Canary and Finch owners, what is in your birds diet?

[Mr Peepers]

I'd like to know what you feed your canary/s and finches, what types or brands of seed or pellets.. but mostly what type of fresh green veggies and what types of fruits do you offer your canary.

Also do you offer fish eggs-with the shell and rice beans grains?

I'm looking for some better options to add to Mr Peepers diet so anything you can tell me would be helpful.

 

[wyrinth]

I feed my canaries plain canay seed mix, with no added vitamins to the mix. They also get pellets, currently lafaebers finch sized, and dry egg food powder. They also get budgie seed mix/cockatiel mix...they sure are cute when they find one of the black sunflower seeds and are like "yes, I got a big one!" . As for fresh food, they love anything green, and will get a few leaves of whatever salad mix I currently have. Or, right now in the winter when I'm not in the salad mood, they get chop, which has pasta, parsley, corn, peppers, and some rice.
They also love quinoa.
Grapes are a treat...the linnies break them open for them .
Carrots, shredded, chopped real small, or really thin slices are eaten right up and good for their color.
Apples are a favorite and usually available.
Eggs (chicken) with the shell on and mashed with a fork during the breeding season. Also, soaked seeds, right when they open up and before they turn green.
Practically anything I put in there, the canaries will come over and investigate. They are not picky and are like little feathered dogs, thinking that feeding time is the best time .

 

[camelotshadow]

I feed my canaries plain canay seed mix, with no added vitamins to the mix. They also get pellets, currently lafaebers finch sized, and dry egg food powder. They also get budgie seed mix/cockatiel mix...they sure are cute when they find one of the black sunflower seeds and are like "yes, I got a big one!" . As for fresh food, they love anything green, and will get a few leaves of whatever salad mix I currently have. Or, right now in the winter when I'm not in the salad mood, they get chop, which has pasta, parsley, corn, peppers, and some rice.
They also love quinoa.
Grapes are a treat...the linnies break them open for them .
Carrots, shredded, chopped real small, or really thin slices are eaten right up and good for their color.
Apples are a favorite and usually available.
Eggs (chicken) with the shell on and mashed with a fork during the breeding season. Also, soaked seeds, right when they open up and before they turn green.
Practically anything I put in there, the canaries will come over and investigate. They are not picky and are like little feathered dogs, thinking that feeding time is the best time .

Hey, Queens NY, I grew up there just wanted to say hi!

 

[Mr Peepers]

I feed my canaries plain canay seed mix, with no added vitamins to the mix. They also get pellets, currently lafaebers finch sized, and dry egg food powder. They also get budgie seed mix/cockatiel mix...they sure are cute when they find one of the black sunflower seeds and are like "yes, I got a big one!" . As for fresh food, they love anything green, and will get a few leaves of whatever salad mix I currently have. Or, right now in the winter when I'm not in the salad mood, they get chop, which has pasta, parsley, corn, peppers, and some rice.
They also love quinoa.
Grapes are a treat...the linnies break them open for them .
Carrots, shredded, chopped real small, or really thin slices are eaten right up and good for their color.
Apples are a favorite and usually available.
Eggs (chicken) with the shell on and mashed with a fork during the breeding season. Also, soaked seeds, right when they open up and before they turn green.
Practically anything I put in there, the canaries will come over and investigate. They are not picky and are like little feathered dogs, thinking that feeding time is the best time .

That's an excellent diet lots of options how did you manage getting your canaries onto pellets? do you serve the pellets separate from their seeds and fresh food daily?

 

[wyrinth]

Hey, Queens NY, I grew up there just wanted to say hi!

Hi

 

[wyrinth]

That's an excellent diet lots of options how did you manage getting your canaries onto pellets? do you serve the pellets separate from their seeds and fresh food daily?

I give it to them in a separate cup. Honestly, it looks like they don't touch it for a long time, I just leave it in there. Then they devour it, then they don't touch it for a long time . I don't know if they prefer it stale or if they just get bored of it...I do notice that when they need the extra nutrition (breeding time, molting) they prefer to eat the pellets first, then eat seeds. But canaries really are little piggies, they can't help but eventually eat something...especially when there is competition .

 

[Mr Peepers]

I've left fresh pellets in a different dish for 3 months and Mr Peepers hasn't touched one, he jumps on the perch of the dish the pellets are in and then bounces off it like he's a jet plane and lands on the seed dish ASAP.

I even notice he ignores the pellets that come in his seed mix.

All he's ever eaten his whole 1 year life was canary seed.

These canary seeds NO other seeds at all.

I know he did have some greens in his diet but I recently found out that he was getting cast off leaves that grocers cut off produce when its looking spoiled and they throw it in the trash, the breeder wouldn't buy anything fresh for his birds at all.

It surprises me Mr Peepers has lived an entire year of his life 1st with air sac and scaly mites and a poor diet, I really want to get him on pellets and get him to be more active.

,

 

[wyrinth]

You can try Harrison's high potency...superfine pellets. They seemed to like those the best and they are small and seed colored. The high potency is recommended for canaries.

 

[Mr Peepers]

You can try Harrison's high potency...superfine pellets. They seemed to like those the best and they are small and seed colored. The high potency is recommended for canaries.

Thanks for the advice I've been told Harrison's are the best but have had no luck at the 5 pet stores nearest me.

 

[camelotshadow]

Thanks for the advice I've been told Harrison's are the best but have had no luck at the 5 pet stores nearest me.

you can email harrisons & they'll send you a free sample tell them you have 2 birds. Most places don't carry it.

 

[Mr Peepers]

you can email harrisons & they'll send you a free sample tell them you have 2 birds. Most places don't carry it.

I will do this. Thanks

 

[wyrinth]

I ordered it online, more convenient.

 

[Janeymode]

I have always fed mine a blend from a chain pet store Pet's At Home...I supplement their seed with romaine lettuce and conference pear...they absolutely love both...once a month I offer grated carrot and a seed bar treat...I've been told they like egg yolk but I've never tried them with it...should I?

 

[Mr Peepers]

I ordered it online, more convenient.

I spoke to a Harrison's rep yesterday and he's sending me a few samples of Harrison's pellets for the canary and budgie. I'm looking forward to trying this product with the birds I really want the canary to eat them if it works out then I will order the product online or see if my avian can order it for me.

Thanks for the idea to call them up.

.

 

[Mr Peepers]

I have always fed mine a blend from a chain pet store Pet's At Home...I supplement their seed with romaine lettuce and conference pear...they absolutely love both...once a month I offer grated carrot and a seed bar treat...I've been told they like egg yolk but I've never tried them with it...should I?

All my canary's have been pigs for hard boiled egg you can give the entire egg to them shell and all. I don't bother with the shell I just boil up the egg mash it all through a sieve and add really finely shredded carrot and tiny chopped tips of broccoli to the mix. Sometimes I add fresh sprouted seeds instead of carrot or broccoli there are many different recipes you can use to add veggies to hard boiled eggs.

Most canaries are given an egg food mixture when breeding to feed their chicks so I don't think you will have any problem getting your canaries to eat eggs. The breeder of my canary only offered egg food at breeding time to his breeding birds. After the chicks left their parents he only fed seeds to the young birds so my canary who is 16 months old hasn't seen eggs for a long long time.. the first time I offered this to my bird he didn't hesitate to eat it he dove into the dish and licked it clean.

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[JosienBB]

Harrison's is usually sold at veterinary clinics -- you can try there. Most bird vets carry it.

As for seed, I hear that Versele-Laga is the best seed you can get for canaries. Certain Big Al's with bird departments carry it, as well as most bird enthusiast locations.

 

[Mr Peepers]

Harrison's is usually sold at veterinary clinics -- you can try there. Most bird vets carry it.

As for seed, I hear that Versele-Laga is the best seed you can get for canaries. Certain Big Al's with bird departments carry it, as well as most bird enthusiast locations.

Thanks for the Big Al's idea the closest one is way out in Scarborough.. there's is a closer a pet shop called the Menagerie at Parliament and Wellesley that specializes in bird products and they have birds as well. I usually try to avoid those places because I am always tempted to buy a bird or 3 when I go there.

I just checked the Versele-Laga web site they have 3 dietary types of seed mixes that would be perfect for Sir Mr Peepers Q-tip buttocks, the site is pretty impressive.

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[Janeymode]

All my canary's have been pigs for hard boiled egg you can give the entire egg to them shell and all. I don't bother with the shell I just boil up the egg mash it all through a sieve and add really finely shredded carrot and tiny chopped tips of broccoli to the mix. Sometimes I add fresh sprouted seeds instead of carrot or broccoli there are many different recipes you can use to add veggies to hard boiled eggs.

Most canaries are given an egg food mixture when breeding to feed their chicks so I don't think you will have any problem getting your canaries to eat eggs. The breeder of my canary only offered egg food at breeding time to his breeding birds. After the chicks left their parents he only fed seeds to the young birds so my canary who is 16 months old hasn't seen eggs for a long long time.. the first time I offered this to my bird he didn't hesitate to eat it he dove into the dish and licked it clean.

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I'll definitely try mine on egg then...I shall report back

 

[wyrinth]

Egg is good during breeding and molting, but it is a very rich food and could sometimes cause diarrhea. A little egg (1/8 slice) per bird twice a week shouldn't be too much, but just keep an eye on the droppings.

 

[Solayan]

If you're looking in Toronto Links Road Vet Clinic definitely sells Harrisons. You don't have to be a client, you can just walk in and buy it. They don't keep the high potency on the shelf so you have to ask for it.

We also order it from T4W sometimes. Shipping within Canada isn't usually too bad and then we can justify adding some toys to the order too