Canary Care
The Basics Of Canary Care
Canary care is not particularly difficult. As with any pet, there are some things that need to be attended to, and you never want to neglect your pet. The canary, Serinus canaria, is a member of the finch family. It is a solitary bird, so you neither need nor want to have more than one in a cage. The canary is perfectly happy being by itself. When properly cared for, a pet canary can live for 10 years or more.
The basics of canary care can be broken down into housing and environment, food and water, cleanliness, and avoidance of pests or disease. Canaries are quite happy being in a cage as long as it is of sufficient size, and the cage is all its own. Put two canaries in a cage together and they will fight. The only exception is for a brief time when breeding. To the canary, the cage is its home, the one place it feels secure. By letting the canary out of its cage for "exercise", you are usually not doing it any favor. If its cage is large enough, it will get all the exercise it needs. A wire cage is best, as it is easiest to keep clean. Cages made of bamboo, wicker, or other types of wood, can be difficult to clean thoroughly, and can harbor germs and bacteria.
Newspaper is the traditional flooring for bird cages, most breeders use it. Newspaper does the job, and is inexpensive, as it should be changed out on a daily basis. Never use anything like pet litter; it can be very toxic to the bird. There will need to be a perch or two, and perhaps a swing in the cage. The tendency is use a round dowel as perch or swing material. If the surface is smooth, it will stress the bird as tries to stay balanced. Perches should either be square in cross-section, or if round, have a rough surface. The length of a cage is more important than its height, as canaries would rather fly horizontally than vertically. Traditional canary cages often are higher than they are long, the other way is actually better.
While the canary is a relatively hardy little bird, it will be at its best when kept at around room temperature, in the low to mid-70's. Avoid the temptation to put the cage outside on a nice summer day. Mosquitoes take a liking to canaries, and can spread diseases fatal to the bird. The bird is better off being kept in familiar surroundings. Covering the cage at night will help ensure that the bird gets the sleep and rest it needs, and if necessary, place the cage in a room in the house that is relatively quiet. Canaries can become startled by sudden loud noises, which can result in illness and even sudden death.
Canaries do best when having water in a small bowl. The water should be changed out daily, as an open dish will tend to collect debris fairly quickly. Hanging water bottles do not work well for canaries. Canaries will eat a variety of foods, mainly seeds and vegetables, but you can use canary food purchased in the pet store or supermarket as their primary source of food. An occasional supplement of fruits and vegetable greens will be appreciated by your little friend. Freshly sprouted seeds, a slice of apple, or small sunflower seeds, are the makings of a good meal. Canaries need protein, so check the label on its commercial pet food box, or give it an occasion bit of hard-boiled egg. Canaries also need minerals and grit, and a piece of cuttlebone, which you can get at a pet store, attached to the side of the cage is an excellent way to provide them. It's very important to make certain that canaries have food and water in their cage at all times.
You'll want to have both a clean bird and a clean cage to keep disease and infection at bay. Place a bowl of water, deep enough for the bird to splash around in, in the cage a couple of times a week. The canary will take care of its own bathing. Besides keeping the cage clean, you'll want to spray it, and the bird, with an insecticide. Monthly is best. A .05% solution of Pyrethrin is safe for the bird, and effective against mites, flies and lice. If the bird becomes infected from mites, or from any other source, it should be taken to a veterinarian immediately. Ivermectin is usually effective as a treatment, but should be administered by the vet. If you keep the cage clean, and your pet well fed and bathed, and supplied with fresh water, you should have few if any problems, and can look forward to quite a few years of beautiful canary singing.