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From the beginning December – 5th January my birds are dropped right down onto Plain Canary seed
+ a sprinkle of Versele Laga (V.L.) “Wild Seeds”. o This diet lets the digestive system “rest” and also emulates birds in the wild going through winter conditions, where food would be scarce. · At this time natural Day-light hours are quite short
o This also is what the birds’ body expects from winter · It might also be a good idea to get your birds’ droppings tested by your Avian Vet for any potential problems BEFORE the start of the Breeding Season.
After 5th January - I start to increase the food slightly and begin to give them a better mix of seed. · Daylight hours are starting to increase slightly too. o
(Some breeders increase the amount of daylight further by using lights on dimmers and timers.) · I keep this up into March for Fifes, Glosters and Red Factors. Norwich Canaries are a month later.
FFrom Early Jan. to Mid Feb. I start adding small feeds of Commercial egg-food once per week
(e.g. Quiko / EMP / Witte Mollen) · Greens are fed twice per week (GREENS = Spinach, Cabbage, Kale + Sweet Apple) + dandelion leaves. o Clean Dandelion leaves are one of the best Green foods you can feed your birds.
o All parts of the Dandelion : leaves, roots and the white heads when the seeds are dark brown.
From Mid February to beg. March - I “up” their small feeds of egg- food to about 3 times per week o During this time I will start adding a little of “My own Egg-food mix” to the Commercial Mix to increase Protein levels, which is important to help bring birds into Breeding condition.
At the Beginning of March - I offer the Egg-food 4 – 5 times per week (mainly my own mix now)
I also add Sprouted Seeds.
How to Prepare Paul’s Breeding/Conditioning Egg-Mix
(Feed 4 – 5 times per week – not daily until actually breeding/feeding chicks.)
(the ratio here is for 150+ Finches/Canaries i.e. 75+ pairs – dilute yours according to numbers) o 2 Cups Cous Cous – pour boiling water over the C.C. to its own level until the water is absorbed
– let it cool b4 mixing. o Add 1tsp Glucose o 16 Scrambled Eggs (mashed with a tiny drop of milk to help it scramble and bind) o
Honey (to taste) – just a smidgen o Tiny drop of Cod Liver Oil (not too much as it can spoil the consistency but is important to provide Vit. D3) o Grated Carrot (it’s sweet and high in carotene and Vit A.)
o Offer this Fresh x4 times per day through the Breeding Season. § Clean the finger drawer/feed dish thoroughly each time, b4 putting new portion in. (for 20 birds i.e. 10pairs Canaries)
– 4 scrambled eggs and ½ cup of Cous Cous + rest of ingredients.
How to Prepare Soak-seed § Soak the Seed for 8 hours in a “Vanadine” solution, which sterilizes the water. §
I use “Countrywide” or V.L. Soak-Seed Mixes for my British Finches and Canaries § After 8 hours sieve the seed and wash until the water runs clear. § Do this 3 – 4 times a day, each time leaving the seed moist (not sitting in water)
§ Store in a dark place, warm place, covered with a damp cloth – to help germinate. § I have 3 sieves going at anyone time, so when one is finished I have a fresh one ready to use. §
As soon as the seed starts to sprout (2 -3 days) then you can use for your birds o – make sure it is freshly washed and smells sweet. § Sprouted seed changes/improves its food value once the seed has split and started to germinate.
Early March – I also use Avi Gold (Multi-vitamin) in their water – it contains “Citric Acid” which helps keep
the drinkers clean and clear of green algae you often see in the drinkers. · Avi Gold Ultimate = For the Pigeon guys · Avi Gold = For Aviary Birds
o Both are the “same” product but it’s lot cheaper when sold to the Pigeon guys – as with a lot of other pigeon seeds and supplements. So save yourself some pennies if you can.
From Mid March I add a calcium supplement (with Vit. D3) 2 – 3 times per week. · Offer Baths as often as possible : make sure you change the water regularly (at least daily).
o Clean water is essential in drinkers and baths (which must also be cleaned regularly), to prevent water-borne bacteria being ingested at any time! · Green Foods : Try not to change the types of Green-food too often. o
When using Wild Foods (Greens) : keep away from contamination – Exhaust Fumes; dog pee; sprays (weed killers etc.,) i.e. ensure the source you get your foods from is CLEAN!
· GRIT – is enjoyed but not essential to Canaries and Finches · CHARCOAL – helps to keep the
crop clean – offer a little every day in a finger drawer o Remove charcoal if you are giving your birds any medication.
· SEED - during Breeding Season – I use V.L. Canary Breeders Seed and HAITHS Conditioning Seed · SEED –
during Winter / Rest months - I use a good quality Plain Canary Seed to let the digestive system have a rest in preparation for the higher quality foods used during the Breeding Season.
· ** I also feed Just a Plain Canary diet while the hen is ‘sitting’ her eggs, as she doesn’t need anything other than a “Maintenance Diet” at this time. · 2 days b4 the chicks are due to hatch I resume normal Breeders Seed Mix + offer Egg-food – just in case the chicks hatch
early!!
· It’s a good idea to try and buy enough seed to last you for a full Breeding Season rather than run the risk of running out and maybe having to change Brands/suppliers. o Some birds won’t tolerate a change in seeds etc., and may not feed their chicks properly.
· Citric Acid and Cider Vinegar – helps prevent the proliferation of bad bacteria in birds’ water.
· Canaries (and British Finches) have the most advanced form of digestion in any bird, because they have a “Sterile bowel”.
· Pro-biotic – can be added to the Egg-food that is being fed to the Chicks – it is not essential but can help build-up healthy gut bacteria and give the chicks a good start in life! · Chicks do get the birds’ equivalent to colostrum (the first “pigeon milk” fed by the
parents contain something similar to this when feeding newly hatched chicks). o This gives their immune system a good start in life & feeding Pro-biotics can help build on this. PREPARE YOUR BREEDING CAGES ·
Clean your Breeding Cages in good time – scrub them out, using a Veterinary Disinfectant
i.e. F10 S.C. or Poultry Shield (20 : 1 ratio – 4ml makes 1 litre). · This sanitises your cages and helps remove any stubborn dirt/dried-on droppings etc. · Paint in good time b4 you are putting birds in to make sure any odour has disappeared.
PREPARE YOUR BREEDING BIRDS · Throughout the Winter either keep your birds in large cages/Aviary to keep them fit & exercised. · Always try to have one perch higher and one lower – the effort of creating “lift” to fly to the upper perch, helps the bird exercise and exert
itself. · Keep your Cocks and hens separated. HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR PAIRINGS (Beginning of March) · When your cages are clean & ready – add a Hen to each double breeding cage.
· Now, “in your head, start to decide which cockbird your think would best compliment each hen
o Yellow birds are usually a deeper colour but have softer feather quality. o Buff birds are usually a paler colour but are bigger in size & have a more coarse type of feather o
Green Birds (those that look like a dark green, variegated Sparrow, in colour) can help deepen the colour, when paired with a buff bird – it also offers a softer feather. o Green birds can be useful to have in your Breeding stock. o Get the best quality Feathers by pairing buff to yellow
or green to buff. o If you pair buff to buff then the feathers can be coarse and washed-out looking. o Yellow to Yellow can end up too soft and loose and can often lack size. o
If one bird has a flat head, choose a mate with a High-rise head. o If a bird has a low wing carriage – chose a mate with a better wing carriage where the wing tips touch. · In other words try and cancel out or compliment one bird’s faults or short-comings by choosing a mate with a good quality in that department!
MID-MARCH · Around this time inspect the hens for condition. · A Fat hen is not going to make a good breeding hen! ·
Check if they are carrying excessive “fat by catching hold of her (gently) & blowing away the feathers to expose her vent. o If the vent area looks slightly swollen yellowish in colour - denotes “fat” is present. o (you then need to alter/reduce the hen’s diet accordingly to help reduce the weight/fat.
· If the vent area looks normal with no excessive yellowish fat – then you are on the right tracks. END of MARCH (are your birds fit to breed)?? · A healthy bird looks healthy, holds itself upright with
it’s feathers tight and sleek. · Canaries as a breed tend not to sit around and mope unless they are not 100% - they are continually on the move. o It’s eyes should be bright and round as buttons (not lemon–shaped, triangular or droopy) o
It’s droppings should be well formed with a dark piece (faeces) in the middle surround by white urates – that’s normal.
DROPPINGS that are NOT ‘normal’ : are sloppy, watery, smelly or the urates (Urine) are any other colour than white. White is normal – other colours are indicative that all may not be well. o Droppings, esp. the colour of the Urates, tell a vivid story about your birds health. o
However, a hen that is due to lay fairly soon will have copious, sloppy droppings, which may be green but the urates will still be white – this is perfectly normal!
PUTTING COCK and HEN in TOGETHER · If you are happy that both cock and hen are “Breeding Fit”. · You can now place your “chosen” cockbird into the other side of the double Breeder with a slider in place.
· Leave about ¼” gap at the back of the slider away from the back wall of the cage, so that the
2 birds can just see each other through the gap. · Try and do this when you have about an hour to sit in and observe your birds’ reactions to each other. o i.e. are they interested in each other – in a good way or trying to attack each other thru the gap? o
or are they just ignoring each other? · After about an hour – close the gap up and try again the next day & once again observe their reactions. · Once the cockbird starts to strut, hop from perch to perch, sing and try to feed the hen through the gap (it maybe on the first day or it may take quite a few days – depending on their condition
(and compatibility). · Then you can remove the slider altogether but once again keep your eyes on them – just in case!! · If the hen is as fit & ready as the cockbird – fairly soon after they’ve been put together she will respond to his advances by squatting to allow the cockbird to “tread” her. ·
She will then usually lay her first egg fairly soon after this event – often as early as 4+ days. ADD the NEST PAN · The Nest pan can be made from wood with a mesh bottom, plastic with air-holes or wicker ·
You should have already fitted a “screw-head” inside the Breeder cage, to hang the N. Pan. · Before you hang the Nest-pan ”stick” a nest-felt into the Nest Pan, using a blob of carbolic soap
(this helps keep red-mite at bay whilst you are breeding. o (you can buy both N. Pans and Nest Felts from Pet Shops or Bird Shows – or off the internet.) o If you don’t or can’t get hold of Carbolic soap to stick the felt – you can use Gardeners plant twist “wire” which pushes through the nest felt and “Twist-tie” under the nest pan, out of the way.
o BEFORE you put the Nest felt in – put Anti-mite powder or DIATOMS Powder under the felt, once again to deter Red-mite, which can suck the tiny chicks’ blood.
NESTING MATERIALS · Provide your hen with Nest-making materials pushed through the cage bars - i.e. Jute strings or sterilised Moss (put any gathered moss in a plastic bag and put in a microwave for 30secs to sterilise it and kill any bugs/eggs etc.,) · Be very careful what you use as Nesting material : Horse Hair, Dog Hair or
Sheep’s wool can all come with their own problems esp. if caught round the chicks neck or feet or even swallowed – so really it’s better to be on the safe side and steer clear - just use tried and tested materials. · You can get special holders for nesting material but just putting a little through the cage bars at a time, stimulates the hen into pulling it through to start building her nest. · The Nest Felt acts as a liner inside the nest, the hen then builds her own nest on top of this.
· Some hens don’t build a particularly good nest, so at least the nest felt provides a soft base for eggs/chicks. · Some hens can build a nest in an hour or so – others take a few days – eggs follow soon afterwards. · A natural
Canaries Nest is usually thicker/wider to one side and narrower to the other. · It’s about as deep as a shallow egg-cup.
EGGS
(We will cover eggs (incubation) and Chicks hatching/feeding in more depth in our next supplement) So will just outline the basics here : · Canaries lay an egg every day · They usually lay 4 but sometimes just 3 and rarely 5
· Each egg is removed as soon as poss. after it’s laid (a.m. is best if you can) · Put the egg in a cool place i.e. a box designed to hold screws or even a flat Ferrera Roche Chocolate box with compartments. · I use a peat/sawdust mix
in the base of the compartments, as this helps keep the egg cool. o Cotton wool also works well. · Put a dummy egg (can be bought in Pet Shops/bird Sales) to replace the egg in the nest. ·
Do this for eggs 1 : 2 : 3 and then on the 4th day – remove all the dummy eggs and put the 3 stored eggs back in with the 4th egg. · Incubation (14 days) is counted from this date. · If your hen has laid 3 or 5 eggs – do the same on the 4th day. ·
If you don’t remove the eggs and just leave them in the nest, then the chicks will hatch a day apart – as they were laid. So the eldest chick will be 3 days older than the youngest · When you consider Canaries can be fully feathered by around 18days old – they grow very rapidly, · So 3 days is a big difference in size.
· The older chicks will vie for food much more strongly than the younger one(s) and often the younger one either starves to death or is crushed. |