Here is your latest issue of...
CanaryTips!
Your Guide to Canary Care Success.

Friday, April 15, 2005

CanaryTips! delivers VALUABLE information about the hobby of keeping a canary as a pet AND tips for successful canary breeding. Filled with timely tips, it’s designed to be your UP-TO-DATE canary care guide that helps you provide the BEST living conditions for your flying friend. :-)

PROUDLY and JOYOUSLY presented by Darren at CanaryAdvisor.com.

===================================
IN THIS ISSUE
===================================

1) COMING SOON

2) A NOTE FROM THE ADVISOR

3) FEATURE ARTICLE
Feather Plucking Part3: Is Your Canary STRESSED OUT?!

4) BREEDING
How Cool is Too Cool?

5) MARKETPLACE

===================================
COMING SOON
...to CanaryAdvisor.com
===================================

1) Build YOUR Site!--- LAUNCHED--See it now...Click here.
Many people have been asking how I've taken a teeny-tiny insignificant topic like canary care and created a website that ranks among the top 2% of all 60 MILLION sites on the net. This section of CanaryAdvisor.com will show you how I did it and how YOU can do it too.

2) RSS and CanaryAdvisor.com
Using RSS you can choose to be notified immediately anytime I add a new page or change a page. Complete introduction to using and benefiting from this new and hot way to find the info you want on the net.

3) CanaryAdvisor.com Site Search!--- LAUNCHED--See it now...Click here.
Search CanaryAdvisor.com for any topic.

4) Canary Cage Central
I've had such a hard time finding functional, attractive, and affordable cages for canaries on-line that I've decided to take control of the situation! You'll be able to select from the best values in canary cages.

5) Canary Keeper Catalog
A thorough collection of books and magazines for bird lovers.

6) More information on where to find the best deals on canary supplies...complete with special discounts from favorite retailers.

===================================
A NOTE FROM THE ADVISOR
===================================

Dear

Well...the sunshine and blooms of 2 weeks ago have given way to an overcast sky and cool winds. That’s OK. Nothing can get me down this week...know why?

I bought a “brand new used” (used but like new) truck. :-)

After 16 years of driving my Toyota pick up and putting over 200,000 miles on it, I finally had had enough and found a 2002 Chevy Silverado. Hmmm...I wonder if this one will last 16 years?

I was a little worried after hearing some horror stories about people who had bought used vehicles only to get a lemon. But I used to work at a used car lot so I had some experience with this kind of thing and I also had help from a guy named Corey Rudle.

Corey also worked at a car lot for quite a while and--after seeing how the industry works--he wrote a book about how to buy a car without getting ripped off.

I picked up his book before I even started shopping and boy, am I glad I did! With his help, I ended up getting a truck that Blue Books at $17,000 for only $14,000! YES! I’m very happy. :-) Anyway...

I know this is totally off topic but I am so pleased with the info he provided I wanted to share it with you. If you have any plans on buying a new vehicle in the future you should pick up a copy of his book. It’s called Car Secrets Revealed...

Read more about it here. carsecrets.com

And...NO, I’m NOT being paid to recommend Corey’s book. I just thought you might find it useful.

OK, back to canaries. I know I get a little off topic sometimes...sorry. ;-)

The Growth Is Looking Good
Things are coming along nicely on all the new additions to CanaryAdvisor.com. As you probably already know, CanaryAdvisor.com’s Site Search and the Me and My Site pages are done. You can visit them here...

Me and My Site

Site Search

Today’s issue features Part 3 of Feather Plucking. Pay attention...This entire series goes much deeper than the problem of feather plucking. In the process of trying to prevent feather plucking in your canary, you’ll end up with a pet bird that is happy and healthy in ALL areas of his mental and physical health.

Until next time...Keep Your Canary S-I-N-G-I-N-G!

Your Friend,
Darren
www.CanaryAdvisor.com

===================================
FEATURE ARTICLE
===================================

Is Your Canary STRESSED OUT?!
Feather Plucking Pt 3

Remember...Your bird is locked up in a cage and is not able to live a normal life. He can't go out searching for food, or for a mate, or fly around above the trees having fun.

And although your canary has accepted his cage as his home, being confined to his small and unnatural cage can sometimes create a level of stress that is unhealthy. To help avoid a stressed out canary do your best to...

• keep his surroundings calm and pleasant • help him avoid boredom • help him get some exercise.

CALM DOWN

Your canary is confined to his small cage and has no way of escaping anything he feels is threatening him. Add into the mix a couple of noisy energetic kids, blaring stereo or TV, dogs, cats, or other general "busy-ness" and what do you get?

A stressed out bird.

This is not to say that all activity is bad. No...In fact a little activity and background noise is beneficial. Dead silence can create stress just as easily as noise pollution. In nature, silence usually means there is a predator around.

And, unfortunately, the stress your canary feels may be relieved by self mutilation...feather plucking.

So, in a noisy busy house what can you do?

The obvious answer to the above example is to move your canary to a more relaxed part of the house. Not dead quiet and still but...c-a-l-m.

Of course...even in a calm and subdued atmosphere your canary can become stressed. Remember, he's in his cage all day with nothing to do. Result...

BOREDOM.

If your bird is kept in a very quiet area, you can play a little music in the background. Or better yet...

Play a canary CD. Other canaries singing will energize him and put him in a better mood. Canary Songs

Also try adding some sisal fiber to the cage. It's mainly used for nesting material but your lone canary will enjoy having something to play with and pick at. There's something about sisal fibers that canaries love. You can probably find some sisal fibers at your local pet store. Also see...The Lady Gouldian Finch store.

Another option is to just put in some shredded, unscented toilet paper. Or even some twigs from a fruit tree...washed, bleached, and dried thoroughly...might help keep him entertained.

Something else that will help keep him busy and entertained is...

Food

Works for me! ;-)

Try taking a 2 inch piece of corn on the cob, wash thoroughly, and split down the middle. Place in his clean cage, flat side down. Once he figures out that it's a tasty treat he'll attack it with gusto!

A millet spray is delectable and fun to eat.

Another way to keep stress at bay is through...

EXCERCISE

If your home is free of major dangers you can let your bird out of the cage every couple of days for some flying. Don't physically remove him. Just open the door and let him discover his new temporary freedom on his own. Leave the door open and when he gets hungry he'll find his way back.

Do this at a time when you know you'll be home for a few hours. You'll need to keep one eye on him so he doesn't get into trouble. See...Canary Exercise.

Ultimately, it's best to finger train your canary. That way you can put him back in the cage when it is convenient for you. Training will be discussed in a future article.

Keeping your canary relaxed, entertained, and exercised will help keep the feather plucking habit at bay.

A deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals also may cause this terrible habit.

Next time...How nutrition--and I'm not talking about "entertaining" treats as mentioned above--can help keep your canary from plucking feathers.

===================================
BREEDING
===================================

Temperatures for Breeding

A reader asks...

”Darren, the room where I keep my breeding canaries tends to stay pretty cool. How cool is too cool?”

Fortunately, temperatures don’t play a HUGE role in canary breeding. Obviously, you want to avoid temperature extremes...

Very HOT temps will cause canaries to die in their shell. Very COLD temps will do the same thing. Cool temperatures have also been known to delay hatching by a few days. Plus, the more UNcomfortable your canaries are, the less willing they’ll be to breed.

So, what’s the best temperature for breeding...?

Warm, but comfortable.

How’s that for a “specific” answer?

Interestingly, different breeds of canary are bred in different temperatures. For instance, Yorkshire breeders in the U.K. keep their breeding areas at 55 to 60 degrees F. That’s pretty cool!

On the other hand, THE H&D BUDGERIGAR & CAGE BIRD SOCIETY INC recommends a temperature between 70 and 80 F for all breeds of canaries. 80 degrees sounds a little too warm to me but obviously a lot of breeders have success at those temps.

I don’t monitor my aviary that closely. I like to keep things as simple as possible so I just make sure that it’s a “comfortable” temperature. I make sure it’s not too hot or too cold.

The bottom line is...

Keep your aviary warm and comfortable...a little on the cool side is OK. A good rule of thumb would be about 60 to 75 degrees.

_____

“What about the humidity level?” Good question. It is important...so important in fact, that the lives of your unhatched canaries depends on it.

In the next issue we’ll talk about the importance of moisture levels in the aviary.

===================================
MARKETPLACE
===================================

Invite the WILD Birds Over For a Visit.
Who doesn’t love to have wild birds in the yard? Choose from 1,000's of items that will turn your yard into a veritable avian paradise. Houses, Feeders, Seed, Baths, and more at A Birds World.
abirdsworld.com

-----------------------------------------------

Cute and Cuddly Stuffed Animals of All Kinds.
They’re sure to make you smile...Pick through over 500 life-like stuffed animals. Pet birds, wildlife, zoo animals, farm animals, dogs and cats, sea life, and more. Easy secure shopping.
StuffedArk.com

-----------------------------------------------

What's the #1 way to increase canary singing? Use recorded songs!
Use the same tricks that professional canary breeders and exhibitionists use to train their canaries to sing.
The Complete Canary Album.

-----------------------------------------------

READING THIS AD? THEN WHY NOT PUT YOURS HERE!
Reach almost 2,000 pet owning animal lovers. Get the scoop and reserve your spot today at
canaryadvisor.com/ezineadsales

=========================================