A pet bird requires a specific balance of nutrients in its diet to stay healthy. These needs can also vary amongst different species of birds. Many owners of canaries fail to ensure this, resulting in sickness and death. Feeding them the right canary food will ultimately keep the bird living longer, and happier, so it will sing more as well.
In the wild, canaries mainly forage for various types of seeds which vary in availability throughout the year, but they are also known to eat an assortment of plants, berries, fruits, and insects. They normally end up with a balanced diet, and this must be duplicated in the care of domestic canaries.
Pre-packaged foods on the market usually contain a combination of 2 - 5 kinds of seeds. Often, the canaries will only eat those which they prefer and leave the rest, which can easily lead to malnutrition and sickness. While seeds are certainly a valuable part of a bird's diet, it is essential to provide them with other foods as well.
An effective way to provide a nutritionally complete diet to a canary is to feed it specially formulated pellets. These are made from a combination of crushed seeds and are a great single source of many essential nutrients. It is recommended that pellets make up about 75-80% of the bird's diet. Some of these are specially blended for a certain stage in life or condition. Feeding pellets from early on is best as it may be hard to get an older bird to switch over from seeds.
The canary should not be offered more food than it will eat in a 24-hour period. Seeds should be placed in one shallow feeding dish per bird in the cage, typically 1-2 level teaspoons should be sufficient. Fresh water has to be available for the bird to drink at all times. Canaries have a high metabolism and must drink often or they can die.
Fruits and vegetables should constitute 1/4 of the canary's diet, as they are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. They enjoy fresh produce such as grapes, apples, spinach, lettuce, watercress, and corn, but should never be fed avocado as it is toxic to them. Thoroughly washing all fruits and vegetables and cutting them into small pieces is necessary before putting them in the cage.
Birds enjoy the occasional treat. Healthy food eaten by humans such as meats, cheeses, and hard-boiled eggs are usually popular with canaries. When breeding them, a special blend of eggs and biscuits is recommended. There are also special bird snacks such as millet sprays or honey sticks which can be given as a special treat.
Dietary and vitamin supplements are not always needed when a nutritionally complete canary food is offered, especially pellets. In some cases it is indicated, such as during egg laying, which requires additional calcium. These are usually a powder which is simply mixed with the bird's food or water. Some owners choose to also provide their canaries with grit, which helps digest food, but many birds manage fine without it. If given, it should be placed in its own dish for the bird to take if it wishes.
In the wild, canaries mainly forage for various types of seeds which vary in availability throughout the year, but they are also known to eat an assortment of plants, berries, fruits, and insects. They normally end up with a balanced diet, and this must be duplicated in the care of domestic canaries.
Pre-packaged foods on the market usually contain a combination of 2 - 5 kinds of seeds. Often, the canaries will only eat those which they prefer and leave the rest, which can easily lead to malnutrition and sickness. While seeds are certainly a valuable part of a bird's diet, it is essential to provide them with other foods as well.
An effective way to provide a nutritionally complete diet to a canary is to feed it specially formulated pellets. These are made from a combination of crushed seeds and are a great single source of many essential nutrients. It is recommended that pellets make up about 75-80% of the bird's diet. Some of these are specially blended for a certain stage in life or condition. Feeding pellets from early on is best as it may be hard to get an older bird to switch over from seeds.
The canary should not be offered more food than it will eat in a 24-hour period. Seeds should be placed in one shallow feeding dish per bird in the cage, typically 1-2 level teaspoons should be sufficient. Fresh water has to be available for the bird to drink at all times. Canaries have a high metabolism and must drink often or they can die.
Fruits and vegetables should constitute 1/4 of the canary's diet, as they are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. They enjoy fresh produce such as grapes, apples, spinach, lettuce, watercress, and corn, but should never be fed avocado as it is toxic to them. Thoroughly washing all fruits and vegetables and cutting them into small pieces is necessary before putting them in the cage.
Birds enjoy the occasional treat. Healthy food eaten by humans such as meats, cheeses, and hard-boiled eggs are usually popular with canaries. When breeding them, a special blend of eggs and biscuits is recommended. There are also special bird snacks such as millet sprays or honey sticks which can be given as a special treat.
Dietary and vitamin supplements are not always needed when a nutritionally complete canary food is offered, especially pellets. In some cases it is indicated, such as during egg laying, which requires additional calcium. These are usually a powder which is simply mixed with the bird's food or water. Some owners choose to also provide their canaries with grit, which helps digest food, but many birds manage fine without it. If given, it should be placed in its own dish for the bird to take if it wishes.
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