Habitat Canaries Cage

A canary can be accommodated in several types of structures: a cage, a small aviary, an outdoor aviary ... For each structure, certain rules must be respected to ensure that the canary or (s) to feel better about their environment .

Cage and Accessories

Before talking about the subject, it should be a small dot on the location plan. Two factors must be taken into account: the canary is an animal sensitive to air flow and also the change in brightness and also the cage will generate dirt (splashing water, sand or seeds). We must find the location before you buy the animal and the cage.

•     The canary should be placed in a sunny room but too near the window for not too cold in winter and hot in summer die.
•     It also requires that where the cage will be installed is easy to clean and not fear splashing water (remember to properly protect the varnished wooden tables for example).
•     Some parts are to be avoided like the bathrooms or kitchens because moisture and vapors (eg cooking) can be toxic to canaries.
•     If the part is installed where the bird is lit in the evening after the sun for several hours (as the living room for example), think to cover the bird cage so he can sleep a After the sunset. Most birds and canaries are particularly sensitive to the length of the light: for too long a period of brightness throughout the year will tend to tire the body.

The Cage

The cage is the home of your canary. There must therefore be protected from the dangers and find the space and everything he needs to live. A cage is not necessarily a beautiful object but above all a place to stay for canary.

The first important thing for the choice of the cage is that it must be rectangular and especially longer than wide. The canary is a bird who loves flying and flying in the longitudinal direction only. He can not fly in the direction of the height as budgies for example. Now, choose the appropriate size to the number of individual: if it has only one canary in a cage 60 cm long, 40 cm wide, 50 cm high for a couple (especially if plans to reproduce them) a cage 90 cm long, 40 cm wide, 50 cm is suitable.

The second important thing in choosing the cage is the choice with non-horizontal and vertical bars. The explanation is simple: the canary flies in length if the bars are horizontal, they run the risk of jamming legs between the bars. Moreover, canaries, unlike birds beak hooked, do not like climbing up the bars of their cage. So why we must prefer a cage with vertical bars.

The last element to consider is the bottom of the cage. Indeed, the cage should be cleaned often and therefore you will often be required to remove the bottom for cleaning. Therefore, it is best to choose something that is practical and easy to remove. In addition, you should also consider the dirt that can cause bird cage. Plus the background is less deep dirt out of the cage. You can also choose to put safeguards around the cage to avoid splashing of seeds and sand.

Perches

Perches are the elements where the bird will land outside the cage base. He will also ask them to do that, it will also be used to groom and take off to fly more easily. It is therefore essential that the perches are appropriate and cleaned regularly. Their number will depend on the size of the cage and will seek to limit their number to keep plenty of space flight for the bird. For a cage 60x40x50, two perches placed in the width direction are sufficient.

Wood or plastic, hollow or not, the diameter of the perches should be between 1.5 and 2 cm, the bar is necessarily round.

The perch should not be placed too close to the walls of the cage to prevent the bird crashed plumage and especially tail rubbing on the bars.

Perches should be cleaned often and for low perches, we must think of cleaning the inside to prevent the proliferation of parasites. A little trick is to put some anti lice in the hollow perches and ensure that no lice will come to nest there.

ABOVE: Never install frosted holster on perches! These utensils are sold in pet stores, allow a so-called "natural wear and indispensable claws and beak of birds." This is totally wrong for canaries! First, the site of the leg of a bird on the perch, these cases are not in contact with the claws, but mainly with the legs. They also are a source of frequent accidents and problems: the grains of sand can get caught between the scales of the legs and create infections, the party has blasted abnormal wear of the scales of the legs causing sores and cuts more or less important and finally, for birds that have become accustomed to rub their heads on perches for their toilet, they may experience swelling in the eyes as well as localized patches of eczema instead of friction.

The Drinkers

There are several types of drinkers: fountains, watering traditional drinkers bottle.

For a cage, it is best to choose a classic watering fountains because generally require to be placed on the floor and then fill with dirt (remnants of seeds, cage base ...) that will pollute the water birds.

There are several different capacities at the troughs, it is for everyone to choose according to the present number of canary in the cage. It should be noted that the water must be changed every day and also cleaned the watering every day. For cleaning, use a rinse bottle is the tool best suited to the shape of the trough.

Today, most drinkers are plastic (which is very convenient for cleaning and for use) but there are also glass and, in this case, it is important to verify that the parts in contact with the birds are not sharp or simply damaged.

It should also indicate the presence on the market trough "anti algae" (the part containing the water is blue transparent) which reduces the growth of algae and micro organisms that can grow in standing water.

The Feeders

There are several types of feeders: feeders group, individual feeders, buckets.

Feeders group are more recommended for large cages. For a conventional cage, feeders and individual wells are more suitable. On some cages, the location of the feeders and the feeder is planned inserted from the outside. In other cases, the openings are not provided, choose feeders that can hang on the inside. Individual feeders are usually closed on top and offers a space more or less reduced to the bird to eat.

Feeders "economic" are on the market: they are feeders with a very specific form that prevents the bird to play with seeds and does not allow him to sort his food, he eats the seeds of which it necessarily takes hold. These feeders have many positive aspects: respect for a balanced diet, less loss of seeds, less dust on the seeds, less than projections of seeds or seed hulls. The only drawback is that the canary likes to choose its seeds and do not eat the same seeds throughout the day. It is up to each manger to see what works best by testing yourself.

The buckets are small boxes that hang inside the cage. The buckets are convenient and useful to provide foods that do not need to be present continuously in the cage or to be changed regularly (as for breeding mash) They come in all sizes and all colors. They must choose according to what one wants to put in and in what quantity.

The Bath

Utensil essential for your pet to maintain clean, the tub is an important accessory. There are baths indoor or outdoor. For a cage, it must focus on outdoor bathtub because it is easier to put on and remove.

The grid separation

It is not strictly spoken a cage accessory but can be very useful. When choosing a cage for a couple, we must also think they can for various reasons having to be separated (fighting, disease, withdrawal of small ...). This is the grid separation occurs. It is always best to take it if it is sold as an option with the cage. Otherwise you can use a piece of wire, being careful that the edges are not sharp for the birds.

The Fund Cage

This is not strictly speaking an accessory to the cage but it's actually something that will allow you to maintain your pet's cage clean. There are several systems cage base:

•     Do not put anything (but that means every day to clean the bottom of cage)
•     A newspaper that it will change at least 2 times a week
•     Sand anise (with or without newsprint)
•     Sandy disinfected (with or without newsprint)
•     Rodent raids
•     Treated wood shavings
•     Ground cover anticoccidiose
•     White or gray gravel

Each cage base has its advantages and disadvantages: the sand brings anise crop and gravel needed for calcium with the pieces of shell, by cons is easily thrown out of the cage and clinging to the legs of the bird after the bath. It's the same for each system bottom cage. It is up to each test and adopt the system most suited to its use.

However, it must follow two rules: the bottom of cage should be cleaned regularly, whatever the system chosen and the bottom of cage should not make too much dust that could be harmful to birds.

The limestone block

The block limestone, cuttlebone and grit (mixture of sand, cuttlebone and coal) All three aim to provide calcium for canaries. This calcium can also come from the bottom of cage (sand anise) but this is necessarily sufficient for the needs of the bird. It is therefore imperative to leave available all year cuttlebone and / or limestone block.

As for the grit, it is essential if one does not use a cage base with sand or fine gravel. Indeed, to grind the seeds in its crop, the canary needs to ingest small pebbles or grains of sand that will enable then to digest the seed.

Written by Florianne

Posted in: Canaries