage, under the ceiling. The birds are given food and water through the bottom door, so it should be wide enough so that a bathing suit, a box of greens, etc. can easily pass through it.

The nesting cage is also intended for breeding canaries. Here they mate, build nests and raise their chicks. Small wire nesting cages can be hung from the outside of the top side doors. This is done when the fish tank is not too spacious.

In larger cages, an artificial base is used for the nest. For this purpose, you can use cups with a diameter of 10 cm and a depth of 6 cm, sewn from thick hemp rope. They are attached inside the cage using wire baskets with hooks or metal rings that are screwed to the cage wall.

The nesting cage should be attached on the bright side, but direct exposure to sunlight should be avoided. You can place the cage in a separate room so that the singing of other canaries does not cause additional disturbance to the female. Cages should be cleaned with extreme caution, trying not to scare the female.

The cage is also used in the autumn-winter months until the birds start singing, and then, starting in March, they are placed in different cages.

Flight cell

The fly cage is designed for large groups of birds, such as growing chicks. Dimensions of the flight cage: length - 120 cm, width and height - 50 cm each. Such a spacious room, if necessary, can be used as a nesting cage, dividing it into 2 separate compartments. To do this, you just need to install a retractable partition in the middle of the cage, which can be removed at the end of the nesting season.

Cage material

There are three most common cell options:

1. 1 Wooden;
2. 2 Combination of wood and metal;
3. 3 Combination of plastic and metal.

Fully wooden cage very beautiful, silent, and the bird living in it will not be able to hit the bars if something frightens it.

The best tree species for cages are beech and oak, which are pink in color with small brown specks.

Such wood is beautiful in itself, so often cages made from these materials are not painted, but are only coated with a colorless oil varnish, which makes the cage more beautiful, emphasizing the structure of the wood.

In the combined cages made of wood and metal the bottom is made of wood, and the rods are made of metal (steel, aluminum, duralumin). Combination cages are very popular with experienced canary breeders. Advantages of combined cages: ease of cleaning and affordable price. Disadvantages: just like wooden ones, they are susceptible to destruction from dampness and are almost impossible to disinfect.

A cage made of plastic and metal is the best option for beginning canary breeders.

Combined plastic and metal cage is most suitable for beginners. Advantages a: the cage is very convenient to use, it is easy to wash, it can be disinfected, including with chemicals, hot water, etc. The disadvantage is that synthetic materials do not absorb noise from the birds jumping in the cage.

It is best when the cage bars are galvanized, nickel-plated, chrome-plated or blued. The cage frame should not be made of copper, as copper oxidizes and becomes poisonous to birds. Some substances contained in paints and varnishes can also be toxic, so you should not coat certain parts inside the cage with them.

The bars of the cage should be made of stainless steel, as canaries love to bathe, causing splashes to fall on the bars, which may rust if they are made of iron.

Cell shape

The most common shapes for canary cages are rectangular or dome-shaped.

Rounded cells are very beautiful. However, an arched top often causes a bad habit called helihead. Some birds, already on the second day of their stay in the cage, begin to bend their head towards their tail and twist it. The canary behaves restlessly, constantly jumps up and even falls from its perch. This habit does not go away even after the bird is transplanted into another cage.

The cage should also not be round around the perimeter of the base. The bird needs a corner to hide in in case of a stressful situation, otherwise it may get sick. The angle gives the canary a sense of security.

Equipment

Any cage must be equipped with all necessary accessories. The main ones are drinking bowls and feeders. It is best to use clay or glass dishes for this purpose: jars, salt shakers, porcelain saucers, clay trays for flower pots, etc. Feeders made from these materials are easy to use and easy to clean. They can also be scalded with boiling water.

Feeders are also made from other materials, but you should purchase only those that are not toxic to canaries. In this regard, metal utensils, especially galvanized sheets, are not suitable.

The cups should be about 10 cm in diameter and 5 cm high, and it is advisable that they do not have a sharp edge. They should be placed as far apart as possible and not under perches where bird droppings will get into the food and water. The design is not very important, the main thing is that the feeder is heavy enough so that the bird, having sat on the side, does not knock it over.

For one canary, there should be 3 feeders in the cage: for grain food, for sand, for soft food. One drinking bowl is enough for a canary. In addition, there should be a cup of minerals in the cage. It is advisable to choose feeders and drinkers of the same shape and always without cracks.

Canaries love to swim. They need regular water treatments to keep their plumage and skin always clean. Therefore, it is necessary to equip each cage with a bathing suit. Glass or earthenware dishes, as well as plastic baths, are best suited for this purpose. In addition, pet stores have special hanging swimsuits made of metal, glass or plexiglass. They are very comfortable and practical.

The diameter of a canary bathing suit should not be more than 10 cm, and the depth should not be 5 cm. The bathing suit is only half filled with water; if you pour more water, the bird may drown.

The bathing suit is hung on the open door of the front wall of the cage or placed on the bottom of the cage (it is advisable to place it on a tray or saucer). The bottom of the bath should be rough so that the canary does not slip in it while bathing.

In summer, bathing suits are installed every day, and in winter - 2 times a week.

During the period of hatching chicks, it is advisable to completely abolish water procedures, since in case of hypothermia, both the female and her offspring may die.

In addition to the necessary accessories, the cage can be decorated with details such as swings, mirrors, and a dummy. However, experienced canary breeders believe that canaries are indifferent to such decorations and advise avoiding them completely. In addition, a large number of unnecessary accessories makes it difficult to clean and disinfect the cage, and also prevents the bird from moving around in the cage. It is best to install a swing in a carriage, since young animals usually love to frolic.

You can also use branches with bark (for example, willow) of different thicknesses as perches.

You should not purchase plastic perches for canaries, as it has been noted that birds sitting on them often suffer from paw diseases (in particular, pododermatitis). As a last resort, you can use plastic perches if they are covered with rubber on top.

It is recommended to choose a perch that will have different thicknesses in different places and is not cylindrical in shape. As a result, there will be no constant pressure on the same points on the bird's toes, which will help prevent the development of pododermatitis.

Perches need to be constantly changed, especially after they are heavily soiled with droppings. To keep the perches clean longer, you don’t need to stack them on top of each other.

The position of the cage in the room is very important for birds. It is advisable to place the cage in a place where the owner spends the most time, for example in the living room, office, etc. After installation, you should try not to move the cage to another place.

The place where the cage is installed must be protected from drafts. In this regard, it is undesirable to place the cage in the center of the room. The presence of a draft is determined using a burning candle, the flame of which fluctuates with the weakest air flow.

How to choose a suitable place?

It is not recommended to keep canaries in the kitchen, as there are a lot of fumes and chemical cleaning agents that are harmful to birds, moreover, the room is often ventilated, and drafts are harmful to canaries. Unsuitable places for placing cages are dark corners, places in front of the TV, on a central heating radiator, and also near heating appliances where the air is very dry.

The most optimal place is near the wall (its proximity gives the birds a sense of security), opposite the window or located next to it. You should not place the cage in front of a window or on a windowsill, because in winter this place will be too cold, and in summer it will be too hot, the bird can either overheat or catch a cold.

Smoking is strictly prohibited in the room where birds are located. In the room where canaries are kept, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature (16–18 °C). The cages should be placed in such a way that the birds do not lack sunlight and fresh air.

Periodically you need to arrange sun and air baths for canaries (at any time of the year). In the summer, for this purpose, it is recommended to hang the cages on the street or balcony, making sure that the canaries do not overheat or get sunstroke, and providing them with protection from stray cats.

During the molting period, it is best to transfer birds to aviaries and summer cages. In bright places, canaries begin to sing faster and sing twice as long as in dark places. Some fanciers place them closer to the light to stimulate birds to sing. Normal molting depends on sufficient lighting. If a bird is kept in dark places, small feathers on its head, belly and sides begin to fall out, which are no longer restored.

If there is not enough light and warmth for the canaries, it is recommended to turn on a not very bright (25 W) electric lamp during the day. Birds especially need additional lighting in winter, when daylight hours become short. The duration of daylight hours for canaries should be at least 14–16 hours. With this lighting, the birds feed normally. In winter and autumn, when it gets dark early, canaries simply do not have time to eat the daily amount of food and are forced to starve. Therefore, during these seasonal periods, it is necessary to turn on the bird lights in the morning and evening.

Canaries have endocrine glands near their eyes, the function of which depends on compliance with a certain light regime, which consists in the fact that sleep in canaries should last about 10 hours in summer and 12 hours in winter, while the change of light and darkness should always occur at approximately the same time same time.

Cleaning

The canaries' home and all accessories must be perfectly clean. The birds themselves, at their core, are big clean people. They constantly preen themselves, comb their hair, and clean their feathers.

Drinkers and feeders for wet mixtures must be washed and wiped dry before each change of their contents. Drinkers are also cleaned daily. In this case, it is especially necessary to ensure that mucus does not form on their walls, which is harmful to the health of the birds.

The water in the drinking bowl must be changed 2 times a day. There should also always be only clean water in the bathing suit, and the vessels themselves must be cleaned regularly. Birds will never go into dirty water. But as soon as they replace it with a fresh one, they immediately rush to rinse and clean their feathers. Having become prettier, the birds become more contented and even sing more cheerfully. Bathing is simply necessary for canaries to preserve their feathers. If birds are deprived of the opportunity to bathe, their feathers begin to fall out without molting and then do not recover for a long time. So they can even go bald.

To keep the bird healthy, it must be given a bath at least 2 times a week. The bathing suits are placed in the cage for a while, and after the birds are bathed, they are immediately removed so as not to wet the cage with water.

Dirt from the perches is washed off from time to time with hot water or cleaned off with a knife. If you don't pay enough attention to this, the canaries will get sick all the time.

The cage itself is also washed regularly (at least once a week). At this time, the canaries can be released for a walk in the room. If the birds have not yet been tamed, you can use a transport cage or cage.

When cleaning the cage, remove the tray, all feeders, drinkers, baths, toys and branches. All existing equipment must be thoroughly washed with detergent and brushed, then rinsed thoroughly with clean water.

Once a month it is advisable to disinfect the cage.

Claws

The bird must have strong and sharp claws. Too long ones can cause trouble for the canary itself when sitting on the floor or perch.

The tips of the claws are usually trimmed to no more than 2 mm. For this purpose, you can use scissors or nail clippers. It is not recommended to install perches covered with sandpaper in the cage for this claw sharpening. They do not affect the length of the birds' claws in any way. If you trim the claw more than necessary, bleeding may occur.

Feather Trimming

Sometimes it becomes necessary to trim the wings of canaries. This is done so that the bird cannot fly quickly and far. At the same time, it remains capable of flying within the confines of the enclosure or room into which the canary is released for a walk. Feathers should only be trimmed on one wing; in very rare cases, both wings may need to be trimmed. They need to be trimmed very carefully. If after the operation the canary is unable to fly at all, jumping from one high place to another, it will fall down like a stone, which will lead to injury to the wings, paws and bones in the sternum area or even death of the bird.

Before you decide to trim your wings, you need to think carefully and weigh everything. It should be noted that the appearance of the bird after trimming will suffer significantly, which is especially undesirable for exhibition species of canaries. Removing or clipping feathers should be done very carefully so as not to damage the growing feathers, which may cause bleeding.

Walks

It is advisable for canaries to have regular walks around the room. They have a positive effect on the health of birds, prevent obesity and, in addition, have a beneficial effect on the musical abilities of canaries. If the cage is small, it is better to use it only for the canaries to sleep, bathe and rest, and the rest of the time to give them the opportunity to fly freely around the room under human supervision. However, it is necessary to let the bird fly even if it has a fairly spacious cage.

Before letting your pets out of their cage, you need to ensure their safety. To do this, you need to close all doors, windows and vents so that the canaries do not fly out of the apartment.

Shedding

During this period, birds need especially careful care, since molting itself, as mentioned above, is a painful condition for canaries. The molting period is the most important period in a bird's life. If the canaries are kept incorrectly at this time, they can die.

This period usually falls in July, August and September. Particular attention should be paid to lighting and nutrition of canaries. The food should be rich and nutritious. When it comes to lighting, what birds need most is adequate sunlight. To do this, pets must be placed in cages located on the balcony, terrace or just outside the window. However, you should not install them in the very hot sun, otherwise the birds will simply die.

A characteristic sign of the beginning of the molting period is the cessation of singing. At this time, birds should be transplanted indoors in the fresh air. The most favorable place is the summer enclosure.

If you want to make a faithful friend from the “feathered” family, but you can’t make a choice, and caring for a pet seems too difficult to you, consider canaries. These birds are unpretentious in care and maintenance, in food, and reproduce well in captivity. They will fill your home with their melodious singing and bring peace to your life.

Small and decorative birds got their popularity back in the 14th century, when sailors from Spain and Portugal brought them home from exotic countries. And in the 16th century, songbirds were presented as gifts to high officials, kings and monarchs. Initially, the birds were only green. Later, after crossing with other species of birds, the color range of canaries increased significantly.

Types of canaries

What do canaries look like? Today there are three known breeds, which are divided into many species and subspecies.

Decorative canaries- This breed is divided into five types.

Crested birds are birds with specific crests, since the feathers on the head have an elongated shape. The average lifespan is twelve years. The peculiarity of this species is that they cannot be crossed with each other. They are divided into the following subspecies:

• German;
• Lancashire;
• English;
• Gloucester.

Curly - smooth-headed canaries, with thin and narrow feathers. The body length reaches nineteen centimeters. Life expectancy is up to fifteen years. There are 6 varieties of figured canaries:

• Norwich;
• Bernese;
• Spanish decorative;
• Yorkshire;
• border and mini-border.

Curly- beautiful birds with curling plumage. The bird's body size is from 17 centimeters. They live from ten to fourteen years. To date, 8 subspecies are known:

Humpbacks - a rare species of canary. They got their name because their heads are too low. The tail is straight, rarely curling at the bottom. Life expectancy is up to twelve years. There are 4 known subspecies:

• Belgian;
• Scottish;
• Munich;
• Japanese

Painted- popular because of their bright color. However, in the first year of life, the color of the feathers is quite pale. Bright coloring appears in the second year of life and is maintained for three years, after which the color again becomes inconspicuous until the end of the individual’s life. Life expectancy reaches fourteen years.

Singing canaries- the most popular breed of songbirds. Divided into 3 types:

1. German (harz roller) - have a low and velvety voice. The peculiarity of this species is that the birds produce their trills without opening their beaks. The life cycle is eight to twelve years.
2. The Belgian Malinois is a bright yellow songbird. The most popular type of the breed. Life expectancy can reach 12 years.
3. Spanish (timbrados) is an ancient species. They reach only 13 centimeters in length. They live up to eleven years.

Colored canary- the most numerous breed, including more than a hundred species. But, depending on the pigment included in the color, they are divided into two main subspecies:

• melanin - have a dark color;
• lipochrome - have a light color.

Living conditions for canaries in captivity should be as comfortable and safe as possible. Buy a comfortable cage with all the necessary equipment: a drinking bowl, a perch, a feeder, a ring, a ladder, and so on. Purchasing a new home It's a lot of stress for the bird. Therefore, decide on the place where your pet’s cage will stand in advance. After moving, give the canary some rest so that it can adapt to its new home.

It is best to place the cage in the room in which you spend the most time, near the wall near the window on the sunny side at eye level. Remember, drafts, a dark room, or placing the cage on a window or in the kitchen can harm your pet. The optimal temperature and humidity for a canary is 18−20 degrees, 50%, respectively.

Basic diet of poultry- grain crops: oats, millet, rice. Specialized stores sell ready-made mixtures of grains, nuts and fruits.

Don't forget to clean your pet's cage on time. Line the cage tray to make cleaning easier. Absorbent paper is an excellent solution, as it is easy to change, and the canary will not be able to create a mess, for example, the way it can scatter sand with high activity. If you decide to let the bird fly, then do not forget to close the windows and limit its movements around the apartment so that it cannot harm itself.

The canary's claws should not be too long. Trim your pet's claws to no more than two millimeters.

Now it's worth considering what can you feed canaries. As mentioned earlier, the canary's main diet is cereals. It is better to use several grains for feed to enrich the bird’s diet with useful substances. Mix rapeseed, oats, millet, hemp seed, sunflower, poppy seeds and so on in portions. It should be noted that millet is the canary's main source of vitality. The millet content in a portion of feed should be at least forty percent. Wheat, oats and millet can be sprouted. It is useful to give sprouted seeds to birds during their nesting time.

Remember that the shelf life of sprouted grains should not exceed three days. Include buckwheat, barley, rice and corn in your diet. Weed seeds are also one of the delicacies of birds. Don’t forget about nuts and seeds; canaries love them no less than all other types of food. Include greens, all kinds of berries and fruits in your pet's diet. In summer and winter, place fresh branches of deciduous trees, as well as fruit trees, in the canary’s cage. The branches help enrich the bird’s body with important microelements. Maple, currant, apple, rowan, birch, cherry, linden are quite suitable.

House for a canary

If you want to buy a new cage for your beloved bird, but can’t decide on the choice, consider the handmade option. You can easily make a new and cozy house for a canary. The Internet is full of various instructions and life hacks. Consider the following example: a cage made of wicker. You will need rods of different lengths: 19, 45, 65 and 37 centimeters each. First, a cross base is made, then it is braided with thin twigs. The diameter of the base must be at least seventeen centimeters. Then insert the slightly pointed posts into the base frame, connecting their ends. Then you just need to braid the racks.

In addition, at home you can easily make a nest for a canary with your own hands. The easiest option is to crochet such a nest using thick threads. It is also worth noting that if you provide the bird with the necessary materials (thin, dry grass), then it will be able to build a nest for itself on its own.

At the beginning of the article it was said that canaries reproduce well in captivity. Experienced bird owners breed birds at home. Best age for breeding in females from ten months to four years. Male canaries may be slightly older than females. Canaries behave anxiously before they begin to prepare for the breeding process.

Birds are very active: they scream loudly, flap their wings, and become restless. Males show their readiness to mate with loud and monotonous singing. Females begin to sort objects for building materials that are suitable for arranging a “family nest.” Breeding canaries should be done in the spring and summer.

A pair ready for reproduction is launched into a so-called cage, which should contain a nesting base that is prepared in advance. After a few days, the female begins to improve the nest. After two days, after building the nest, the canary lays eggs and hatches the chicks.

At home chicks hatch on their own, without the help of a female. They are born with their eyes closed and their ear openings covered with skin. Their body is initially covered with sparse and long fluff. The first week after hatching, the chicks are usually silent. Subsequently, they begin to squeak a little while feeding, but each time this squeak will become louder and more distinct.

Beautiful canaries

People started keeping canaries as pets quite a long time ago. These beautiful and bright birds do not require complex care; they can be kept even in a small apartment.

Canaries quickly get used to humans and are quite easy to train. In addition, they can delight you with their beautiful singing.

CARE

To keep your canary healthy, proper care is necessary. It is advisable to keep them in spacious cages, wooden, plastic or metal.

It is important that the cage is large in size so that the bird can move freely in it. The cage needs space for perches for her to sit on. They should not be too smooth; it is better if their surface remains slightly rough. The distance between them is important so that when flying from one perch to another, the canary can freely spread its wings.

Minimum cage size for one bird – 36*16*24 cm and 50*25*30 cm for a pair. It is important that the distance between the rods does not exceed 1.2-1.4 cm, otherwise there is a chance that the canary will get stuck or be injured. The door should be on the side so that the bird can be easily removed from the cage. It is advisable to use cages with a double bottom, as they are easy to clean and wash.

The canary feeder should not be placed on the floor, because the bird can turn it over and scatter it throughout the cage. Retractable feeders are also extremely convenient. You can change the food in such feeders without disturbing your pet.

In order to maintain cleanliness, Canaries need to bathe. To do this, you can use special plastic or glass bathing suits.

Canaries bathe in water at room temperature; the water level should not be higher than 2 cm. The bathing suit is installed on the outside of the cage so that water does not flow inside.

Canaries should bathe daily, starting from 30-35 days of life. However, if the bird does not want to swim, you should not force it. This can be very stressful for her. Bathing suits should be washed daily.
The tap hole must be kept clean. It must be washed at least a couple of times a week. During cleaning, the canary should be transplanted into a spare cage. In order not to scare the bird, it is advisable to place two cages side by side, opening the doors so that it can safely fly over.

A special bird filler (sand, granules or sawdust) is poured into a clean cage. Some people use paper for this. However, it needs to be changed more often - every two to three days.

CONTENT RULES

The location of the cage is extremely important. It is important that it stands in a place that protected from drafts. The place where the cage is located needs good lighting, but you should not place it in the sun.

You should not place a cage in the kitchen, as there are too many foreign odors and harmful fumes. For the same reason, you should not smoke in a room where canaries are located.

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Occasionally, the canary can be released to fly around the room. It is better to do this in a confined space so that it cannot fly out the door or window. At first, you can allow the bird to fly for 10-15 minutes, gradually the time can be increased to 40-45 minutes. This can be done if there are no hard-to-reach places in the room where the canary could get stuck. Canaries often fly into closets and are unable to get out.

In addition, there should be no other pets in the room that could frighten or even injure the bird. It is important to communicate with a canary in a calm and quiet voice. There is no need to grab the bird from behind - this may frighten it. She must see who is approaching her.

Stress is dangerous for canaries, it can lead to their death. Noise, careless attempts to pick it up, or a sudden change of environment can frighten a canary. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful that stress does not kill your pet.

BREEDING

It is best to breed canaries at home in the spring. To get good offspring you need to select healthy and active couple, the male must sing well. Canaries must be at least one year old. In order for the male and female to get used to each other, you must first place the cages next to each other.

For 5-6 days, the male is given both grain and soft food daily. The amount of food for the female should also be increased. To mate, birds are placed in one cage, first the male, and after a couple of days - the female. At the end of mating, the female begins to make a nest. After 3-10 days, the female lays eggs.

To build a nest, the canary must be provided with pieces of linen or cotton fabric. You can also add small hay. Once the female has laid her first egg, do not move the cage or move the nest. After the female canary has laid several eggs, the male needs to be separated from her, because she herself is capable of raising chicks.

Sometimes the male is left to help the female raise her offspring, but it has happened that the male destroyed the nest and could also throw the chicks out of it. Canaries incubate their chicks for 13 days. 3-4 hours after the birth of the chicks, the female begins to feed them from her beak.

It is important that at this time there is both soft and grain food available; the female can also be additionally fed with a mixture of boiled egg and crushed crackers. After 24-28 days, the chicks begin to feed on their own, and on days 35-37 they begin to chirp. Mature chicks need to be seated separately. Males should be kept in separate cages, but females can live together.

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What to feed?

The basis of canary nutrition is hard food, which you can buy at a pet store or make yourself.

• 10% millet
• 20% canary seed
• 40% rapeseed
• 10% salad
• 10% oatmeal
• 5% hemp soaked in boiling water
• 5% sunflower seeds

If desired, you can add burdock seeds or flaxseeds.

Failure to comply with the proportions can cause metabolic disorders and various diseases. To avoid obesity, it is necessary to give birds a certain amount of food - 1-1.5 teaspoons daily.

At the same time, they need to be fed in small portions throughout the day; the bird cannot be left without food for a long time. Once a week, canaries need to be given soft food. This can be a mixture of half a yolk, a hard-boiled egg, tsp. crackers, semolina or baby food.

You can give your canaries small slices of chopped fruits or vegetables: apples, pears, carrots, cabbage, sweet peppers or celery. Crushed egg shells, charcoal or chalk can be given as mineral feed.

However, some fruits and vegetables may be dangerous for canaries. Among them:

• Mango
• Papaya
• Parsley, herbs
• Persimmon
• Avocado
• Fruit pits (cherry, apricot, etc.)

Drinking water should be at room temperature. At the bottom of the cage you need to install a small dish from which the bird can drink.

HOW MUCH LIVE OUTSIDE THE WILL?

Average lifespan canaries with proper care - 7- 12 years. Some individuals can live up to 20-25 years.

Despite the fact that keeping canaries will not bring you much trouble, you will have to create the right conditions for the birds to function normally. Unpretentious canaries will need a properly equipped, comfortable cage or a spacious enclosure, fresh food, regular water treatments, walks around the room and much more.

Cozy home

Choosing a place for the canary to live

For a cage with a bird, you need to find a suitable place and decide where it will stand, so as not to rearrange it later. Moving is a lot of stress for a canary; it will not be easy for her to get used to the new environment.

To make it easier for the canary to adapt to a new place, at first it will need peace. If you start moving the cage to other places, the bird's mood may worsen and anxiety about changing housing may develop into nervousness.

The center of the room or the floor are not the best places for the cage because of the possible draft, which can cause the canary to catch a cold. The presence of drafts can be easily checked with a burning match or candle. If the flame fluctuates, it means there is a draft.

Placing the cage in the kitchen is also a bad option - toxic fumes from burning Teflon, dishwashing detergent and other things can poison the bird. In addition, there are often drafts in the kitchen due to ventilation.

The hallway is also not suitable for a canary to live in. Constant movements of household members will disturb the bird. And from the periodically opening door, the same draft, harmful to the bird’s health, arises.

It is good if you place the canary in the room where you are most often. Then the bird will not feel lonely. And you can combine your usual activities and communication with your feathered friend.

Dark corners and heating appliances are also unsuitable places. The bird will feel unwell in the dark. She will become lethargic, sleepy, and will sing rarely. If the air is too dry, she may develop dermatitis or baldness. We will tell you below what climate is suitable for canaries to live at home.

It is better to place the cage near the wall opposite the window. The wall will give the canary a feeling of security, and the window will give a lot of sunlight, which has a beneficial effect on the development of the bird. You cannot place the cage on the window itself: in winter the canary can freeze, and in summer it can overheat or get sunburn.

Top, bottom or middle

In addition, the canary below can become a target for a pet, and carbon monoxide accumulates above. Especially in houses with stove heating. Even a small amount of carbon monoxide can kill a canary, which is still used by miners in some countries. To avoid the death of the bird, you should not smoke, light incense sticks or spray aerosols near it.

For the cage, you can purchase a special stand with a low center of gravity that holds the cage in one position. At the top of the stand there is a hook on which the cage is hung. On sale you can find comfortable tables for cages, equipped with drawers for storing bird accessories and.

Optimal climate

In order for the canary to feel good in your home, maintain a temperature of eighteen to twenty-two degrees and a humidity of at least fifty percent.

During the warm season, take the cage out into the fresh air so that the bird can sunbathe. Cover part of the cage with fabric to create a shade, so the canary will not get sunburn. Keep an eye on the canary while walking, otherwise birds of prey and cats may harm it.

In winter, the canary will need additional light. To artificially increase daylight hours, use ultraviolet lamps, placing them a meter from the cage. And to keep warm, you can install a twenty-five-watt electric lamp half a meter from the cage.

Alternative option

Instead of a cage for canaries, you can buy or make an aviary with your own hands. In such a structure, the birds will feel protected, especially if the interior of the aviary is as close as possible to natural conditions. Depending on the time of year, enclosures can be divided into two types: indoor and outdoor.

Let's take a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

Indoor view

Indoor aviaries are suitable for keeping a large number of canaries, so it is better to install such a structure for those who plan to breed them. In an indoor aviary, birds have the opportunity not only to communicate with their relatives, but also to choose a pair to their liking.

Although you can keep one singing canar in the enclosure. The natural environment, which is easy to create in a spacious enclosure, can reveal new musical talents. For example, you can place a lot of plants and branches of deciduous trees in the enclosure.

It is more convenient to install such an enclosure in the corner of the room. In this case, you will only have to make one wall. Its height can be equal to the height of the room; you need to retreat at least two meters from the corner. It is good if the enclosure is located close to the window.

It doesn’t matter whether you buy a ready-made enclosure or make it yourself, the main thing is what material it will be made of. Its frame can be wooden, plastic or metal. The outside of the enclosure can be decorated to match the interior of the room. If you are going to paint it, do it only on the outside - the paint can poison the canaries.

The mesh that covers the frame should be made of stainless steel with chrome or nickel plating. Copper or brass mesh can oxidize and become poisonous to birds. Galvanized mesh is also harmful - a canary can be poisoned if it swallows a peeling piece. The optimal mesh cell sizes are one and a half by one and a half millimeters.

The enclosure should have a tray that makes cleaning the enclosure easier. It is better to choose a stainless steel tray - it is durable and easy to clean. Plywood pallets quickly become unusable when exposed to moisture and droppings; they cannot be treated with boiling water or chemical solutions. Tin pallets bend easily. If you make a pallet from separate tin sheets, gaps will form between them. It is difficult to select droppings and food scraps from them.

To keep the enclosure clean for as long as possible, you need to pour sand or special gravel onto the tray, sold in any pet store.

The main disadvantage of an indoor aviary is a lot of noise. Not everyone is able to withstand the discordant singing of canaries, among which it is difficult to distinguish the songs of individual canaries. The closer the nesting period, the louder the singing will be. In addition, birds can start fights over partners or territory.

Bird food and droppings that are not collected promptly can attract small rodents: mice, rats. They can frighten canaries and infect them. Rats can even feast on chicks sleeping on the floor. To prevent the appearance of rodents, it is necessary not only to periodically clean the enclosure, but also to cover half a meter of the walls from the floor and the floor itself with iron sheets. Make sure there are no gaps.

street view

If you can keep canaries in an indoor aviary all year round, the outdoor type is only suitable for the warm season. This is precisely its advantage - fresh air and sunlight have a beneficial effect on the health of canaries.

You can install an outdoor aviary on a balcony or in the courtyard of a private house. Minimum dimensions:

• length - four meters;
• width – two meters;
• height – two meters.

To prevent rats, ferrets or cats from getting into the bird enclosure, it must have a strong foundation. Dig a hole of sixty centimeters, ten of which fill with rubble. Then place a metal mesh lubricated with tar, the diameter of the cells should not exceed ten millimeters.

Line the perimeter of the hole with blocks of brick and concrete, in which secure wooden blocks every half meter. Fill another twenty centimeters with crushed stone. The remaining thirty centimeters should consist of soil. Attach boards to the bars so that the enclosure has three closed walls. The fourth wall should be covered with the same mesh as that of the indoor enclosure. The roof can be made from boards. The main thing is that there are no cracks anywhere.

The main food of canaries are mixtures consisting of oats, millet, hemp and canary seeds and other grains and seeds. You will find out what else you can give these birds from the article.

Taking care of your pet

Canaries that are cared for regularly look and feel great. By constantly monitoring their appearance, physical and mental condition, you prolong their life and make it more comfortable.

If a bird cannot sharpen its claws naturally, they begin to grow and get in the way. Due to its long claws, the canary runs the risk of breaking its fingers. Hang a special sharpening stone and bark perches in the cage. If this does not help, you will have to trim the bird's claws yourself.

Use nail scissors or tweezers. Carefully, trying not to touch a blood vessel, trim two millimeters from each claw. If you do touch a claw capillary and start bleeding, drip hydrogen peroxide onto the wound.

When caring for your bird, do not forget to hang a bathing suit in the cage. In summer this should be done daily, and in winter - twice a week. By installing a bathing suit, you will give the birds the opportunity to freshen up and tidy up their feathers.

The water should be room temperature, twenty-seven degrees. To prevent the bird from choking, the water level should not exceed two and a half centimeters. Choose a swimsuit with a rough bottom that will prevent the canary from slipping.

For bathing, choose the first half of the day so that the bird has time to dry before evening. You cannot dry canaries with a hairdryer - its fumes are lethal to them. And the towel dries out the bird's skin. It’s better to put the bird in a cage and place a twenty-five-watt lamp half a meter away from it.

If the birds are ready to splash around all day, be sure to change the water every three to four hours. Due to dirty water, your pet may have... If a canary doesn't want to bathe, don't force it. Better try to interest him by playing with water with your fingers or spraying the cage with a spray bottle.

Caring for a canary would not be complete without regular walks around the room. Free flights allow birds to keep themselves in shape. Before each walk, check the safety of the room: close doors and windows, remove poisonous plants, small objects, toxic substances, containers with liquids, and drive out pets.

Canaries that are properly maintained and cared for live happily ever after. The condition of your feathered pets depends only on your attention and efforts.

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When choosing a pet, very often people choose birds. Not requiring a lot of time and attention, as well as frequent walks, feathered friends delight their owners with a light, cheerful disposition and ringing singing.

And, if many, one way or another, are quite expensive and picky creatures in terms of care, then canaries are universal, accessible to everyone both in price and in terms of easy care. Keeping a canary is not difficult; even a small child can handle it.

It is enough to simply change the flooring in the cage, as well as the feeders and water, and your pet will be healthy and happy, regularly delighting you with its ringing singing. Canary bird- a small bird, up to about 15 cm in size, although some ornamental species can reach 23 cm from beak to tip of tail. The appearance of the canary is very harmonious and is not particularly notable except for its different colors.

The most common are yellow canaries, but the variety of their colors is great, there are even black canaries or red ones, obtained, of course, by crossing canaries with other birds. As a result of selective breeding, some species of canaries also have tufts or attractive curls. You can see all the great variety of colors of these birds on photo of canaries.

Features and habitat

For now canary - poultry, and you can buy it at any pet store around the world. But the ancestors of this bird were Canaries, living on the Canary Islands. The latter, by the way, still live on the Canary and Azores islands as wild, free birds.

Pictured is a crested canary

Character and lifestyle

Canaries are very sociable. They live in large or small flocks - it doesn’t matter, but socialization is very important for everyone. They live low - in short flights in low bushes they look for suitable food, while constantly communicating with other members of their family.

Usually, closer to night, small flocks of canaries meet and merge into one large one, together they find a suitable place to spend the night and wait out the night there. In the morning they all scatter again into their small, constantly noisy groups. Canaries are songbirds, therefore, when purchasing it as a pet, be prepared to forever forget about what silence is.

Nutrition

Correct canary food guarantees her health, well-being and mood. In the wild, canary finches feed primarily on plant seeds and occasionally insects during nesting periods. For poultry, there is an incredible amount of varied balanced food that you can purchase at any pet store in your city.

Each pack of food contains recommendations for its use for a specific life period of your pet, for example, “for feeding during molting” or “feeding during breeding.” When purchasing, carefully monitor the expiration date of the food so that it does not expire before your pet has time to eat it.

Among other things, veterinarians advise not to change the composition of the canary’s food, since it gets used to a certain variety and with some difficulties tolerates the transition to another type of food. Since the canary does not have much space to fly in the modest space of its own cage, these birds are prone to obesity.

To avoid this situation, calculate the daily diet for your pet. Usually it does not exceed 1-2 teaspoons of food per day. For variety, you can give the bird a hard-boiled egg once a week, adding grated crackers and carrots to it.

In addition to the main food, it is worth giving some vitamin supplements a couple of times a week. In summer, lettuce or dandelion leaves and other plants are suitable for these purposes. And in winter, you can dilute your diet with a green apple, carrot or sweet bell pepper. In no case should you neglect mineral supplements, which should be kept in the cage at all times.

Usually it includes coarse sand, which in the bird’s stomach will facilitate the grinding and digestion of grains, as well as ground eggshells and chalk, as sources of calcium. A feeder like this should be changed approximately once a week to prevent the bird from getting dirty and ingesting debris.

Reproduction and lifespan

In the wild, the breeding season for canaries begins in the spring - warm weather and the appearance of excess food are a kind of signal for birds that it is time to continue their race.

At home, you can breed canaries all year round, simply by creating suitable external conditions for them. Birds aged from one to four years are suitable for breeding. During one breeding cycle, the female makes several clutches, but it is better not to allow her to make more than two, so as not to deplete the bird’s body.

For the greatest comfort for your bird, it is worth creating one or two hemispherical nesting bases. To make it soft, you can cover it with grass, straw, thread or hemp rope. You should not make them too long to avoid the possibility of your pet getting its paws entangled in the nest.

A perch should be attached close to the nest so that the birds can first sit on it and then calmly step onto the nest; this will prevent damage to the chick or egg. When a couple comes together, the first egg may appear within a week, and then another egg will appear every day, usually no more than four.

Canary eggs very small, weighing up to two grams, usually bluish in color with small brown inclusions. The eggs are incubated exclusively by one female; the chicks are born one at a time, in the same order in which the eggs were laid.

Often, older chicks take food from the younger ones, thereby preventing them from eating and growing normally. Sometimes late chicks even die because of this. To avoid such situations, the eggs she laid are taken away from the female, replaced with dummies, and kept on cotton wool under a lamp.

And when all 4 eggs are laid, the dummies change back to real eggs. Thanks to this, the female begins to incubate the eggs at the same time, and accordingly, they also hatch together. Already when the chicks are a month old, they will begin to learn to fly. For these purposes, you need a really large cage - at least a meter in each direction.

As soon as it becomes possible to determine the sex, the males should be placed in different cages, as they are often aggressive towards each other. Females, on the contrary, are very friendly and happily live together in one cage. The average lifespan of a canary reaches 8 - 10 years, but with very good care, birds can live up to 15 years.