male male
Breeding readiness of male and female birds.
Introduction: One of the most beautiful moments in our canary breeding hobby is raising birds. Many people derive immense pleasure from this, and it’s understandable. Witnessing these little birds nest, lay eggs, and then hatch them makes everyone’s heart beat faster. Each year, we are filled with admiration for this new life. If this is the greatest joy, it also means it can be the greatest disappointment if things don’t go as expected. People often think everything must go according to their predetermined plan, but birds don’t always comply. In short, it always remains a challenge! 
Recognizing that we are dealing with living beings and that we cannot control everything, we are already one step ahead. At the same time, we can ensure that certain things are well organized. Consider, for example, the feeding method. It’s essential to know how the previous owner fed their birds, what food they used, etc., when acquiring new birds. Light also plays a crucial role. Although more light is not harmful, a sudden decrease in light duration can have severe consequences. Irregular light duration and random switching on and off of lighting throughout the day are not conducive. Birds can easily molt, and birds undergoing molting have priorities other than thinking about reproduction. Reproduction is mainly a matter of hormones, and during the molting period, they are very different from what is needed for successful reproduction
How to proceed: Breeding readiness is written above this piece. This means we can influence it to some extent. Firstly, we need to know when we want to start breeding. Good preparation is already half the success. If we want to breed optimally with our birds, we need a light duration of about 15 hours. Never provide more than 16 hours of light, as this can be harmful to our birds. Most breeders gradually increase the day length to 14 to 15 hours overnight. However, keep in mind the switch to daylight saving time (end of March).
The advantage of this method is that birds quickly come into condition, and the accumulated fat layer naturally disappears because they suddenly have more time and, consequently, consume more energy. Since males generally need more time than females, this should be taken into account. Ensure that males come into breeding condition at least two weeks earlier than females. This also applies to the number of light hours.
Of course, light hours can also be gradually increased, but you must consider bridging the time difference over a period of about six weeks, with a weekly addition of a few extra hours. Even then, males often need a little more time than females.
Some breeders do it completely naturally and just wait for the natural course of events. This is also possible, but these are usually enthusiasts who breed for pleasure, perhaps in an aviary, which is also a beautiful form of our hobby. Everyone makes their own choice in this regard. However, most breeders working in breeding cages start with artificial light.
Setting light hours:
This is, of course, the choice of the enthusiast, how they want to breed and when. The lighting method nowadays should not be a problem; there are many good lighting devices available for use in our breeding space. Naturally, purchase one with a dimmer. It is logical that the light should not go out immediately; it should happen slowly. The reason for this will be well known to everyone.
Then comes feeding. In the winter period, we have naturally reduced the number of times we provide egg food compared to the breeding period. Once or twice a week is sufficient during this time. In winter, seeds should remain the main focus for our birds. But now we are going to increase that again. Every week, one more day, so that at the end of the period, we provide egg food every two days. Of course, in winter, we also give them something else: bread, peeled oats, niger seed, some wild seed, hemp seed, and of course, a piece of apple or orange regularly. Keep in mind that birds need a rest period. We must feed them well and adequately, but not too heavily. Certainly not to stimulate the reproductive organs excessively (excessive hemp, niger seed, etc.). You can mix the egg food with finely chopped apple. Some breeders have achieved good results with this. It makes the food more creamy and crumbly. This crumbly texture can also be achieved by adding some water. Pressed oranges or another liquid substance can also be used. Pay attention to the sprouts when the seed germinates. They should not become too large; it is not green food. Also, be careful of molds. Rinse the seed carefully after germination. The germinated seed is best kept in the refrigerator. The advantage is that the germination process will then proceed more slowly. But it cannot be emphasized enough: germinated seed is good, but use it as the name suggests, only the sprout, and nothing else, as small as possible!
What should not be forgotten during the breeding preparation is to regularly mix some wheat germ oil under the egg food. Also, ensure that the birds have sufficient minerals, cuttlefish bone, and bird grit available. As mentioned earlier, females need less time to come into breeding condition. About three weeks before the desired start date, provide females with as much light as males have at that time. There is, in a way, a shock, but healthy females easily catch up with males. Of course, make sure that the birds are in good condition and are at least 9, preferably 10 months old.
Placing birds in the breeding cage:
Opinions may differ on this, but most of us place the males first. Check if the male already has a sufficiently enlarged cloaca that thickens from the rear and narrows towards the front. Females should show a reasonably bare underbelly (brood spot) and a blunt underbelly; there should be no doubt whether it is a male or female because then the bird is clearly not in breeding condition. Before placing the birds in the breeding cages, first check the nails and beak. If they are too long, trim them a bit. The birds could irritate each other with them, and damage to the eggs is not unthinkable. The breeding site has already been cleaned after the previous breeding period. Now we need to disinfect and provide a mite-resistant agent. Disinfection is something entirely different from pest control. Disinfection can be done with chlorine, ammonia, Dettol, halamid; everyone makes their own choice in this. Cleaning can be done with some soap. Disinfection is done against viruses, other pathogens, mites, etc., and this is for an extended period; in short, you combat them for the entire breeding period. Additionally, we must give a preventive treatment against mites. Mites are the number one enemy of many breeders, but good products are available nowadays. But again, combating is a must! To ward off mites, treat the perches, especially the ends, and the nesting place well. Also, the walls, crevices, and floors of the breeding cage are taken care of. A spray can be used effectively. Of course, throughout the entire breeding period, we must always pay attention to whether mites still appear. Never say, “That won’t happen to me!” The sooner we address it, the better we can combat it. Mites suck blood from the birds, and especially with the little ones, it can quickly lead to death. They have so little to defend themselves. So, ensure good hygiene, nutrition, observation, and the age of your birds during the breeding period; this is the beginning of the success of your upcoming breeding.
Wout van Gils
