Canary Mating Method

How to mate canary

Canary birds are easy to breed compared to other birds, and female canaries are less expensive. Because they do not sing, but in any case, good types of them must be chosen for mating and some other things should be taken into account, according to the following:

Choosing the right birds for mating

Suitable birds for mating can be chosen according to the following:

Choose young birds with good plumage, not plucked feathers.
Choosing good canary males, which are active and constantly singing.
Choose active females, who can be an incubator mother, so that they can build the nest and put hay in it, or they may lay their eggs in open dishes.
Be careful not to breed two birds, male and female, that have the same type of feathers, as if they both have soft feathers. This can cause infection or disease of feather cysts, and it is preferable to breed a crested bird with another that is not crested. Soft feathers can be distinguished by their light appearance, while hard feathers fill the back of the bird and have a darker color.
Choosing a female canary at the age of 7 months, and a male at the age of 9 months, until the first year of age; It is the most suitable age for mating.

Choosing the right time for mating

In the countries of the Middle East, the canary mating period starts from late February and early March, and continues until the end of July, and the period may be longer or shorter depending on the climate, as it is linked to the spring season.

As the reproductive cycle of the canary is closely related to light, as it begins the mating phase when it knows that the day is long and the night is short, so we must not expose the canaries to artificial light during periods of sexual rest.

Because there are some breeders who deliberately expose canary birds to light, in order to get eggs faster, but this process is confusing to their body system, and therefore it is harmful.

The remembrance

The presence of the male and female in the cage together, and at the time specified above, indicates that mating will take place, and then the male begins to tweet or sing, then he dances and swings from side to side while he sings spinning songs and extends his head towards the female.

the female

The activity increases significantly in the female through movement and flight in all directions, and she continues to clap her wings with each other even when she lands on the floor of the cage, and when she hears the courtship of the male, she takes the pollination position, by lowering her body so that it touches the stalk or the ground, and raises her tail and head to the highest extent, and this is an indication Preparing for vaccination.

And when she is fully ready to mate, all the feathers will be removed from her stomach until her anus, as the female must be placed in the mating cage a week before the actual marriage, to get used to it.

Providing proper food

Care must be taken to provide good food for the canary birds during the mating period, which is as follows:

Protein foods and seeds

Canary birds need a high level of protein in their diet during their breeding seasons, as the wild canary reproduces when the spring rains germinate the seeds that it feeds on, and these seeds can be kept in the refrigerator, and the breeder can plant and pick the seeds himself.

Hard-boiled eggs

Boiled eggs can be served to the canaries, after removing the inedible shells from them. As the bird needs calcium in large quantities during the mating season, in addition to providing eggs daily to the parents after the hatching of the young canaries.

vegetables

Canaries should be fed fresh vegetables daily during the breeding season.

Provide adequate lighting

It is important to place canaries in cages that have access to light from all sides. This is done by providing them with light devices and setting them to specific times, with increasing the lighting time every day by a few minutes until the lighting period reaches 12 hours per day.

Make sure to have a small night light if using the timer. So that the birds are not surprised by the change of lighting, and to prevent them from being harmed while trying to find each other at night.

Provide nests and nesting material

During the canary mating period, nests must be provided according to the following conditions:

Providing open basins for nesting, which can be plastic (available in pet stores), then hung next to the cage from the back, making sure that the nest is accessible; To be able to observe the chicks when they hatch.
Install a small pad in the bottom of the nest bowl; The birds may not be able to build their nest well, and therefore the eggs will not have a good incubation and a suitable temperature.
Placing natural nesting materials such as cotton, shredded paper, dried lint, or commercial grass material, as well as being careful not to place nests made of fiber, polystyrene, or nylon; So that the feet of the canary do not get tangled and the latter loses one of its feet.

mating stage

The canary mating stage begins in the second half of March; So the female begins to build the nest in open cups, her food dish, or any good place, and at this stage, the male canary begins to flirt with his female, and if she is ready to mate, she will bow down and mate within one day.

The singing and dancing of the male canary also increases if it is ready for mating, in addition to the swelling, bending and widening of the ventilation opening, as well as its movement and activity in the cage, along with the fall of its wings and the increase in the luster of its feathers.

After mating, the female lays 4-5 eggs dotted with blue, green, or brown, then incubates them until small canaries emerge from them.

Dealing with canary eggs

The egg is taken from the cage until it is examined and known that it is fertilized or not, and it is placed to be kept in a safe place while avoiding scratching it, and when the female finishes laying all the eggs, all the eggs are returned to the cage so that hatching occurs together at the same time.

Before laying all the eggs, the cage must be cleaned, and the eggs returned so as not to disturb the female during the natural incubation period, which lasts from 12-14 days. Transfer it to another female, or leave it to help the female and her chicks, and feed the female while she is in the ovary.

Upon hatching, the male begins to sing loudly and remains in a state of constant movement in the cage, and the breeder must not disturb the birds and remove them from their cages. Because it may lead to the death of the chicks, as a result of the mother’s annoyance and not feeding her chicks.

Feeding the chicks

Small canaries depend on their parents for the first three weeks, and it is preferable to put easy and small food for the mother to feed her young, including boiling an egg for ten minutes, then grinding it into small atoms and placing it within the reach of the mother, and making sure that the food is little and sufficient; So that it does not cause satiation for the young, which leads to the accumulation of fat in it.

Conditions for canary marriage

For canary mating, certain conditions must be met, most notably the following:

Provide a medium-sized or slightly larger cage that is separated or divided into two parts.
The cage should contain a suitable trough or bucket and be lined with burlap or feathers; To bleach a female canary.
Avoid getting married during the plucking period. That is, the period of lack of feathers during which the canary is tired physically and psychologically, and cannot mate during it.
Provide a female canary smaller than the male in age and size; to be able to control them during mating.
Ensure that the feathers are replaced; And this is through the appearance of tail feathers and the completion of feathers on the wings.
Ensure that the canary birds are free from any defects, whether congenital or medical, such as leg cuts, leg scales, or swelling under the feathers.

Distinguish between male and female canaries

Canaries are almost identical; Therefore, it is difficult to distinguish between males and females, but there are some common methods of discrimination for those who wish to breed canaries , which we explain in the following table:

Type	the shape	Feather color	Bird behavior during mating period	Canary reactions	Canary movement
Male canary	Bigger and leaner	Its plumage is more colorful and eye-catching	The male will try to feed the female, and if the two birds are males, they will act aggressively in the cage	The male will be alarmed when tapping on the nest by looking down and flicking his tail	When the canary is placed on a towel or handkerchief, it will continue to move
female canary	smaller	Their colors are a little duller and less noticeable	The female will prepare her nest in preparation for mating and reproduction	The female will not show any reaction when the nest is tapped	Less movement than the male when placed on a towel