Moving the Canaries
My vibrant Red Factor canaries are thriving here at my Bedford, New York farm. These beautiful little birds bring me so much joy with their lovely singing.
As many of you may know, I have been raising canaries for a number of years. These birds provide wonderful company, melodious song and curious, active personalities. Yesterday, we moved the canaries to another airy light-filled corner of my Winter House where they could enjoy a change of scenery and the beautiful views out the window.
Here are some photos.
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- Named after its beautiful plumage, the red factor canary, Serinus canaria domestica, is one of the most popular canary breeds. I designed this cage after one that came from France, built around 1900, probably to house doves or quails. This is one of two painted black – much like my other canary cage painted Bedford Gray.
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- Canaries are generally good-natured, social creatures. Healthy canaries will always have clear, bright eyes, clean, smooth feathers and curious, active dispositions.
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- We feed them a variety of mixes with added vitamins and minerals. We also give them an eggfood, a baked food containing eggs and other ingredients that provide good animal proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
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- Their bold colors can range in shades of light peach to apricot to orange to red.
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- Here is one perched on a water bowl equipped with hooks that are secured to the wired walls of the cage. This canary is very curious about all the activity.
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- As they are moved from one cage to the other, Enma clips its nails, one by one. This is important because the nails grow long in the cage and can actually get in the way. Canary nails need to be clipped every six months or so.
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- Using a cotton swab, Enma then applies a light coat of olive oil to their legs to keep them from flaking. If held correctly, a canary will remain calm throughout this process.
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- Here is Carlos, also applying a bit of oil on another bird’s legs – the canary is very calm in his hand.
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- Once done, Carlos just sets the bird down onto the wire.
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- And in seconds, it is back up and ready for a snack in the clean cage.
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- The branches in the cage are cut from the fruit trees on the farm and are changed regularly. They provide ample perching areas.
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- The birds are given both fresh water in stainless steel bowls and vitamin water in the bigger container. Every morning, all the stainless steel bowls are washed and refilled with water and canary seed mix.
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- Here is a trough feeder for the birds, also filled with seeds – I like to offer the canaries a buffet of different seeds and fresh greens.
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- Red factor canaries need certain nutrients to maintain their bold, colorful plumage. Fresh foods containing beta-carotene, canthaxanthin and carotenoids along with greens and the appropriate canary seed make up a good well-balanced diet.
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- If you choose to keep canaries, be sure to get the largest cage your budget allows, so they have ample room to exercise. Canaries need room to flap their wings and fly from perch to perch.
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- A canary’s metabolism is very fast, so it’s important to be observant of their eating needs and habits.
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- The corn cob litter is also changed daily, so the birds are always in a fresh, clean environment.
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- Red factor canaries are prized for their color rather than their song, but they are also very good singers and love to listen to classical music, which I keep on for them during the day.
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- Here is a light colored peachy-white canary. Healthy and well-cared for canaries can live at least 10 to 12 years.
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- Canaries also love to roost on the highest branches, so they can get a good view of all the happenings at the farm. Here are several canaries perched on the highest branch.
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- The bold color and alert expression are both signs of good health. These birds are delightfully entertaining, hardy and very easy to keep healthy and happy. I am so glad they are happy here at Cantitoe Corners.
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