Fans of bird singing like a canary, keeping and caring for such a feathered friend is a special responsibility. Melodious voice, colorful plumage, the ability to duplicate different sounds brought her world fame. Good care and proper maintenance will help to have a cheerful and cheerful songwriter in the house.
Canary birds - species
Feathered belong to the order of passerines, they come from the Canary Islands. Breeders brought out a huge number of their species with a variety of colors and manner of singing. Bird canary has a body size of 12-14 cm, often has a yellow color. There are three main types:
- Songs. Represent the greatest interest for fans. The basics of the songs are knees that resemble the murmur of the water, deaf peals, gurgling, bubbling, the sound of a flute, a bell or bell, nightingale trills. The most famous among the choristers are the German harz roller, the Belgian malinois, the Spanish timbrados and the Russian oatmeal. Males sing more beautifully than females.
- Colored. They have different colors - yellow, brick, orange, brownish, gray, from monophonic to variegated.
- Decorative. They are distinguished by a different shape of the hull, plumage and dimensions - they include humpbacked, curly, crested, figured, painted species.
How many years do canaries live at home?
On average , the life expectancy of canaries at home is 10 years, with perfect care the bird can reach a 15-year boundary. The fundamental factors of long life are quality food and a suitable environment. In the old days it was believed that singing signals the health of the songer. The more beautiful and longer the trills, the more comfortable the feathered friend lives in captivity.
Canary - conditions of detention
Feathered need care from the owner. The content of canaries at home is most comfortable in small cells. They are placed in bright places where there are no drafts and scorching sun rays. Canary - maintenance and care:
- placing them together with other brethren (especially with large ones) in the same room is undesirable - the singers are very shy;
- are strongly afraid of feathered catching, sudden movements, screaming. From this they are stressed and can die;
- the bird is let out to fly around the room. At the same time, the windows are curtained with a cloth, hides the basins with water, so that the pet does not drown, as well as hot irons and pans;
- For the night, the dwelling can be covered with a dense cloth, so that the pet is not disturbed by extraneous noise;
- a light day for them should be 14-16 hours - then the birds eat well and sing. If the birds are kept in shaded places, they do not have time to eat the daily rate of feed, they drop feathers. In winter, singers include lamps that provide additional lighting.
Canary - content temperature
In a room where canaries live, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of 16-18 ° C, it is better to arrange the cage so that the birds do not lack lack of fresh air. Great humidity, a sharp change of heat and cold are dangerous for the body of birds - they can be sick. Therefore, keeping canaries in the kitchen is not recommended. In summer, it is advisable to move the birds to the loggia or to the garden - they like to take air baths.
Cage for keeping canaries
To accommodate a single bird you need a small metal cage with dimensions of 45x30x25 cm. The dwelling for the breeding of individuals should be more - 70x30x40 cm. The shape of the house is better to choose square or rectangular - in the circular shelter the singer feels unprotected. A canary cage must contain the following equipment:
- Retractable tray. It helps to clean and not hinder the bird during the procedure. Otherwise, the pet is stressed and worried.
- River sand. They put on the bottom of the dwelling, it promotes excellent digestion.
- Drinking bowls with a diameter of 10 cm and a height of 5 cm.
- Three feeders. For grain, mineral make-up and soft food.
- 2-3 perches with a diameter of 1-1.5 cm from the branches of fruit trees, which must first be doused with boiling water.
- A flat bowl for bathing. Singers love water sessions. The bath is attached from the outside of the cage, after each procedure it is removed.
How to care for a canary at home?
A lot of care does not require a roomy canary, care and maintenance consist in feeding, disinfecting the home. Without proper cleaning of the dwelling, the songman can become sick and die. Care of canaries at home should be as follows:
- Drinkers and feeders are washed daily and wiped dry;
- Once a week, the cage is cleaned with a detergent;
- Once a month the dwelling and inventory are disinfected with kerosene;
- water is changed 2 times a day;
- bathe feathers twice a week, in the vessel should be fresh water;
- The dirt from the perches should be removed with a knife and hot water.
Canary - maintenance and care of birds:
- the tips of the claws to the animals are shortened with manicure forceps by 2 mm as they grow;
- In July - September the bird molts, while it may stop singing. At this time, she needs care - enriched with vitamins of the menu and an abundance of sun rays. Birds are placed on a balcony or in a summer aviary.
What can I feed a canary at home?
Feeding canaries at home is not difficult, the basic part of their menu is grain - seeds, oat flakes, flax seeds or dry mixes that are in the specialized department. The daily volume is 1-1.5 tsp for one individual (in the molting season - 2 tsp). Periodically, the menu introduces boiled porridge - rice, millet, mixed with grated carrots, chicken eggs, bread crumbs.
Suitable for mineral fertilizing are shells, chalk, calcium gluconate, charcoal. Additionally give green feeds:
- foliage of lettuce, spinach;
- parsley;
- apples;
- cabbage;
- Bulgarian pepper.
Diseases of canaries, their treatment
With poor care and nutrition, birds can become sick. Diseases of canaries - symptoms and treatment:
- Inflammation of the eyes. It appears as secretions, eyelids are washed with a solution of boric acid or infusion of chamomile, in severe cases, antibiotics should be prescribed.
- Diarrhea. Diarrhea occurs after an overabundance of soft food. Care is to use strong tea, activated charcoal, antibiotics with boiled water (supranal, terramycin).
- Cold. It manifests as a cough, shortness of breath, nasal secretions and dull eyes. Treatment is carried out by infrared radiation, heat, drinking with antibiotics.
- Obesity. When overeating, the singers become inactive, they do not moult well. We need to provide them a diet - a week on the millet, to give the opportunity to fly.
- Smallpox. A dangerous virus, it is recognized by yellowish knots on the head, intermittent breathing. The bird is planted, the house is disinfected, there is no chance to save the pet. As a preventive vaccination.
- Diseases of the feet. They show white growths on the legs. Legs are lubricated with streptocid or tar grease.
- Ticks. Birds constantly clean feathers, weaken. Derived with insecticides.
Reproduction of canaries at home
Before breeding canaries at home, they select a pair of vigorous and mobile birds at the age of 1-4 years. They are strengthened by feeding, give eggs 2-3 times a week, a lot of greens. In the house for mating put straws, grass to build a nest and put a couple. A week later, the female will begin to lay one egg a day (there will be 3-5 in all), incubating them. The chicks appear on the thirteenth day. The mother begins to feed them with egg food. On day 10 they open their eyes, on 12 - feathers unfold, at 18 - they leave the nest. In a month it is already possible to distinguish females from males.