Canary, also known as hibiscus bird, hibiscus, white jade, white jade bird, jade bird, white swallow, is a grain-eating bird in the finch family. It is originally from Ghana, Madeira, Isles of Sicily and other islands on the northwest coast of Africa. It is a well-kept ornamental bird with excellent color and singing. There are 24 varieties, all of which are considered noble ornamental birds both domestically and internationally. Although introduced from foreign countries since the 1940s, China did not pay much attention to the preservation of breed varieties, and there are not many pure breeds.
Through artificial breeding, various colors such as yellow, white, gray, green, orange, bronze, cinnamon, and multicolored feathers have appeared. Its body shape and posture have also changed greatly, and different strains have been cultivated. In recent years, the cultivated erect type, large crescent type, and upright eagle type are particularly precious.
Canaries are suitable for bird lovers who have a lot of free time to raise them.
1. Respiratory diseases: mainly refers to colds, bronchitis, pneumonia. Etiology: caused by various reasons that cause cold. Symptoms: fluffy feathers, inactive, dull and sleepy, slow reaction, rapid breathing, wet rales. Treatment: 1/10 ml of small norfloxacin, oral drip feeding, twice a day, continuous feeding for 5-7 days. Or 2-4 mg of tetracycline, add 1 ml of 25% glucose solution, oral drip feeding, 1/10 ml once, twice a day, continuous feeding for 5-7 days.
2. Gastrointestinal diseases: mainly enteritis. Etiology: mostly caused by food mold and spoilage. Symptoms: thin feces, sticky stool around the anus, depressed spirit, drowsiness and anorexia, loose feathers and droopy wings. Treatment: 5 mg of silicon charcoal silver sheet, add 1 ml of 25% glucose solution, oral drip feeding, 1/10 ml once, twice a day, continuous feeding for 3 days. Or 1 norfloxacin capsule, add to 100 ml of drinking water, for the bird to drink. Or 2 ml of oxytetracycline added to 100 ml of water for the bird to drink. Or 1/10 of oxytetracycline, oral drip feeding, twice a day, continuous feeding for 3 days.
3. Inflammation of the uropygial gland: commonly known as "yellow disease". Etiology: mostly bacterial infection. Symptoms: fluffy feathers, drowsiness and anorexia. When the upper feathers on the tail are pushed aside, inflamed abscesses of the uropygial gland can be seen. Treatment: Gently squeeze the purulent material in the uropygial gland with your fingernails, then apply iodine tincture to the affected area, once daily, continue for 2 days for recovery.
4. Feather parasites: mainly include lice, mites, fleas, ticks, etc. Gray-black or red lice and mites can be seen when inspecting the bird. It is especially easy to find them by shining strong light on the bird or cage at night. Symptoms: restlessness, pecking and itching, emaciation and weakness, loose feathers and anemia. Treatment: Malathion powder, pyrethrum, naphthalene acetic acid benzyl ester and benzyl chlorpyrifos all have good killing effects. Thoroughly spray these drugs on the cage, bird, nest, and the environment, so that the drugs can spray into all the crevices, but not into the bird's mouth or eyes. Repeat the killing 2 weeks later. Or buy canned spray specifically designed to kill insects, which has a special effect on bird parasites. Spray method is the same as above.
5. "Ghost shaving" disease: Sometimes birds will shed all the feathers on their heads in a short period of time, commonly known as "ghost shaving". Etiology: deficiency of vitamin B. Treatment: When preparing feed, prevent over-acidity or over-alkalinity and prevent pantothenic acid decomposition. When steaming or frying, add an appropriate amount of pantothenic acid or vitamin B after the feed has cooled down, the dosage is 15-25mg per 500g of feed. At the same time, use the "ghost shaving" lotion sold in hospitals to apply to the affected area.
6. Toe scab disease: skin inflammation and bleeding caused by mites, forming thick scabs. Treatment: soak the affected area in soapy water, peel off the scab after the scab becomes soft, and apply 20% sulfur ointment to the affected area, once a day, continuously for 5 days.
The canary's body is relatively weak, so they should be allowed to exercise more often, so the breeding cage must be spacious and preferably a specially made canary breeding cage. The male and female birds are housed separately for everyday feeding, with only one bird per cage. In August and September, they are transferred to the breeding cage for breeding and nest building. The breeding cage is mostly made of wood and measures 46 centimeters by 30 centimeters by 35 centimeters. An artificial nest, woven with grass or bamboo strands and shaped like a bowl with a diameter of 11 centimeters and a depth of 5 centimeters, is hung above the breeding cage. The mouth of the food can and water can inside the cage should be large, and it is better to have a flat round perch. The bottom of the cage should be covered with fine sand.
The canary's daily feed includes millet, foxtail, cornmeal porridge, rapeseed, apple, and greens. Several ingredients can be mixed for feeding, such as 2 parts millet, 7 parts foxtail, and 1 part rapeseed. When foxtail is difficult to obtain, millet or millet can be used as a substitute. Apples should be cut into small pieces, and greens should be finely chopped. In winter or during molting, the feed ratio is 2 parts millet, 6 parts foxtail, and 2 parts rapeseed (suzi). Before the parent birds pair up, feed them egg millet, and continue to provide mating feed and bone meal after cohabitation. After the eggs are hatched, stop using the above feed and add an additional 20% rapeseed and white suzi seeds. After the chicks hatch, provide them with egg yolk porridge (one cooked egg yolk, 120 grams of millet or cornmeal, and chopped greens and oyster shell powder, etc.
Managing canaries requires higher standards than ordinary cage-reared songbirds. Clean the cage bottom 2-3 times a week and brush and replace the food and water cans once a day. Clean the perch every 3 days and bathe the bird in water at least once a week. Trim the claws at the right time. If canaries are exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, their feathers will fade, and the Roma canaries will also start to become hoarse and make loud noises, so exposing them to gentle sunlight for an hour a day is enough. During summer nights, it is best to cover the cage with a cage cover to prevent mosquito bites.
July and August is the molting period for canaries. The weak ones often die, and the healthy ones are susceptible to diseases. Therefore, in addition to adding 10% rapeseed and squid bone powder to the feed, it is also necessary to avoid strong winds and minimize contact with the outside world.
Bathing is an important step in cleaning feathers. It can wash away the dust on the feathers, soften the stains, and facilitate the subsequent grooming work. During bathing, birds will immerse about half of their bodies in the water, sometimes flapping their wings, sometimes turning sideways to wash their back feathers, and even diving into the water for a complete wetting. However, they also pay attention to controlling the time of "taking a bath" to avoid getting their feathers completely wet and affecting their flight.
In grasslands and desert environments where there is a lack of water sources, birds will also find a sandy area to use as a bathhouse and bathe with sand. Great bustards, pheasants, and larks all love to take sand baths, not only to clean dirt but also possibly to remove external parasites.
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