Return to Home Page

Breeding Tips

            Buying and selection of canaries:

	Select birds that are active and alert.  If you do not know how to select them ask the breeder if you can bring someone along with you to help you.  Some breeders might be concerned about letting more than one person into the breeding area.  Asked them for permission.
	Buy birds from a reputable breeder, one that takes the time to explain things thoroughly, wins at shows and has a clean bird room… you decide that.
	Purchase two pairs if you can, trios are for the more advanced breeders… still not recommended.

          Compatibility:

	Your birds are to get along and the right breeding equipment as well as the quantity of it will help you to have a smooth breeding season.
	Physiological compatibility is to be observed, i.e., size, proportion to each other and any other aspect that you may consider to ensure breeding the best
	You should have two of everything, i.e., perches, nests, drinkers, treat cups, feeders, etc.

          Pairing:

	Pair birds of the same breed, color depending upon the breed.
	Ensure that one is hard feather and the other soft feather to achieve feather quality
	You should wait until the male and the female feed each other through the wire.
	Supply a nest and nestling material to the female…yes, two nests, let her pick one instead of a feeder.
	When starting to build a nest the following day let the male in into her compartment or simply remove the divider and give them room
	Ensure a bath for both, yes… two tubs…remember two of everything

           Egg laying:

	When the hen lays an egg, remove it and replace it with a plastic egg. Each day, check for new eggs and keep replacing them with plastic ones.  Keep all eggs in a safety place.  On the day you do not find new eggs, remove the plastic eggs and replace them with the hen's eggs.  Record the date.
	Incubating usually takes 13 to 14 days.   Be on the look out of shells on the cage tray as this indicate eggs have started to hatch.  Ensure nestling food is supplied.
	Record birth of the birds and the quantity for your records.
	Finding broken eggs, is very frustrating and here are some possible reasons and solutions…
	When the nest is not big enough, do get a bigger nest, specially for large type canaries
	New hens sometimes break eggs for many reasons, one being really not knowing where it goes, so place a plastic egg in most likely the rest would be laid safely in the nest.  Also new hens tend to be not quite in condition to breed, so ensure that the proper diet is available at all times.
	If males or females are breaking the eggs, the plastic egg will help as a deterrent for who is breaking the egg will soon give up since it can not lift or break the plastic egg and you will find that the next day egg is in the nest but you are to remove it and ad another plastic egg until she finishes laying
	Another solution is to remove perches and anything the hen can stand on, that has height,  hens tend to lay from wherever they stand if not returning to the nest to do so.
	By lowering the nest to the floor and set it on top of a cloth the hen lays the egg on the nest, wire or the cloth thus saving  the egg.

                                                    Keep in touch, we will have more breeding tips soon....                    go to David's Articles

Return to Home Page