Breeding Canaries.

Light. Temperature. Food. Nest. Cage.

Breeding of canaries takes a little education. If you just put a pair of canaries in a cage with seed and water you're not going to get good results.

Your canaries will need daily care...good diet, fresh water, a clean canary breeding cage, etc.

Here are a few important factors when breeding canaries...

Canary Breeding Cage

A good breeding cage for canaries is the double breeding cage. It consists of a longer than normal size. The removable divider in the middle is helpful for keeping the male and female separate until ready to breed.

Warmth and lighting...

Your breeding canary's hormones are regulated by the amount of daylight entering through the eyes. As the days get longer and longer beginning at the end of winter your canaries will begin to think about breeding. Your canaries will need about 12 to 14 hours of light per day.

You can start your canary's breeding cycle early by using artificial light. Use a timer to turn lights on and off at the appropriate time.

I start at the beginning of January and have my lights come on at 5 am and shut off at 4 pm. Each week I set the timer to come on 30 minutes earlier until the lights are on from 4 am to 4 pm.

Then, as the days get longer I adjust the timer to come on later and later in the morning. In other words, in the late spring when the days are longer I let natural sunlight take over.

You don't want more than 14 hours of daylight. At 15 hours your canaries may begin the annual molt bringing your breeding season to a screeching halt.

Begin your breeding season by keeping your canary's living area between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nutrition...

The pet canary will eat about 10% of his body weight daily but breeding birds will require 25% of their body weight daily.

Provide plenty of fruits and vegetables during the breeding season. During the weeks leading up to mating provide egg food and millet for protein. A vitamin supplement added to the water is also a good idea during this time.

Use CanaryAdvisor.com’s “Three Day Breeding Feeding Cycle” for breeding canaries.

• On Day one feed ½ boiled egg
• On Day 2 feed a piece of apple
• On Day 3 feed greens
• Then on Day 4 start over again.

Nests and Nesting Materials...

Your breeding canaries will lay typically 3 to 6 eggs. The female will sit on the eggs for approximately 14 days while the male feeds her. Once the eggs hatch... the diet changes slightly...Click Here.

For more on breeding canaries I highly recommend
"The Canary Handbook"....click here.

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