jesterbird
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single female canary laid eggs - 2008/06/21 02:26
Hi there,
I'm new, so I'm not sure this qualifies as a new topic...but I have a question.
I have one canary which turns out to be female. I thought she was female, but then she started singing like a maniac, so I thought it must be a male (though I know females do sing, though not generally as much). But a week ago she started laying eggs.  In her food dish.  There are three of them upon which she has dutifully been brooding. Since she has no mate they obviously will not hatch.
What should I do?
Thanks
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Rivera
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single female canary laid eggs - 2008/06/21 03:00
a) Remove the eggs now.
b) Remove the eggs later, when they *stink*.
c) Wait and see if she stops paying attention to them and either removes them herself or just refuses them, and remove them then.
I think the girl was giving you a hint: she wasn´t singing like a maniac, she was yelling "Get me a dude!!!" 
G
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Florence
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single female canary laid eggs - 2008/06/21 13:16
Jesterbird, welcome to the forum, I hope you will like it here 
Rivera said it all. I have nothing to add 
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jesterbird
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/06/21 20:22
Thanks
I gather that the three options Rivera proposed are listed in order of recommendation. If I remove the eggs now, do I need to replace them with dummy eggs? Will that encourage her to ignore them? If I just remove them will that distress her and compromise her health or encourage her to lay more eggs?
Now that she has demonstrated this nesting behavior I feel guilty about keeping her alone. I would like her to be happy and I know that canaries are social. Since I moved her near a window she has been happier and more animated. I'm sure sees the many birds who fly in to nibble at the feeders outside. I didn't mean to tease her; I thought she would just enjoy being near nature and her wild cousins. I would have set her free if I felt she would survive and find companionship with other birds. Obviously that is absurd.
So now, the dilemma: get her a mate? Move her from the window? What?
If I get her a companion and they produce offspring will I be able to find homes for them? (I wouldn't be able to keep them all.)Does it matter what variety of canary with whom to pair her? I'm not sure what type she is ( she's varigated in color. Beyond that...) I'm not prepared to set up a full scale breeding operation with incubators, etc. Should I try to find a home for her with someone better equipped to meet her needs? Comments? Suggestions?
Thanks for the help.
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Florence
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/06/22 07:00
Well, Jesterbird - to be honest I don't think anyone can give an answer to that since it is you who has to decide what are you prepared to do to make her feel happy. I personally wouldn't have any trouble in keeping her and let her lay infertile eggs. I am a bit apprehensive against caging birds in general but canaries wouldn't survive in the wild in most places anyway so if you cannot meet the conditions in order to set up a breeding place I think it's better to just keep her as is.
Perhaps Rivera will have a different opinion about it and react with that here
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jesterbird
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/06/22 09:33
Thanks, Florence.
As long as it won't stress her and make her ill or desperately depressed I'll just keep her as she is. I'll kep talking with her (we exhange "gweeps" and chortles)  and just keep an eye on her. I appreciate your help.
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/06/23 09:58
We always had our canaries at the window sill in the Netherlands when I was small and they all lived long (unhappy canaries die younger is my rockfast belief)
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Rivera
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/06/24 00:01
I have a couple of parakeets and they laid eggs once, and they did not hatch. Since then, they have not laid eggs. Despite the fact that they are a couple, and that they already mated, it doesn´t mean birds will mate like crazy all the time (though I do have a couple of doves that mate more than Hug Heffner and his gals).
Yes, she will go bezerk the day you remove the eggs, but she will not slit her feathers, don´t worry.
Now... about getting her a "mate"... Just now I have 2 dove babies of 2 different species getting along wonderfully. And on youtube I´ve seen many videos of birds of different species getting along great.
So that might be another option: getting her a friend, and not necesarilly a "husband".
She might keep on laying eggs, but you won´t have to face the problem of "placing your grandchicks".
Also, if she´s laying eggs, regardless of wether they are fertile of not, remember to give a mineral supplement, cuz she´s taking the shell calcium out of somewhere and odds are it´s her bones. At the petstore you can find some already mixed.
If you do chose to get her a hubby, I don´t think it will matter much to her what kind or color it is: instinct will take over.
Hugs.
G
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Jenna8877
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/07/03 07:07
don't move the eggs let her laid on them, she will keep them warm and they will hatch. I know by expertince I have parakeets and they been laiding eggs. do you have a large cosy sack? if you do put the cosy sack were you have the feeding dish and put the eggs in the cosy sack and show her were the cosy sack is, do that twice show her were the cosy sack is if you have one.
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Florence
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/07/04 13:15
Hello Jenna8877, welcome to the forum. Thank you for the advice. I hope jesterbird will check back in soon and read it
For how long did you have parakeets for and (this is impertinent to ask, I know  ) - do you have photos?
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jesterbird
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/07/05 17:51
Hi Jenna,
Thanks for the advice. Frill actually threw the eggs out of her "nest" after they didn't hatch. I'm not familiar with cozy sacks. Would you describe it to me? Thanks.
I had put a large round edged dish in her cage with grasses and other nesting material when she started the nesting behavior, hoping she'd either choose to nest there or transfer the materials to her chosen nest site. She played with the grasses and carried them around, but didn't get much of it into the food dish where she'd laid he eggs. What she (or I) put there didn't stay put (not surprising, since there isn't anything for it to adhere to, as it would in a real nest.)
She has since started to investigate the nest I provided for her. though as yet she hasn't laid any more eggs.
F.Y.I.
I consulted a vet as to handle a single female laying eggs and he said to leave them in the nest or replace them with dummy eggs and that she would eventually realize that they weren't going to hatch and abandon the nest or throw them out (as she did). To remove them and leave the nest empty, he said, would encourage her to lay more eggs, which might cause a dangerous calcium deficiency. (Though I do supplement her diet and she always has at least one source of supplemental calcium - cuttlebone, mineral block, etc. and added more conditioning food and egg food to her diet.)
Thanks for all the support
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jesterbird
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/07/05 18:06
Hi there,
Thanks for the advice. My computer crashed and it has taken me a while to get back up and operational - I didn't abandon the forum!
I've thought about getting a finch friend for her, or even another female. Since there is no male to compete for, would they be happy together? I would introduce them slowly, quarantine the new one in a separate room for a few weeks then put them in separate cages next to each other for a week or so then put them together in neutral territory. I think I'd rather get her a female pal than finch, if it is a viable option.
Thanks again!
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2008/07/06 20:33
Yes, it is always advisable to leave the eggs in the nest I heard.
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margih
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2009/05/02 19:31
Hi Jesterbird! Had identical experience with my female canary given to me as a gift. I left the 4 eggs she laid in the nest and she sat on them for 4 weeks! Spoke to breeder who told me to remove them which I did, as I was concerned that she would never leave the nest! Since then she has laid so many eggs a few days to a week apart, perhaps twelve in total, and I have systematically removed them, hoping to discourage her, but to no avail. I left a nest in the cage and she ignored it for a few days and now has laid another egg and is sitting on it. I have a male now, but he is in another cage as I am also not keen or equipped to breed. Wondering is this is her 'mission in life'? What has happened to you since your last input? Regards Margi
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jesterbird
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2009/05/04 06:24
Hi margih,
Glad toknow someone else has encountered this dilemma.
After much agonizing and lots of support and advice from the forum, I just left the last batch in the nest for a few weeks and eventually removed the nest and eggs, at which point she stopped laying eggs. While she was nesting, she allowed me to hand feed her with soft food I'd prepare for her (normally, she won't tolerate my hand near her) - she did come off the nest periodically to eat and bathe, but I wanted to make sure she got extra nutrition and soft food spoils quickly if left in the dish. I just made sure there was water nearby, and a dish with non-perishable food plus some fruit or greens to nibble on from the nest.
It's that time of year, though, and she is starting to think about nesting again. So, do I sweat through another Spring and Summer feeling guilty about keeping her alone, hoping she doesn't wear herself out laying infertile eggs? Do I find her a home with someone who will allow her to fulfill her dreams of having babies? It would be hard to part with her. 
My Aunt actually pointed out that chickens don't seem to mind having eggs removed from their nests (or maybe it's just that we don't care if they mind when we have a hankering for an omelette). So, are we bird lovers making too much out of the psychological distress we fear we'll cause by removing the eggs?
It's hard to know if or what the "right" thing to do is. If you have a male and they are aware of each other, I'd be inclined to suggest either putting them in separate rooms where they can't see and hear each other or housing them together (after proper introductions are made) for the companionship and - if they breed and she lays eggs - remove the eggs and replace them with "dummy" eggs (if you don't want the eggs to hatch).
good luck and enjoy!
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margih
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2009/05/15 21:45
Hi Jesterbird!
Thank-you so much for the advice, particularly about the feeding.
I have replaced the last 4 eggs she laid with dummy eggs and she is patiently trying to hatch them! (Feel like a criminal)
The breeder I mentioned previously suggested that eggs laid prior to August be removed as the birds tend to look after the babies poorly in winter (if I want the eggs to hatch- said he could find homes for the babies).
I must admit, it is rather nice that she is so docile while on the nest!
The male seems to get anxious if he can't see her, in which instance he will call to her- it's so sweet! At least being in his own cage he does sing, so beautifully!
Thanks again ...
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jesterbird
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2009/05/16 04:34
Hi there,
Yeah, the male is going to be anxious if he can't see her. One "technique " for encouraging male canaries to sing (which - in addition to their beauty and grace - is primarily why most people want them in the first place) is to keep one (or more, to encourage a singing competition) separate from the female, but where they can see and/or hear each other so that they will call to each other. Once they are aware of each other's presence he'll court her with ever more elaborate and frequent song. I don't know if it is stressful for either bird to experience unrequited love.
Also, I don't know if, once he's one his prize and the birds are housed together, the courtship ends (that certainly seems to happen often with men!). I think it is typical for the male to continue singing to his mate once they are together. But that may be just wishful thinking on my part.
At the moment I can't find my canary handbook - which, if you don't already have it, I recommend even if you don't want to allow your birds to breed. It goes step by step in great detail through the elaborate process of pairing birds, but if I remember correctly it is recommended that - if you want to try breeding them - they be initially introduced in a breeding cage, which is a double cage with a removable barrier. Let them get to know each other for a bit then remove the barrier and observe their behavior. If either bird exhibits aggressive behavior, then the marriage won't work. If the female accepts him, she'll allow him to feed and preen her and they can be moved to a cage set up with a nest form and some nesting material, which can be purchased at pet stores. It sticks in my memory that it is better if they are placed together in the males cage - but check with the breeder, becuse maybe either cage will do as long as it is clean and perhaps the perches rearranged.
If you don't have or want to purchas a breeding cage (and boy, are cages ridiculously expensive), I think it's okay to just put their cages next to each other so that the bars touch. In this case, I think - again, check with the breeder or do some reading - it is important to put them together in the male's cage.
Once successfully paired, they will both "build" the nest, and shortly thereafter, she should start laying eggs. It is important during this time that you include, in addition to their regular diet, soft food with egg product, vitamin and mineral supplements, cuttlebone for extra calcium, fresh fruit and veggies (if you aren't already providing them) and a conditioning/nesting food blend. She will come off the nest briefly to eat, but he also will bring things to her. She will also likely want to bathe frequently, so an extra, larger water dish - or bird bath - is a good idea. She may also pluck some of the soft feathers from her breast to feather the nest - so don't worry is she does that unless it appears excessive and neurotic.
Canaries are supposed to be very good parents capable of rearing their young on their own, but sometimes first timers don't know how to cope, in which case intervention may be necessary - which gets into more involved care and equipment, like incubators, etc. I know nothing about what to do after the babies hatch or how to deal with parents who either don't know how or refuse to take care of their babies, so I am useless as a source of info. I'm sure that there are very knowledgeable folks in forum who are capable and would be happy to help walk you through the process as it develops, and if you want to experience the beauutiful, inspiring, joyful process of watching them fall in love and raise a family and are willing to provide the things they need and whatever help they might need, and have someone who will accept the fledglings if you don't wish to keep them, I say go for it! Someday, when I have room enough to accommodate them properly, I'd love to have a pair of canaries and let them do their thing.
In the meantime, I'm still considering giving Frill to a responsible breeder so that she can have the experience of being a mommy. I would miss her, but I think I'd feel better - less of a criminal, as you say - allowing her to honor her natural inclination to breed and would be worth sacrificing the pleasure I get from her presence. Just my personal choice - not intended to influence anyone else's opinions or decisions. If anyone out there is aware of breeders in Connecticut, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know so I can discuss it with them. Thanks.
So good luck, enjoy, and do whatever feels right to you.
Marguerite
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2009/05/20 12:11
Hi Marguerite!
How I appreciate your comments- you have no idea- thanks so much!
Living in sunny South Africa, the temperature at the moment is close to 20deg C, so although we are officially in Autumn, the days are lovely and the birds love being out in the sun!
She (Happy) is still sitting on her dummy eggs, and I hope that she will discard them soon Have downloaded some info on canaries from the internet and will go through all the info- I notice that her poo is very smelly and bulky at the moment!
The birds did share a cage at one stage and although she kicked him (Blessing) in the beginning, she did settle down afterwards. Because he became to quiet and withdrawn, I put him in his own cage.
I'm also very interested to know whether their babies will be red factors also or whether diet will determine this..... interesting!
I feel the same as you do about taking her to a breeder, but the problem is I don't think the friends who gave her to me as a Birthday gift will understand and I must admit she is a source of joy to me!
Many thanks once again
Margi
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jesterbird
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2009/05/20 23:48
Hi again,
South Africa sounds lovely. It's late Spring here, so Frill is enjoying the longer, warmer days(as am I).
She's starting to display the nesting behavior again...such a dilemma. I know exactly what you mean about them being a source of joy. I'm not sure I could part with her.
I seem to recall that when she was sitting on eggs last year her poop was pretty hefty and aromatic as well! I think it's normal.
I Googled "Red Factor Canaries" to see if the info I had on them is correct and came across a website that looks promising. http://www.canaryadvisor.com. Their info on R.F.C.s was good and I plan to explore in greater depth, but if you have a second and want to check it out, let me know what you think.
Basically, what they said is that R.F.s are reddish whether you feed them a color supplement or not, but that adding a good color boosting supplement will intensify their color. And depending on the strength of their genetic background, they should produce little reddish birdies. I have heard that some may be born white. Not so sure about that, but Flamingos are white if they don't eat the food they naturaaly prefer, and R.F.s were originally developed by crossing canaries with red Siskins, who's brilliant color also fades when denied their natural diet. So who knows! It would be an interesting experiment, indeed...
Also, just because you tried pairing your birds before and it didn't work out doesn't necessarily mean they won't bond. They may just need some time to check each other out while in their individual cages put in close proximity before introducing them into the same cage. When they are essentially strangers, it doesn't matter that they are both canaries, a male and a female - they can still get freaked out (especially the female, who may feel threatened). So don't despair!
Best to you and Happiness and Blessing (lovely name, by the way).
Marguerite
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Re:single female canary laid eggs - 2009/07/20 20:53
a good posts.....................
see more funny pictures
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