Obtaining your first canary for the absolute beginner

There are many resources on the internet for finding canary breeders in your area. There are three types and many different breeds of canaries. Making a choice can sometimes be difficult. In my article on “Song canary bird breeds” I list several clubs and organizations that may be able to help you locate song canary breeders in your area. Type canaries and color bred canary breeds each have clubs and organizations as well where you may find breeders in your area. Some reputable pet bird stores may also carry different breeds of canaries (usually banded) as well as common or mixed breed birds (non-banded).

When choosing a family pet care needs to be taken that you select a healthy specimen from a healthy flock. What you need to look for are birds with healthy looking plumage with respect to its breed, clear alert eyes, and clean dry nostrils, alert and active. Look at the birds legs. The scales on the birds’ legs and feet should look smooth on a young bird. Older birds may have rougher looking legs but the scales should not be excessively protruding. This may be scaly leg mites.

As with any new bird purchase, quarantine from any other birds and sanitary handling between the two should be followed for at least 30 days to observe for any possible illness that may crop up once your little song bird has arrived in his new home.

When purchasing from a breeder you may find that they are not willing to offer canaries for sale during certain times of the year. For beginner canary owners the idea of waiting for their new pet is hard to understand. Patience is needed when purchasing your first canary from a breeder.

To understand why you may have to wait I will explain the life cycle of the canary breeder.
1.Starting in January, or as late as March, breeders are busy setting up their mating pairs to breed. The breeding season lasts about three to four months. During this time many breeders do not have birds available for sale, they are making new babies.
2.Immediately following the breeding season baby birds begin molting, followed by their parents. Most breeders will not sell birds during this time as this is a very stressful period for the birds and their defenses against illness are down. After the molt canaries become available.
3.If the breeder you chose also exhibits at bird shows then many of their youngsters will need to be evaluated and/or shown before they become available for sale in the fall of the year. Exhibiting our birds helps to ensure better quality just as in showing dogs and better birds for you.

Autumn is when many canaries finally become available. Please be patient with the breeder/exhibitor as we do want to sell your our birds but must follow this cycle year after year in order to ensure the best quality of birds.

Now that you are armed with the important information above you can begin your research for the best little pet you can ever have a happy, cute, healthy little canary to fill your life with song.