Canary care

If you have recently acquired or are planning to soon get a canary you should learn all you can about the care of this bird. Some areas of care you will want to consider are the caging, cleaning, feeding and interaction required.

For one bird the cage does not have to be large. It should be at least two feet by three feet. For two birds the cage should be a little larger. The cage should have plastic that comes up two or three inches from the bottom of the cage. This will stop the seed hulls and droppings from falling on the floor.

The cage is small enough to put almost anywhere, but should be somewhere that is away from direct sunlight and drafts. It should also be in a much used room so that the bird will have many opportunities for interaction. It will be able to watch people even when they are not playing with it. This will make the canary less lonesome.

The cage will need to be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week. You can let the bird out to fly around the house during this time. Take out all the toys and wash them. Wash the feed containers and the cage. Change the liner in the bottom of the cage.

You should aid the bird in grooming itself by spraying it daily with a fine mist of water. This should be done in the morning so that the bird will be dry by the time it starts to get cold in the late day and evening. Also check to see if the bird needs its claws trimmed. Hold the bird in one hand with one claw between your ring finger and your thumb; clip it to just below the blood vessel with the other hand. Then move onto the next claw. A Cuttlefish bone tied to the side of the cage will give the bird calcium while also helping to keep the beak trim.

You can buy many kinds of bird food at your local pet store. Look for one with a lot of grass seed, a little oil seed and some citrus. These mixtures will contain all the nutrients you canary will need. Keep the food in a covered container to keep it from getting spoiled. This will also keep it away from bugs. Fill a couple of containers that attach to the side of the birdcage wires. The bird will eat from these throughout the day. It will crack the seeds and leave the hull, which will need to be cleaned out daily.

The bird will probably also appreciate some fresh food such as lettuce, dandelion leaves, grated carrots and millet spray. Just make sure to remove any uneaten portion daily.

A bird that is kept by itself can get lonely. A lonely bird that is lonely will probably get sick and may even die. So it is important the bird isn’t lonely. You can of course buy two birds, but it is possible to have just one that is perfectly happy. First get the bird a few toys. Show him with your fingers how to use these toys. The best toy is a mirror that the bird will probably stand in front of and sing too, thinking it needs to entertain this other bird. Occasionally you may want to alternate toys, by replacing one of the existing toys with a new one. You can cycle the toys every couple of weeks. Don’t put too many toys in the cage as this may overwhelm the bird.

Also the bird will need a little human attention each day. You can take it out and talk to it. You can even teach it to speak by repeating the same word over and over. The bird should have at least ten minutes of free flying time each day. Make sure your house is safe and keep an eye on the bird while it is out. It is fun to be entertained by a little canary flying around your living room.