Canaries are wonderful birds to keep indoors because they are easy to care for and do not suffer excessively from loneliness. However, it is not that simple to breed them, since it is necessary to plan the process, have the appropriate equipment and specific feed, but also have a good dose of luck. It is important to raise them correctly so that they live in a stress-free environment and have a better chance of reproducing. If you intend to raise these birds, do so only if you can take care of the chicks that will be born if they don't find another home.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preparing Canaries for Mating
Step 1. Buy what you need to breed them
In addition to the basic equipment you should already have for your birds, you will need a large cage in which to raise the canaries, a nest in which the female can lay her eggs, and the material the female will use to build the nest. You will probably also need a lamp to illuminate the cage if there is less than 14 hours of light a day in the place where you live.
- There are special cages on the market for raising birds that allow the male and female to get used to each other, without allowing them to come into contact. They carry a divider in the center which can be removed when the breeder is ready to allow the canaries to mate.
- The nests for the reproduction of canaries are sold in animal husbandry shops. If you buy a pre-made nest, you will also need to buy the material that your birds will be able to add to the pre-made nest.
Step 2. Keep canaries separate until mating
Except for the active mating phase, canaries must each be kept in their own cage. There is a risk that the male will be aggressive and kill the female if the female is not ready for mating. Their cages can still be kept in the same room.
Step 3. Look for signs of the start of the mating period
Usually, the breeding season is during the spring; in fact, these birds prefer to mate when the temperature is around 21 ° C and there are about 14 hours of light per day. It is possible to reproduce these conditions indoors in order to promote mating. Males and females behave differently when they are ready to breed.
- Normally, male canaries enter lovemaking earlier than females. Signs that they are ready include: lowering your wings as they sing, singing more shrill and louder; they may dance around the perch or appear more territorial when there are other males nearby.
- When in heat, the females begin to tear the paper more often to prepare the nest. The surest sign that they are ready to mate, however, is indicated by the area around their opening, which turns red and swollen. They can also raise their tails and crouch when males are nearby.
Step 4. Place the male and female close to each other, but not in the same cage
Place the cages side by side or place both birds in a special mating aviary with a central divider, which allows them to get used to each other's presence. Their behavior will tell you if they are ready.
Step 5. Add a nest on the side where the female is
If you use a large cage instead of a special one for breeding, just place the nest in the female's cage. When the latter begins to add the material to build the nest, it means that it is ready for mating.
Step 6. Administer an appropriate diet
Canaries should have a special diet during the nesting period consisting of enriched seeds, soft foods and calcium supplements a couple of weeks before mating until they feed their chicks. We recommend cuttlefish bones and grit (composed of chopped oyster shells) for the female, which promote the intake of calcium useful for the production of healthy eggs. These special foods are sold by companies that produce pet supplies.
Part 2 of 2: Dealing with Canaries Reproduction
Step 1. Merge the male and female once you see the signs of their readiness to reproduce
They will likely exchange a few kisses and the female will start arranging nest building materials. If both are in heat, the male and female will begin kissing through the bars of the partition, touching each other's beak. It can happen immediately or maybe after a few days that the canaries have been approached. When they are ready to breed, you can put them in the same cage.
Check if they fight. If they start to attack, pull them apart immediately and see if there are any signs that they are still in heat. However, mating stages can trigger some aggression, so make sure it's a fight before you separate them
Step 2. Pay attention to reproductive behavior
It will begin when the male courts the female. Once she is ready, she crouches down, communicating her will. Then the male mounts the female several times, quickly.
Step 3. Look for the eggs in the nest
The female could generate 2 to 6 eggs. It lays one egg per day, usually in the morning. Canary chicks normally hatch their eggs within 14 days; they should do it without help.
Step 4. Keep the chicks with their parents until they start eating on their own, usually about 3 weeks after birth
At first the mother stays with them all the time, while the father brings food to the partner. Then, little by little, the father takes on the responsibility of feeding them, making sure they have enough food to feed themselves. Once the chicks begin to eat on their own and have acquired the plumage that allows them to fly, you can remove them from the cage they are in.
