Canaries: breed description, keeping and breeding rules

Among domestic bird species, canaries occupy a special place. These birds have a unique voice, variegated color and are not very picky about keeping at home. In this material you will find a description of the main breeds of canaries, as well as the rules for their maintenance and breeding.

Canaries are one of the varieties of domesticated birds from the Vyurkov family, whose homeland is the Canary and Azores. These birds have a colorful and bright plumage, can grow up to 23 cm in length and usually do not gain more than 50 grams in weight.

In the natural environment, canaries live in dense deciduous forests, groves, and prefer to nest in areas with a height of more than 1,500 meters above sea level. The diet of wild cenars includes fruits of fruit trees, plant seeds and some insects.

The content of canaries has its positive and negative points.

Pros.

• Most canary species are very small birds that do not require large cages or enclosures to contain. In addition, small birds eat small portions of food.
• Canaries can be considered one of the most talented birds in the world - their singing is not just beautiful: it is multi-level, iridescent and very loud.
• Among the canaries there are not only talented “singers”, but also incredibly bright and beautiful birds. Many breeders grow these birds precisely because of their non-standard plumage.
• Canaries are very restless, sociable and incredibly social birds. They are never bored with them - in many families canaries become full-fledged members of the family along with other animals like cats and dogs.

Minuses.

• The main disadvantage of keeping any birds is a large amount of garbage, feathers and excrement. This forces the owners of the canaries to regularly clean the cages and premises where the birds are.
• Male canaries have excellent hearing and a very loud voice, which can distract from watching movies or interfere with children sleeping. At the same time, to get beautiful melodies of canaries, you need to specifically teach using regular listening to other birds singing. If the kenar is not trained in singing, then he will simply make loud, creaky and annoying sounds. Usually poor singing is distinguished by decorative canaries.
• As already mentioned, canaries are very social birds, and therefore they constantly need attention. These birds are not recommended to be left alone in the apartment for a long time.
• If you are going to buy a decorative breed of canaries, then be prepared that such birds will need to be regularly tinted to maintain their rich and bright color.
• Useful curiosity is not about canaries. These birds are not only restless and active, but also like to stick their beaks everywhere. If you let the canary fly around the apartment, then you must close all windows and doors, remove all containers with liquids, all chemicals and any human food.

Not all nurseries and even professional breeders record the age of their canaries and report it during the transfer to private hands. Unfortunately, without documents and a passport, the age of such birds is quite difficult to determine.

To determine the age, you need to pay attention to the beak, legs and plumage of the bird, as well as its behavior. In young canaries, the beak and legs are pink, smooth and not covered with characteristic scales.

When buying a well-kept bird from a private breeder, determining age is even more difficult - old and adult canaries with careful care may not have scales, and a balanced diet of even adult birds can make active.

Canaries usually live no longer than 10 years in a natural environment, but some species, with proper care and nutrition, can survive up to 12-15 years.

Currently, researchers isolate about 100 varieties of canaries, but only some of them are grown at home. Below will be presented the most popular varieties and breeds of these birds.

• Colored. This group includes all breeds of canaries with non-standard and variegated flowers in plumage: yellow (lemon-colored birds up to 17 cm long and weighing up to 40 grams), white (German and English breeds stand out here - the plumage is lilac in the first, the second on at the bend of the wing there is yellowness), red (this includes birds of red, orange and mosaic color), ivory (plumage of ivory with a pinkish tint), as well as rocks with red eyes (or albinos).

• Melanin. This includes all breeds with a non-continuous or non-standard color: green (lemon abdomen, black head and dark wings), gray (look like sparrows with a gray breast and orange beak), black (all breeds of bronze, copper and maroon), brown (birds from cream to chestnut tones), as well as isabella species (pink or colorful plumage of the “swallow” type).

• Decorative. In this series, researchers identified all birds that are valued for their non-standard appearance (usually it is curly or swirling plumage). The most famous breeds are curly Meninger, northern curly, Swiss curly and Italian curly.

• Humpbacked. This includes all the birds in which the head is lowered below the shoulders in a relaxed position and the body is elongated in a vertical line. Usually these are yellowish or white birds. Breeds: Belgian, Munich, Scottish and Japanese.

• Crested. Here are all breeds of canaries with a characteristic withers on the crown, which was formed due to experiments on the increase in plumage. The most famous breeds: Gloucester, Lancashire, German and English.

• Curly. In this variety can be attributed to all individuals of canaries, which have a smooth, beautiful and contour plumage. Popular breeds: Swiss, Spanish decorative, Norwich, Canary Border, as well as Yorkshire.

It is best to buy canaries in nurseries where you can observe their behavior. For certain reasons, you can choose for yourself a healthy, talented and active canary.

• A healthy kenar always behaves actively and cheerfully - it does not sit still, but actively moves around the cage, communicates with other birds and from time to time pecks food from feeders.
• Pay attention to the bird's eyes - in healthy individuals they are always open, and in patients, the eyelids are closed, while it can sit in one place and have a frizzy look.
• A healthy canary has a smooth and tight-fitting plumage - you should not believe the words of the breeder about the beginning of the molting period.
• Even if the canary actively jumps, flies and plays, her breathing remains even and calm. Only in cases of aggression and fear, the bird’s breathing quickens and the beak opens slightly.
• Inspect the condition of the paws of the bird - in young individuals they should be pinkish, without scales and growths. These signs indicate a serious illness or advanced age of the bird.
• The litter of a healthy canary should be dense and solid, in no case liquid.
• When choosing a singing kenar, it would be worthwhile to first listen to how he sings, and then to buy an individual. The tunes of canaries are very different, and not all of them will be pleasing to the human hearing.

Canaries are considered an ideal bird for beginners - they are sociable, accept almost any food and are undemanding for maintenance in a private house or apartment.

When keeping cenars, you need to be puzzled by the purchase of a high-quality and fairly spacious cage. The material of its manufacture in this case is not important (there may be both wooden and metal models), however, it is better to abandon polymer cells. Optimum sizes - 30 cm in height, 35 in length, 20 in width.

Be sure to place a container of water in the cage where the bird could sometimes swim - Canaries just love to take baths. As for the location of the cage with the bird, it is best to choose a well-lit and ventilated place without drafts and direct sunlight. In addition, the cage with the bird must always be in the field of vision of a person.

Thoroughly clean your pet's cage at least 2 times a week. Metal models are most easily scalded with boiling water and dried.

Poultry nutrition should be not only balanced, but also timely and varied. Try to feed your canary at a specific time every day. In this case, the diet of the bird should not consist of a certain feed, which must be regularly supplemented with fruits.

Try to give your feathered friend more time.

Proper and balanced nutrition improves the plumage of birds, strengthens their immunity and prolongs life expectancy. The canary diet should include 3 food groups.

• Cereals. The canary organism perfectly absorbs almost all cereals. Wheat, barley, corn, buckwheat, rice, millet and oats are suitable for it.
• Oilseeds. This group includes foods high in healthy fats and oils: rapeseed, chestnut, acorn, as well as bran, sunflower seeds, and nuts.
• Fresh. This group includes products of plant origin - fruits rich in vitamins: apricots, grapes, cherries, apples, peaches. Vegetables useful for canaries are cabbage, celery tubers, spinach leaves, bell peppers and carrots. If we talk about dried fruits, then, as a top dressing or goodies, raisins, prunes, dates, dried apricots and figs are sometimes added to the canary food. Canaries also absorb fruit juices, but with an extremely small percentage of sugar.

To products that unsuitable for canary use, include fruits that are high in fat, starch and sugar. In addition, vegetables and fruits with a high level of acidity are also included here.

From fruits and vegetables to canaries It is forbidden to give potatoes in any form, persimmon, mango, papaya, avocado, as well as herbs - parsley, dill and basil. In addition to fruits and vegetables, the diet also there should be no salted, pickled, boiled and fried foods.

In the cold winter and autumn seasons, the organism of canaries is at serious risk, which is why at this time the diet of these birds should include twigs of fruit or deciduous trees. Young branches of apple, alder, cherry, birch, mountain ash, linden, raspberry, currant, willow, aspen and alder are perfect for them. As a vitamin top dressing of animal origin, fish oil, cottage cheese with a small percentage of fat content, boiled eggs, honey and special top dressing from dried insects can act.

To avoid this problem and not to provoke feathered obesity, you need to determine a strict daily feed rate for them. As a rule, for one adult canary, you need at least 1.5 teaspoon of grain feed every day. This amount may vary slightly depending on the breed, age and health status of the bird. Increased appetite in canaries is observed during molting, as well as during nesting and feeding of chicks.

From time to time, soft food is added to the canary menu. It can be a mixture of half hard-boiled yolk and one teaspoon of crackers or semolina, you can also add a few poppy seeds here.

Fruits and vegetables are added to the diet of canaries in the form of chopped thin slices. Usually they are placed in cages on metal hooks, from where birds can peck them. After eating, all food is immediately removed from the cage. Otherwise, birds can eat spoiled foods.

An important element of the canary food is clean and fresh water. It is necessary for birds not only for food, but also for beautiful singing, as well as swimming. For drinking, both ordinary filtered tap water (or settled water) and special bottled water for canaries are suitable.

If you want to change the diet of the bird or completely change the main feed, then the transition should take place gradually. Increase the amount of new feed in the canary diet daily. If you buy birds from your hands, then be sure to ask what used to include their menu.

Some people prefer to catch canaries rather than buying them in nurseries. The most important moment during the taming of wild canaries is that you need to constantly communicate with birds and devote as much time to them as possible. In addition, be sure to give your bird a name and constantly repeat it when accessing it. Create the most natural conditions for the life of the bird in the cage. There must be present toys, poles, on which the bird could sit down and sing, it would be nice to establish a warm and cozy nest in the cage.

In the early days, the canaries will be very scared of you and react negatively to sudden movements and loud sounds. Especially during harvesting, try not to make a loud noise and do not gesticulate. As soon as the bird gets used to you a little, you can try to feed the canary directly from your hands. For this place a little food on your palm and gently bring it to the bird.

If the bird dares to eat from your palm, it can be released for a short time to fly around the room. Such rare walks will greatly improve the mood of the bird and make it more cheerful, improve appetite. When walking, be sure to close all the windows and doors tightly.

At birth, the chicks of the canaries are almost identical and have no gender differences, however, over time, sexual dimorphism is still expressed in several factors.

• Typically, female canaries have a slightly shorter tail than males.
• Male canaries are distinguished by loud, multi-stage and iridescent singing. In addition, while singing, their goiter is characteristically inflated. Females usually make short and monosyllabic sounds.
• During the nesting period, females are actively engaged in the creation of a nest, while males most often just look after their spouses: they bring them food and sing.

The best time for mating and nesting birds are considered April or May. For this, healthy and active individuals older than 1 year are always selected. If you want to breed singing Kenars, pay attention to the male’s voice in a pair - the singing talent is inherited by the chicks.

The female hatches eggs for about 2 weeks, at this time the male is nearby and sings to her, brings food and in every way entertains her. During this period, the female needs a balanced diet with the obligatory presence in the diet of boiled eggs with crushed breadcrumbs.

About a month after the birth of the offspring, the chicks are planted in new cells and grown separately. They are fed with special grain mixtures, while the conditions of their maintenance remain standard. At this time, one should not expect singing from the kenars - it appears only for 2 years of life.

About the breeding of canaries, see the video.

Usually canaries are not advised to be kept in the same cage with birds of other species - in this case, there is a struggle for territory, the attention of the owner, and even for food. Most often, breeders try to hook budgerigars or carduelis to the canaries, but such experiments rarely end in success.

Besides, these birds need a completely different diet, in other vitamins and conditions. I must say that a lot depends on the nature of your canary - if it calmly treats birds in other cages and does not tease pets, then as an experiment, you can try to populate these birds to each other and breed them.

So that the canary does not feel sad during the absence of the owner and always knows what to do, it is imperative to put several toys in the cage to the bird - a small mirror, bells, special houses, as well as perches on which the birds will rest and play.

A healthy canary never sits in one place for a long time, and entertainment helps it to pour out energy, develop muscles and strengthen immunity.