Canary Trio Problems

[oddbird]

Hi, Im wondering if anyone can help me out ?
Yesterday i got three canaries from a lady,i drove a long way to get them..she said they are one male & two females ,but she said the male dosnt sing (any time i had a male he sang!) anyway,Im thinking of either selling one ,or getting a fourth one...not sure yet...

They are in a cage together as the lady always had them ...two (the supposed male & one of the females) stick together & the other is the odd bird out....

also there legs seem a bit scaly (with could indicate mites?) Is there anything i can buy to put on this ? Their poo is runny but the lady said its cause she feeds them spinach?hard boiled eggs,etc)They seem healthy as they are all hopping around & not one sitting all puffed up...(i do know birds hide it well if they are sick ...)

I drove over 3 hours each way to get them ,by the time i got home it was late and dark, so i havent observed them much ....

SHOULD I move them into my big flight cage ? or move just the couple ? or wait till they settle a bit into their new home ?

i will stop feeding them greens & eggs for awhile...

Any help you can give will be appreciated ,Thanks!

 

[Cynthia & Percy]

I do not know anything about canaries but wanted congratulate you on your new addition thanks for sharing

 

[Kristy]

Congrats!!

Males don't always sing, not every day anyways.

They sing esp nicely around breeding time.

But don't expect a male caged with females to sing all the time. My guy would sing when he felt like it, just like we do.

Give him a chance, who knows he may not have been happy where he was. Maybe it was too crowded or wrong food or any number of things.

Give him at least a month, besides once you get to know him, he might win you over regardless if he sings or not. I always tell folks there is a lot more to Canaries than just a pretty voice. I think they have very distinct personalities. I adore Canaries. They are very very messy buggers however.

It is normal for them to have scaly looking legs. Thier legs almost look like centipedes to me, very distinct scales.

Whatever you do, give them time for you and them to adjust to one another. Enjoy your new family!!

I am very happy for you.

 

[Beatriz Cazeneuve]

Only old birds, canaries that have scaley mites or canaries that have a vitamin A deficiency will have scaley looking legs, young, healthy canaries don't. If I were you, I would treat them for mites, just in case, and feed them a lot of orange and yellow veggies, as well as dark leafy greens.

If a male is of a song breed, he will sing all the time and all year round but type and color canaries don't. BUT a male that hasn't sung once in a couple of weeks has something wrong with it unless he is a type or color canary and he is molting.

I always recommend to house the males separately. That is the way they live in the wild (they are territorial birds not social) and it's always best to obey Mother Nature. It's less stressful and, ergo, healthier for them (male canaries housed with other canaries die before their time) but you can house females together as long as the cage is big enough for them to fly and there are plenty of feeders to avoid squabbles.

 

[Bokkapooh]

If a male is of a song breed, he will sing all the time and all year round but type and color canaries don't..

I disagree. My male red factor canary was the best male singer I ever had, he sang about 100xs a day and every day for the 3 years I had him.(I miss having canaries...). My male yellow pied canary who was a year younger than him (the two males were buds) sang only a quarter as much as my red factor.

I dont think color or type of canaries matters. It matters how happy and content they are. But then again Ive seen unhappy canaries in small cages sing like crazy, probably singing to get out of those tiny cages.

But if you have canaries cramped in a cage, I can definetly see why they wouldnt want to sing, they feel cramp with too many birds and probably compition,etc.

 

[oddbird]

Well They are red factor canaries...i found a home for one of the (supposed) females & now i have two canaries in my big flight cage (supposedly a male & a female according to the lady i got them from ) she said the male never sung, so they very well may be three females...

anyway , you could tell they were stressed with the three of them,sort of squabbling ...so i found a good home for the one ..now the two seem contented...honestly i wouldnt even mind if they are two females,as long as they are healthy & get along...the Supposed male is very pretty he looks like he has snow on him (frosted

Thanks for all the help, I apprecate it !

 

[oddbird]

Ps they are both closed banded 2007 Canaries ...i will try to post photos of their legs if i can tomarrow...

 

[waterfaller1]

Scaly leg mites are treated with Ivermectin. But it is a dangerous substance, it's made for cattle, and has to be diluted properly before application. If indeed they have mites, you should be able to stand near the cage and feel like things are crawling on you. Were the birds kept outside? There are mite sprays available, which would be safer for you to use, or you can take them to a certified Avian vet and he can treat them. Do NOT attempt to do it yourself with Ivermectin. There is a man who I have brought a bird to over the years here in town. He will do it for people, but he will not divulge his method of dilution to even his employees, because he doesn't want anyone to kill their bird. It has to be done like one drop under one wing, then ten days later a drop under the other wing, then 10 more days and go back to the first wing. If they have leg mites, they may also have air sac mites. You can tell by holding the bird up to your ear and listen for raspy or labored respiration. Good luck with your new birds. Where's the pics?

 

[waterfaller1]

Scaly Face or Scaly Feet in Birds: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options as well as Prevention
They tell you about SCATT on this site, that would be ok to use.

 

[waterfaller1]

This is some info on air sac mites. I signed up for the free course of e-mails that he offers when Kismet came into my life. It was helpful.
Air Sac Bird Mites

 

[oddbird]

they were not kept outside ,They definatly dont have face mites ..and their feet dont look like those in the pics ,but they are closed banded 2007 so they are not old birds...i do not feel anything crawling on me when im near the cage ...i cover the cage w/ a white blanket at night & dont see anything on the blanket in the morning either..i clean the cage every morning ,clean the bowls ,give new seed & water ,etc.
I got these canaries on Friday , it was over three hour drive each way & by the time i got home it was late...si ive only had them a few days...the cage they came i gave away to someone,so thats gone.

Ill Try & post pics of there legs,but my cameras not the best...
someone told me to get something called scalex at pet supplies plus...
im afraid to pick them up ,as i dont want to hurt them & also they just got here id like to let them settle a bit...

 

[waterfaller1]

Mine did not look like those in the pics either. That is a very advanced stage. He did not have the facial scales either. One treatment with Ivermectin and he was all better though. I hope you can find out and get them well.

 

[oddbird]

Please see my posting "scaley feet" I did get something called "scalex" (pyrethrinsi piperonyl butoxide ,technical& "othe ingredients) sprayed it on their feet lastnight ...but according to the directions you have to spray the cage too and i have not done that....