My Growing Flock of Red Factor Canaries
Soon, I will have a few more lively and melodic red factor canaries sharing my Bedford, New York farm - my birds have already laid several eggs.
I started raising canaries quite a few years ago after I discovered how much joy and beautiful singing they offer to a home. However, caring for birds is a big responsibility. Every morning, the cages are cleaned and the birds are given a fresh buffet of seeds and greens from my greenhouses. In return, these birds provide wonderful company, cheerful song and curious, active personalities - I would not give them up for the world!
Enjoy these photos.
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- My canary cages are cleaned first thing every day. These birds are very used to their daily routines, so they are not scared – many will continue to sing during the cleaning process. They also love to see people, and will often recognize regular visitors.
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- There is a lot of activity in my canary birdcage these days. Several of the hens have already laid eggs. Notes indicate how many eggs are in each nest. A canary will usually lay about three to five eggs.
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- When cleaning, Enma removes all the food and water dishes from the cage.
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- Nothing goes to waste. Every day, any extra seed that is not eaten by my canaries, goes outside under the wild bird feeders. The birds and squirrels love these seeds.
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- Then, Enma washes all the removable dishes.
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- Canaries are very hardy birds, but to keep them healthy their cage must always be as clean as possible. Enma wipes down all the shelves in the cage with a damp cloth.
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- I am always looking for the best, most nutritious seeds. I provide multiple feed bowls with a buffet of seeds along with all their fresh vegetables and fruits. Many of the seeds in this selection are from Lady Gouldian Finch. http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/
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- Seed blends are designed to support the birds’ seasonal needs. These blends are carefully selected to provide the widest range of micronutrients for resting, breeding and molting seasons.
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- Miracle Meal is a complete, all-natural, nutritious soft food. It contains protein, carbohydrates and essential fatty acids necessary for proper growth and immune system functioning.
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- The Tonic Seed blend is a soft black oily seed with thin, brittle hulls that are perfect for youngsters whose beaks are not strong enough to crack hard seeds.
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- They like some mixes more than others, but I always offer a balanced variety.
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- Probi-Zyme is a food supplement that contains good bacteria and enzymes that promote proper digestion.
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- The specially formulated probiotic is sprinkled on top of every dish of food.
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- The filled seed dishes are all returned to the cage – some down below and others one level up. A canary’s metabolism is very fast, so it’s important to be observant of their eating needs and habits.
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- Enma also cuts up fresh greens for the canaries. My birds love broccoli.
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- Once the fresh greens are placed into the cage, the birds rush to grab a bite. I am so happy my canaries are thriving.
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- A couple drops of a liquid vitamin are also mixed with the water. This is Megamix – a mixture of organic acids that keep the water germ-free and prevent e.coli, mold and other fungal elements from multiplying.
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- Several bowls of fresh, clean water are provided at all times.
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- This canary wants this piece of broccoli all to itself.
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- During this time of year, we place several nests around the cage – most of them in the highest level of the enclosure.
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- We also place a basket of cotton fiber nesting material at the bottom of the cage. The canaries will take pieces out to build their nests.
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- The canaries pull the fibers out one by one. They like to breed when there are about 14-hours of light. The season usually starts around mid-February – they’re a bit early this year.
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- Some canaries work very hard on their nests, adding lots of cotton string, shredded burlap or other materials, while others will build more simple ones. Here’s a peek at one of the nests – do you see the three eggs inside?
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- Here is a canary hen working on its nest. Only females will build nests. And, only males will sing.
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- Here, one can see the hen sitting on her eggs. Canary eggs hatch in 14 days. This is counted from the day that the hen starts to sit on the eggs, not from the day that the egg was laid.
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- Here is another hen sitting on her eggs, likely with her mate keeping guard below.
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- Red factor canaries are prized for their color rather than their song, but they are also very melodious singers and enjoy singing. My canaries love to listen to classical music, which I keep on for them during the day.
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- Here are three birds dining at their buffet. These 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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- Meanwhile, on my kitchen counter – more eggs in my incubator. These are eggs from the prized barred rock bantams gifted to me by my friend, Ari Katz, last summer. I am so excited to see how they develop.
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- We have many eggs to watch – it takes about 21 days on average for a chicken egg to hatch once incubation begins. I’ll be sure to share any photos as soon as a chick pecks through its shell. Stay tuned…
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