Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Set up the cage
• Part 2 of 3: Feed Your Canary Properly
• Part 3 of 3: Keeping the Environment and Canary Healthy
• What do you need

Canaries are social birds with colorful plumage and are native to the Canary Islands. Canaries live 10-15 years, although there are cases when they lived up to 20 years. These are unpretentious birds that are quite easy to care for. Read the basic rules for caring for canaries, and you will surely make friends with your cheerful pet.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Set up the cage

1. 1 Get a spacious cage. Canaries love to fly from side to side, so they need a very wide, but not necessarily tall, cage. For one canary, a cage is about 40 centimeters high and 75 centimeters wide. The larger the cage, the better your pet will feel.
   • Place the cage in a well-lit area with adequate ventilation, but no drafts. Do not place the cage near doors and windows so that it is not exposed to direct sunlight, or it may become too hot in it. It is necessary to place the cage near the wall so that the canary feels safe.
   • Hang the cage or place it on a high stand so that it is about 180 centimeters above the floor.
2. 2 Install the perches. Purchase natural wood perches from the pet store and place them in the cage. Buy perches of different diameters to add variety to your pet's daily life. Since canaries like to fly horizontally rather than up or down, place the perches on opposite sides of the cage.
   • Some canaries like to swing. If your pet is one of them, make sure that the swinging perch does not hit the cage wall, otherwise the bird may be injured.
3. 3 Clean the cage regularly. Line the bottom of the cage with newspaper. Change newspaper and clean food and water bowls daily. Thoroughly wash the cage once a week with soap and water or bird cage disinfectant. Do not use bleach products.
   • Cleaning the cage is very important. Dirt in the cage increases the risk of various poultry diseases.

Part 2 of 3: Feed Your Canary Properly

1. 1 Change the water regularly. In the absence of water, the canary can die after 24 hours. Place a large plate in the cage and change the water regularly. For a canary, regular tap water is fine. However, if tap water is poor in your area, consider giving your bird bottled water.
2. 2 Feed the canary pellet of bird food. Granules are preferred over grains as they contain more protein and vitamins that your pet needs. However, if the canary has not been raised on such feed, it may refuse it. If this is the case, you can try to accustom the canary to pelleted feed, but you should do it slowly and carefully.
   • If you want to convert your canary to pellets, add some pellets to the grains and gradually, over 4-8 weeks, reduce the proportion of grains and increase the number of pellets. If the canary refuses to eat the pellets in this case, do not stop giving her the grains.
3. 3 Feed the canary with grains. While not the best source of nutrients for a canary, grains may be their favorite food. Feed your pet the canary grain mix available at the pet store. Give the bird about one teaspoon of the mixture a day.Canaries are not prone to overeating, so you can give them a little more food if you think you need it.
4. 4 Give the canary fruit and vegetables. A canary's daily diet should consist of about 20-25% of fruits and vegetables. Wash and chop a piece of fruit or vegetable very finely every day and place no more than a teaspoon on a separate plate. Try to vary the fruits and vegetables you give your bird.
   • Avocados are toxic to canaries, and lettuce is low in nutrients.
   • Suitable for canaries are apples, apricots, asparagus, bananas, beets, blueberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, cantaloupe and cantaloupe, carrots (roots and leaves), coconuts, corn, dates, figs, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, mango , nectarine, oranges, papaya, parsnips, peaches, pears, peas, bell peppers, pineapples, plums, pomegranates, pumpkin, raspberries, spinach, zucchini, strawberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, squash.
5. 5 Give your canary a protein meal. A grain-based diet usually fails to provide a canary with enough protein. To provide your pet with protein, give him a hard-boiled egg. Place the egg in boiling water for 15-20 minutes, then drain and wait for the egg to cool. Cut off small pieces of eggs and place them on a plate for extra meals twice a week.
   • A boiled egg spoils quickly. After 4–5 hours, remove the remaining egg from the cage.

Part 3 of 3: Keeping the Environment and Canary Healthy

1. 1 Make sure the canary doesn't get bored. To do this, place a toy or swinging perch in the cage. However, keep in mind that canaries are less inclined to play with toys than other birds. One toy will be enough not to litter the cage, otherwise it will be difficult for the canary to fly over it (this is very important).
   • In the wild, canaries love to tinker in wet grass. Place damp dandelion leaves or grass on the bottom of the cage to keep your pet entertained.
2. 2 Give the canary a swim. The canary must take care of itself by pouring lukewarm water into a shallow bowl. Place a bowl of water in the cage away from the perches. Plastic seedling trays work well. Wash this plate daily.
3. 3 Trim the canary's claws. To keep canaries healthy, they need to have their nails trimmed about twice a year. However, there is a blood vessel in each claw, and damage to it can cause bleeding and even pose a threat to the life of the bird. Talk to your veterinarian about how best to trim your nails. SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

   

   Pippa Elliott, MRCVS

   
   
   Veterinarian, Royal College of Veterinary Surgery Dr. Elliot, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal care. Graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in Veterinary Medicine and Surgery. Has been working in the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.

   Pippa Elliott, MRCVS
   Veterinarian, Royal College of Veterinary Surgery

   Pippa Elliot, an experienced veterinarian, advises: “Small birds like canaries are more prone to stress when clipping their claws. Take the bird in your arms and touch it, and then it will be much easier for it to cope with trimming its claws. "

4. 4 Cover the cage overnight. Canaries prefer to sleep in the dark. If the house has light and background noise, cover the cage at night with a towel or blanket to make it easier for the bird to fall asleep.
5. 5 Keep an eye out for possible illnesses. Although canaries have enviable health, watch out for possible signs of illness and take the bird to your veterinarian if there is any problem. These symptoms include loss of appetite and rapid weight loss.
   • Other symptoms of the disease include colored (non-black and non-white) droppings, wheezing, lethargy, out of season shedding, and ruffled feathers.
   • If a canary coughs for an extended period of time, it may be cold, and if it tries not to press its wings against its body and breathes quickly, it may be hot. Try to keep the temperature between 16-21 ° C.

What do you need

• Bird bath
• High quality grain mix for birds
• Dark leafy vegetables
• Vitamin Supplements
• Bird toys
• Swinging perch
• Plate for water
• Food plate
• Bird's cage