Molting Canary.
Do Bad Haircuts Make You Sick?
When a molting canary goes through his annual molt he needs extra attention made to his canary care.
Molting...
...is not a canary disease, as some people seem to think, but can have a detrimental effect on
canary health.
It is the natural process of your canary losing and replacing his feathers.
The annual molt occurs once per year--beginning at the height of summer when daylight reaches 12 to 14 hours per day--and lasts about 2 or 3 months...sometimes longer.
This is why it is important to cover your canary’s
cage at sundown in the winter...too many daylight hours may result
in an off-season “soft” or “shock” moult. Another opportunity for
your canary to have a decreased immunity to illness.
molting canary feathers
Regarding the molt, Mathew M. Vriends states that such off-season molts...
|
Warmth Is Important Too
If your canary is getting the correct number of daylight hours but is in a cool environment, it may decrease his ability to molt properly.
Don't be afraid to let your canary's environment, in the summer, reach into the 80s to even 90s degree Fahrenheit levels.
The Molt Is Hard Work
Molting can have a negative effect on canary health...
During the molt your canary will...
- slow his singing or stop completely during this time.
He will also appear...
- listless. Molting takes a lot of energy.
Proper health care during this time includes...
- Providing a bath for your molting canary everyday during the molt to keep his new feathers clean and healthy
- You should help a canary along by giving him a good nutritious and delicious well balanced diet
- In addition to his usual diet a molting canary should be given a molting supplement to get him through this stressful time. This is a food supplement that will help insure that your molting canary is getting plenty of protein, of which the canary feathers contain 88%, and other nutrients for conditioning feathers and enhancing color.
For more on how to "LISTEN" to your canary's body language and how to recognize subtle symptoms see CanaryBirdLISTENING.com
Here's a video by breeder James Duggan talking about his molting color canaries...
What Is Molting?
Molting is the process of a bird losing his old feathers from last year and growing new feathers for this year.
Recommended Pet Canary Supplies...
Why Do Canaries Molt?
Canaries and other birds don't grow feathers like you and I grow our hair. It's not a regular ongoing process.
Instead, canaries grow out all their feather at one time each year.
By the end of that year, a bird's feathers can be pretty ratty, damaged, and dirty. So, a brand new set is needed.
How Often and When Do Canaries Molt?
Canaries molt once per year starting at the height of summer, around the first of July (or January in the southern hemisphere).
The one time annual molt lasts about 2 to 3 months.
The molt is triggered by the long summer days which start getting shorter after the summer solstice.
Make sure you are covering your canary's cage at sundown and uncovering at sunrise to give your pet canary the most natural amount of daylight hours throughout the year.
What Should I Expect During The Molt?
Your male canary will likely stop singing during this time and become listless and quiet.
You'll see lots of feathers scattered at the bottom of the cage and on the outside of the cages as well.
Your canary will spend a lot of time preening his feathers, scratching, and fluffing up his feathers to relieve itching.
What Should I Do For My Molting Canary?
Make sure your moulting canary has a great diet which includes...
- A high quality seed mix
- Healthy treats of fruit, veggies, and boiled egg
- Plenty of fresh water daily
- A molting supplement for extra vitamins and minerals
Also provide him with...
- A bathing dish
- A stress free environment
CanaryAdvisor.com's Canary Tips! Ezine delivers only original and immediately usable canary care information that...
...Keeps your canary S-I-N-G-I-N-G!
Thousands of canary lovers are enjoying
their
Canary Tips! --
Read what some have to
say...Click here.
Sign up here...sign up now...It's FREE.
Have you read about the dreaded canary belly-ache yet?
Click here to learn
about digestion problems in pet birds.
