Small birds like canaries and finches are fun to watch, pretty to look at, and many have lovely songs that are a pleasure to listen to. Since these kinds of birds typically spend all their time in their cage, it is very important to have a roomy cage large enough for them to fly a bit. The very best cage shape for them is an oblong cage. Put a perch at each end so the bird can get some exercise flying from one end to the other. The smallest size I recommend to people who buy canaries or finches from me is 16� high x 16� deep (front to back) and 24� across. Even better is the next size larger, 18� x 18� x 30�. These can usually be mail ordered over the internet for a reasonable price.
Finches and canaries love to eat, and they require fresh greens and veggies, as well as an occasional piece of fruit. My canaries love romaine lettuce, kale, spinach, dandelion leaves, raw broccoli, cooked carrots and sweet potato, cucumber, rolled oats, apples and oranges. When breeding, they also love my eggfood which I make by crumbing up good whole grain bread in the food processor, to which I add finely chopped hard boiled egg, shell and all. I use about 1 egg per 2 slices of bread. Then I stir in some powdered vitamins and some high protein breeding supplement. I buy all my vitamins and supplements from www.birds2grow.com.
I also find that both canaries and finches like swings and little bells or short pieces of twine to play with, so be sure to provide them with suitable toys! You can easily make some yourself, or most toys for parakeets will be a suitable size for your canaries or finches. You�ll enjoy watching them as they busily play and swing!
While you are away at work, leaving a radio playing softly on a classical, light jazz or easy listening station is a good idea. The sound helps your birds feel safe � in the wild, silence can mean a predator is near.
Your little birds need about 10 to 12 hours of dark and quiet sleep time every night. Try to locate their cage somewhere in your house where this is possible, or just move the cage to a quiet, dark room at their bedtime, say 7 to 8pm. Keeping your birds in your TV room while you stay up late is not a good idea � even if they sit with their eyes closed, they still cannot get the deep sleep they really need. Covering the cage is not necessary, but make sure it does not sit in a draft from windows or heat vents.
Also, talk to your birds! Use a soft, soothing tone of voice, keep your hands at your sides or behind your back (your big hands waving around would definitely scare them!), and eventually they will get used to you and even appear to be listening as you tell them how cute they are! My birds gather eagerly around their eggfood dish when I walk into the bird room. They know I�m the bearer of yummy things to eat!
For more comprehensive information about canary and finch care, please refer to websites like www.robirda.com and www.ladygouldianfinch.com. |
