Fertility

Clear eggs occur often early in the breeding season, before birds are really in breeding condition. Hastiness in putting birds together can waste a considerable amount of time and breeders who rush the season can easily find themselves apace with more patient breeders in a story reminiscent of The Tortoise and The Hare . . . A breeder of my acquaintance waits until nearly March before putting his birds together, allowing them to come into condition naturally without the use of any breeding stimulants at all except light and comes up with nearly two hundred babies after a single round of nesting every year. Every nest has four or five babies and he experiences very few clear eggs. 

Other breeders beginning in December have to breed three rounds with the same number of hens to come up with the same results- often finishing the season later than the patient breeder!

 Fertility can be affected by unstable perching which does not allow successful copulation. Obesity in either male or hen can also make copulation more difficult and impact fertility.

The time span between mating and the laying of fertile eggs is a matter of debate. Some breeders believe that 24 hours is the minimum period of time and others that four or five days are required between mating and commencement of laying for all eggs to be fertile. One day is cutting it rather fine, but it is possible.

Eggs can continue to be fertile for a considerable time after mating. Anecdotal evidence indicates that fertile eggs have been laid weeks after a hen has mated, although this time span is probably not common.

For all eggs to be fertile, males used for stud should be in the cage at least through the laying of the fourth egg. Males can be run with one hen in the morning and placed with another in the afternoon or left in one hen’s cage all day. 

Hens can sometimes become overly attached to a male and refuse to sit without his presence- with these birds, leaving the male in the breeding cage until the hen has been sitting for several days can help as she is fairly well attached to her duties by this time

Pairing Canaries

Prior to pairing, the birds’ nails should be clipped to prevent damage to eggs from occurring. Some breeders who use stud males do not clip the nails of the male. However, any males to be left in the cage to feed should have their nails trimmed.

Some heavily-feathered birds need to be trimmed around the vent to increase contact during copulation. Care must be taken to not clip the “feeler feathers” located at the tip of the vent or birds will not be able to mate successfully. Feather trimming is generally unnecessary with American Singers.

Breeding Condition canaries

Males usually come into condition before the hens in the same room do. The reason for this that part of a male’s reproductive responsibility is to bring the hen into condition by singing lustily and communicating to her that she needs to come into breeding condition as there is a vital, healthy, strong male available for mating. Many experienced breeders blame males for healthy hens which are slow in coming into condition.

One way to slow a hen down who is coming into breeding condition too quickly is to cage her with a male who is not in condition as this will signal to her that there is no suitable mate available. Sometimes hens can become very testy in this situation and will bicker with the male- watch the pair to ensure that the situation does not progress beyond squabbling and no blood is drawn.

How to Breed Canaries

Keep canaries separated until time to breed.

• Unless actively breeding, canaries must be kept in their own cages. Males will fight and a male might kill the female if she is not ready to breed. Their cages can, however, be kept in the same room.

 Watch for signs that they're in condition.

• Male canaries will usually come into condition before the female. Signs that they're in condition include dropping their wings when they sing, their song becomes harsher and louder, they may dance around on their perch and they may appear to be more territorial when other males are nearby.
• Females will most often begin to tear paper, as if readying a nest, when they come into condition. The most certain sign of their readiness, however, is when their vent appears red and swollen. They may also raise their tails and appear to squat when males are nearby.

American Singer Canary

Fanciers of the American Singer Canary hold that this canary is the ideal pet Canary. His personality and song have won the hearts of many Americans and is taking hold of hearts all over the world.

The American Singer is a wonderful combination of song and beauty. If you are looking for a canary that offers both striking looks as well as beautiful song, the American Singer Canary will suit your needs. This

 wonderful breed has been selectively bred for generations to provide the perfect blend of song and beauty. The American Singer is a hybrid breed and is for this reason very prolific and hardy, which makes it more suitable for beginners than many other types of canaries.

Sexing Breeder Canaries

Once canaries reach sexual maturity, it becomes relatively easier to determine their gender. However, sexing canaries should be thought of as a process of weighing more than one piece of evidence, and taking into consideration both visual and behavioral cues will greatly increase one’s accuracy. And I must say, the experts all seem to agree on the one irrefutable sign of gender: if it lays an egg, it’s a hen. Beyond this one certainty, there is always some room for error.