Pigeon Talk

[Serin]

Hey, I know they're not pigeons but I would like to share some of my canaries who are starting the first nest of the year. Canaries only breed in spring and are remarkably timely; the female put together the nest in one day today - the first official day of spring! This is a newly paired couple but I am hoping they do well. The male is the dark one and his name is Mozart. His mate is Lyric. They've been mating for a week and now that she's nested the first egg should be here in a few days!

 

[backyard pigeons]

Hey, I know they're not pigeons but I would like to share some of my canaries who are starting the firat nest of the year. Canaries only breed in spring and are remarkably timely; the female put together the nest in one day today - the first official day of spring! This is a newly paired couple but I am hoping they do well. The male is the dark one and his name is Mozart. His mate is Lyric. They've been mating for a week and now that she's nested the first egg should be here in a few days! View attachment 1708595 View attachment 1708596 View attachment 1708597

Cool! I'm not knowledgeable in canaries, but I feel like I read somewhere that they are becoming more and more less likely to be fertile? Is that true from your experience?

 

[Serin]

Cool! I'm not knowledgeable in canaries, but I feel like I read somewhere that they are becoming more and more less likely to be fertile? Is that true from your experience?

The issue with canaries is not something biological but how they are cared for. They are highly sensitive to day length and so if they are kept in a room with lights on after sunset they tend to keep molting (because in nature, they molt once a year at the end of summer when days are really long) and when they are molting they are not in condition to breed. When they are maintained on a natural day length (I have timers that I keep matched to the day length or within half an hour), they have no inherent issues with fertility and come into nesting condition at this time and will nest through May.

 

[WVduckchick]

Hey, I know they're not pigeons but I would like to share some of my canaries who are starting the first nest of the year. Canaries only breed in spring and are remarkably timely; the female put together the nest in one day today - the first official day of spring! This is a newly paired couple but I am hoping they do well. The male is the dark one and his name is Mozart. His mate is Lyric. They've been mating for a week and now that she's nested the first egg should be here in a few days! View attachment 1708595 View attachment 1708596 View attachment 1708597

Very pretty. Keep us posted.

 

[biophiliac]

Hey, I know they're not pigeons but I would like to share some of my canaries who are starting the first nest of the year. Canaries only breed in spring and are remarkably timely; the female put together the nest in one day today - the first official day of spring! This is a newly paired couple but I am hoping they do well. The male is the dark one and his name is Mozart. His mate is Lyric. They've been mating for a week and now that she's nested the first egg should be here in a few days! View attachment 1708595 View attachment 1708596 View attachment 1708597

Pretty birds! How many eggs will she lay? How do they feed the young?

 

[Serin]

They're doing fine! I'm hoping the weather will hold out this weekend so I can put a run up in the garden for them. Speckle has grown an extra head! View attachment 1708381 View attachment 1708382 View attachment 1708383

I just saw these now... OMG. The eyeliner on those babies! How adorable is that!! What breed are they?

 

[Serin]

Pretty birds! How many eggs will she lay? How do they feed the young?

Canaries I have bred in years past have laid four or five eggs per clutch. They don't produce crop milk but female regurgitates what she has eaten to the chicks, I will provide vegetables, seed, pellets and hard-boiled egg for a wide variety of nutrition to help them grow when the time comes. Once eggs are laid the female will not get off the nest for 2 weeks except to poop and will rely on the male to bring her food - she begs like a chick to ask him to feed her and it is very cute. The male normally weans the babies and takes over care once they leave the nest.

Hoping, of course, they do have chicks! I got Mozart in December and Lyric this month. It has now been 3 seasons since I had canary babies and I am really wanting some more little peeps! For the past two years I tried breeding another male I have, who for the life of him can not figure out how to mate the hen (got on her backwards a lot...) and so only ever produced clear eggs. I have since given the female he was with to a friend as she was really pretty and I wanted her to breed for someone. That male was going to be a single for now but a few weeks ago I rescued another girl who was badly beaten up by others at a shop, and the two of them are getting along as just friends - she is not interested in him romantically but he is good natured and is not being pushy. That male is named Milo, and he's the most lovely shade of orange so it is such a shame he probably will never have chicks. The new rescue girl is pale yellow with a crest on her head. They'd make gorgeous babies if ever they got to that point and he got his act together.

 

[backyard pigeons]

The issue with canaries is not something biological but how they are cared for. They are highly sensitive to day length and so if they are kept in a room with lights on after sunset they tend to keep molting (because in nature, they molt once a year at the end of summer when days are really long) and when they are molting they are not in condition to breed. When they are maintained on a natural day length (I have timers that I keep matched to the day length or within half an hour), they have no inherent issues with fertility and come into nesting condition at this time and will nest through May.

Very interesting! Thanks!

 

[Serin]

These are my other two... Milo and Blaze. Blaze has a lot of feathers to regrow and looks rather frumpy. Got beat up by others in crowded conditions and has no tail but is doing well with me now.

 

[biophiliac]

Canaries I have bred in years past have laid four or five eggs per clutch. They don't produce crop milk but female regurgitates what she has eaten to the chicks, I will provide vegetables, seed, pellets and hard-boiled egg for a wide variety of nutrition to help them grow when the time comes. Once eggs are laid the female will not get off the nest for 2 weeks except to poop and will rely on the male to bring her food - she begs like a chick to ask him to feed her and it is very cute. The male normally weans the babies and takes over care once they leave the nest.

Hoping, of course, they do have chicks! I got Mozart in December and Lyric this month. It has now been 3 seasons since I had canary babies and I am really wanting some more little peeps! For the past two years I tried breeding another male I have, who for the life of him can not figure out how to mate the hen (got on her backwards a lot...) and so only ever produced clear eggs. I have since given the female he was with to a friend as she was really pretty and I wanted her to breed for someone. That male was going to be a single for now but a few weeks ago I rescued another girl who was badly beaten up by others at a shop, and the two of them are getting along as just friends - she is not interested in him romantically but he is good natured and is not being pushy. That male is named Milo, and he's the most lovely shade of orange so it is such a shame he probably will never have chicks. The new rescue girl is pale yellow with a crest on her head. They'd make gorgeous babies if ever they got to that point and he got his act together.

Aren't canaries renown for their singing? How musical are yours?