2 Canaries Left in Closing Pet Shop.

[cheerio]

Tomorrow, I'm picking up 2 female canaries about 6 months old, not siblings. They are now housed separately. Should I provide separate cages for them or can they be housed together. Thanks for advice.

[spirit wings]

I think they can go either way.. I would keep them together and see how it goes... if there are problems then seperate..congratz on getting you new little friends.. they are preciouse.

[cheerio]

Originally Posted by spirit wings

I think they can go either way.. I would keep them together and see how it goes... if there are problems then seperate..congratz on getting you new little friends.. they are preciouse.

Thank you. I will put them together

[PigeonQueen]

Put them together . There should be no problems. Canaries prefer company.

[PigeonQueen]

Two feeding stations and two drinking water stations will also prevent conflict.

[mncanary]

I raised canaries for 16 years, and my experience is that canaries do not like company. You can occasionally keep hens together, if the cage is large enough. (I'd consider 48" long to be large enough). Hens will sometimes squabble but even if they don't they will be under some stress from trying to maintain a territory in a cage with another hen.

You can almost never keep males together--they'll fight to the death in breeding season.

For the best health of your canaries, you should house the hens separately.

Make sure you are adjusting the day length (the number of hours that the birds see light, whether it be sunlight or light from lamps). Without a natural day length change, the canaries will gradually sicken and die from hormonal imbalances.

Dave

[cheerio]

Thanks for advice. What I've done is to get 2 cages. I'll be bringing the canaries home today. I'll start them together, with me keeping a close eye. If there should be a problem, I can take one out into the second cage.
Wish me luck.

[mncanary]

[quote=cheerio;610384]What I've done is to get 2 cages. I'll be bringing the canaries home today. I'll start them together, with me keeping a close eye.

Good luck with your canaries. They are great birds. And tough. Our society has been keeping them as cage birds for 500 years.

Birds are great at hiding stress. Even if you don't notice a problem with the two hens being together, they will be under some stress. One is always dominant over the other.

Dave

[cheerio]

[quote=mncanary;610527]

Originally Posted by cheerio

What I've done is to get 2 cages. I'll be bringing the canaries home today. I'll start them together, with me keeping a close eye.

Good luck with your canaries. They are great birds. And tough. Our society has been keeping them as cage birds for 500 years.

Birds are great at hiding stress. Even if you don't notice a problem with the two hens being together, they will be under some stress. One is always dominant over the other.

Dave

Hi Dave,

I've had the 2 girls together since yesterday and all seems OK. They have their separate food and water and 2 swings. Each has been on her swing. They interact well with me. They certainly are great birds. I can remember having a male when I was a kid and he sang beautifully.

[Msfreebird]

[quote=cheerio;610696]

Originally Posted by mncanary

Hi Dave,

I've had the 2 girls together since yesterday and all seems OK. They have their separate food and water and 2 swings. Each has been on her swing. They interact well with me. They certainly are great birds. I can remember having a male when I was a kid and he sang beautifully.

A long time ago when I worked in a pet shop, we got canary's on a regular basis. They were young and unsexed. One of them would sing and sing and sing beautifully ALL DAY! We assumed it was a male......until she layed an egg...and continued to sing about it
Congratulations on your new birds

[cheerio]

[quote=Msfreebird;610843]

Originally Posted by cheerio

A long time ago when I worked in a pet shop, we got canary's on a regular basis. They were young and unsexed. One of them would sing and sing and sing beautifully ALL DAY! We assumed it was a male......until she layed an egg...and continued to sing about it
Congratulations on your new birds

Do many females sing or was this an exception?

[Msfreebird]

[quote=cheerio;610877]

Originally Posted by Msfreebird

Do many females sing or was this an exception?

I really can't answer that I was always told that the males do the singing, and that females will sing just before laying eggs. But this particular female sang ALL THE TIME! And beautifully!!
And to add to this...I was also told that it's the MALE parrots that talk the best and most. I have a female Mollucan Cockatoo that I can carry on a conversation with!! VERY intelligent, picks up everything anyone says, and calls me by my 1st name !

[spirit wings]

great info waynette... That is interesting.. I wish so bad I could have a canary.. my cats just would be a problem for it though.. and would hate to have to keep it locked in a room ...love those little birds!..