Canary behaviour

[Clairecanary15]

I do find the behaviour of canaries fasinating ..especially when they live together in a flock/community.

Clever thinking is needed for calm. Space out the feeders..completely different ends of flight cages or aviaries if need be.

There will always be a bit of a grumble over their favourite which is seed. Basically if there is not enough room around the bowl put in a 2nd or in my case a 3rd.

As for birds needing to be separate out of breeding season..this is when they normally get along. They have their moult which makes them reluctant to squabble and then it is the big rest up.

I just dont understand @Serin why yours dont get along. I have mixed sexes all happy..even 2 dominant males in the mix. Its a real shame that your having such an issue, your missing out on their happy calm and interaction time.

Im here if you need help and Im sure others will help with this very valid post too. Canaries are incredibly sociable and the more we learn from one another on their behaviour etc the more we can help our own.

 

[finchly]

Excellent post, Claire, and good points. We are here to help whoever needs it. It’s all about the birds!

I also have 3 feeders, and sometimes put in a 4th. They love to squabble over food, or try to fit too many fat bodies over it. LOL

I actually did separate out the father from the cage, 2 9 week old males decided to jump on him (a food squabble) and one pinned him down to the grate. He had a leg squashed between the bars and I decided he might get hurt so I moved him. Never had this happen before.

Canaries are quite social and inquisitive. They also love toys, especially things they can shred or pick apart. Like I tie raffia loosely and they love to pull it out bit by bit. And they love swings! It would be a crime not to have a swing available to them.

 

[Clairecanary15]

Thank you @finchly

Lol they are round arent they..just too cute to squabble over seeds. They do like variation so the more feeders the better.

I had a similar incident with my young hen in the aviary early on. She decided to move her father,named Sugar, out of the way but instead of just the open beak movement she pinned him down poor boy. She was removed and put in the flight cage with the other 6 cockbirds to go. She was fine with the others no trouble after that.
Is it normal for the juvenile young to pick on the father? We have both seen it now... I have seen a juvenile hen from clutch 1, help the mother hen feed her 2nd clutch. I was astonished.

I like the idea of a swing in each area. I was wondering if they also like the little balls made out of pet friendly material ..like a woven raffia type thing..am I making any sense lol.

 

[finchly]

The woven balls are a great idea! I’ll show you some I made, but you gave me an idea to do the same thing with raffia.

I don’t know if this is normal behavior. I’m going to look in my canary books. Maybe the little guys are ‘feeling their oats’ and have to assert themselves.

 

[Clairecanary15]

Think your onto something there..coming of age. I read somewhere they are adults when they are 6 months. So assuming this is correct then their hormones are all over the place from an early age. Its now making more sense.

Im very keen to see the woven balls and your new idea too. I will have to have a look for some unless they are easyish to make.

 

[Distaff]

Love my single guy, Alejandro Picoso.
You both are making me think I should consider getting a couple more.

 

[Serin]

I only have one canary now, a male, who lives with my Javas. He lived with a female for two years. He was sweet to her, but she was quite a mean little thing, and would henpeck him if he did anything wrong. Since my male seems infertile, she'd lay eggs that never hatch, he'd feed her and be sweet, but she'd bully him, as if she was resentful. So I found her a new home, with some othr male canaries, and she has done well there and maybe will successfully breed in the spring.

She was my hen who could not be with any other females or it was murder time. Even just seeing another hen in another cage she would pace back and forth and make threatening squawks. Letting them fly together in the room, she'd divebomb the poor girl, so I had to rehome the other as it was always stressed.

Some years ago, my first two canaries were girls. As babies they got along. Once they hit about a year old they would fight constantly, so it was separate flight cages. They still fought out of the cage but not enough to warrant them being permanently separated. But they always wanted the same food, same perch, same spot, and would bicker over it again and again.

Another hen was fine with her daughters and her sons but her mate would beat her up after she started to set on eggs so they couldn't live together either. But the mom and all her offspring were the one time I had a flock that really seemed happy together.

I had two brothers bond once and they got along nicely.

I love canaries but they are a real hassle to pair up. As I said, I'm down to one now. He's molting so he hasn't sung in a couple of months. Hoping he starts again soon. Seems very content with my Javas - out of all my other birds, he's the only one they seem to like, and vice versa.

 

[Clairecanary15]

Love my single guy, Alejandro Picoso.
You both are making me think I should consider getting a couple more.

Hi

I started off with 2 years ago. Then I started again with 6..I now have 24 blimey lol. Some are my own Ive bred and some are new for fresh blood lines. Amongst mine are young to much much older. I feel like I have given the older ones an opportunity to finally stop and rest.

If you are looking to get more than 1 then space is the key I think ... I have a pair in a flight cage which is ample room. An aviary obviously provides more space.

The interaction between 2 or more canaries is lovely and its better than watching any tv.

 

[Clairecanary15]

I only have one canary now, a male, who lives with my Javas. He lived with a female for two years. He was sweet to her, but she was quite a mean little thing, and would henpeck him if he did anything wrong. Since my male seems infertile, she'd lay eggs that never hatch, he'd feed her and be sweet, but she'd bully him, as if she was resentful. So I found her a new home, with some othr male canaries, and she has done well there and maybe will successfully breed in the spring.

She was my hen who could not be with any other females or it was murder time. Even just seeing another hen in another cage she would pace back and forth and make threatening squawks. Letting them fly together in the room, she'd divebomb the poor girl, so I had to rehome the other as it was always stressed.

Some years ago, my first two canaries were girls. As babies they got along. Once they hit about a year old they would fight constantly, so it was separate flight cages. They still fought out of the cage but not enough to warrant them being permanently separated. But they always wanted the same food, same perch, same spot, and would bicker over it again and again.

Another hen was fine with her daughters and her sons but her mate would beat her up after she started to set on eggs so they couldn't live together either. But the mom and all her offspring were the one time I had a flock that really seemed happy together.

I had two brothers bond once and they got along nicely.

I love canaries but they are a real hassle to pair up. As I said, I'm down to one now. He's molting so he hasn't sung in a couple of months. Hoping he starts again soon. Seems very content with my Javas - out of all my other birds, he's the only one they seem to like, and vice versa.

Hi

It really does sound like uve had a terrible run of bad luck. You did get to see the mum and offspring live in harmony as mine do all the time.

Im scratching my head because I just dont understand why...

I have 2 thoughts which may be completely irrelevant:
Mine pair up naturally. They live as a flock/community and they choose themselves. In the house I have a flight cage with a pair in. I have chosen a new hen to go with a cockbird ready for next season. I am watching to see if they get along between now and next spring. If they dont I will put the hen in the aviary. I cant put the cockbird back because of inbreeding. This is the only time I choose. Id rather they work it out naturally it is much easier as I dont speak canary lol.
My 2nd thought is I have noticed a difference with new canaries brought in from breeders compared to aviary bred canaries. A breeders canary is only used to a small cage, mainly its own company. .even the year olds; and a cockbird visiting a few times a year. I introduce the unsocialised birds carefully and slowly. I have a youngster who is new from a breeder who is not used to a flock environment. She is slowly learning from the matriarchs of the flock what is allowed.

I do wonder if it is the hens that are actually in charge..the cockbirds are very laid back. Do the hens pick the males? Im seriously thinking that they do.

So I dont know if anything I have put has helped in any way. Id be interested to hear if anything or not has rung true because its a puzzler. Sounds like you would really like more than one canary again.

 

[Serin]

My most aggressive canaries were all raised by other people in cages and I believe they simply don't learn social skills then. These males wouldn't even wait for the females to accept them. They would rape the hens. Many breeders seem to think this is normal, but I don't think it is.

The babies I raised together as a flock were much nicer to each other and never did that. However, my current male is very gentle but I got him at a year old. I don't know how he was raised but I bought him at a store. I am sure that it is also an individual thing.

And I think a large number of canaries will get on better than only two. Because if one of the two is a bully, it can completely dominate the other, which is less likely in a big group where nobody can keep track of someone else all the time. Canaries do like company most of the time but keeping just two, in my experience, did not always work. But looking back, it seems I simply had some above-average aggressive birds.

 

[Clairecanary15]

This is why Im not classed as a breeder..I just dont agree with the whole process of forcing a pairing. The cockbirds dont know anything different. If they are then put into a flock then see a hen and well, we know what can happen. Breeders train their cockbirds. Dont get me wrong some true breeders care about their birds and let them retire instead of using them like battery chickens. Its not just the hens that need protecting it also applies to the cockbirds.

We need to research where our new birds come from because I do wonder if this is a major problem with unsociable canaries.

Boredom can set in. I give mine a varied diet..every day mine get something different and yummy to eat. In the aviary and flight cages I provide multiple areas for roosting or perching. In the aviary I use fresh branches every 3 months which feeds their mind..old roosting areas are then gone..territories are defused.

It has taken time to get the balance right. I have watched and still watch my birds. Im always thinking of improvement. I had 2 brothers who just would not get on. With the help from my husband we ended up converting an outbuilding to house one of the brothers. The brother who was moved does get on with another cockbird and they are happy with 6 other hens. 2 older hens and 4 of this years.