Attracting Birds to Your Backyard - Tips for Attracting Birds to Your Backyard

Having birds visiting your backyard can be a wonderful thing, just like making party decorations from scratch. Imagine being able to watch singing cheerful birds from your own living room couch. However, you need to have the right setting in order for birds to visit and stay. This means you need to set up your home so that it is attractive to birds by investing in a few essential items and keeping your yard bird friendly.

Watching birds in your area from the comfort of your own home is a rewarding experience. Planting native trees and shrubs can make it even more attractive to birds. Try to model your garden and backyard on the natural forests and wildness areas which can give you a better chance of attracting bird to your backyard. However, you don't want to let the area grow too natural and overgrown which can make it harder for birds to navigate through and can also attract other unwanted critters such as snakes. ...

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The Inspiration of Birds Songs

The vocal ability of birds has inspired poets and musicians, from Chaucer to Wordsworth, from Handel to Respighi. Birdsong can be a natural phenomenon of intense beauty. But our enjoyment is incidental to the main purpose, which is one bird communicating with others. Birds became the world's master musicians in order to convey to potential mates, rivals and predators all the important things they have to say, from "Clear off!" to "Come on!" And their songs have been shaped by their environment, just as the rap musician of New York delivers a different "tune" to the yodeller in the Swiss mountains. The musical detail would have impressed

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Purchasing from bird marts

It's a lot of fun to attend a local bird mart/show and possibly pick up a new pet there. Although you can find some really good buys there, you must be cautious as to what you are buying. Some breeders actually will sell you a sick or unhealthy bird. More on that later. There are also breeders at shows that buy canaries in bulk from Florida, or other states, and sell them to unsuspecting customers as their own private stock. If they didnt raise the birds themselves then they have no idea of the health history on the bird. Many of the bulk purchased birds are under a great deal of stress from being in overcrowded cages, being flown in in a crate on an airplane, and having been raised in sub-standard conditions. This is much like a puppy farm.

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Air Sac Mites & treatment

Air sac mites can make your bird very ill. Read this brief information about symptoms & remedy:

How do I know if my bird has the air sac mite?
Signs include: Heavy breathing; open-mouth breathing; stain on feathers around nostrils; coughing (clicking sounds); sneezing and the birds stop singing. 

How long does it take my bird to get better after I apply SCATT?
The lightly to moderately effected birds show dramatic improvement in 24-48 hours. Severely infected birds can take weeks to bounce back. Treating with antibiotic for secondary infections on the lesions in the air sacs and lungs is important if they are severely infected. Amtyl is a good choice.

Should I disinfect my cage after applying SCATT?
The airsac mite is very persistent. On the second day of treatment with SCATT, the nests, cage and aviary must be cleaned and disinfected with, a pyrethrum-based product. Pyrethrum, an extract of the chrysanthemum flower is safe for use on birds and in their environment. These are great products, Avian Insect Liquidator, Control & Pestex. This treatment must be repeated each week for three weeks to break the life cycle (21 days) of the airsac mite.

Is SCATT safe to use before my birds start breeding?
You can treat your adult birds before you set them up for the breeding season if you have the mite.You don’t want to pass the mite onto the babies. One treatment should be all you need.



Just a funny to share with everyone! :>

Breeding Season Prep

Breeding time for your birds may be starting or not, depending on your particular birds. Many of mine are already starting nests and I have fertile eggs already. Some birds may not show signs of being ready until next month. Don't pair your birds unless the signs are there- either of the pair dancing about with a feather (or any type of nesting material it finds) in its mouth, lots of singing from the male AND the female showing interest in his advances. Do NOT put a female in with a male if she is not ready. He can actually kill her if he is too agressive. Also, before pairing be sure to clip the birds toenails (not too short), give S76 or other mite treatment as a preventative, and also I give a round of a product called Ronivet. It cleans out the system of any parasites or illness before breeding. I also begin giving supplements to encourage breeding, liquid calcium, vitamins, breeding season seed, and millet. If you are planning to breed your birds hopefully you read my earlier post about length of daylight for your birds. As our days are shorter this time of year, the birds light hours are also shorter. Lengthing their day by adding about 15 minutes per week to their lights until you reach 13 to 14 hours will bring them into breeding season. This is somewhat like forcing flower bulbs to bloom by putting them in the freezer to simulate winter, then planting them soon after to get them to bloom early. The longer day for the bird signals them that they have more daylight to feed their young, as this is important so the babies don't go hungry over a long night time.

Don't add the extra light too fast. A little at a time is best.

Pretty soon eggs will appear, so be ready to prepare your parent birds with egg food, fresh greens, fruit bits, etc so they can offer lots of healthy food for the chicks. Fresh water everyday! :)

Got mites?

Several of you have contacted me about mites and asked about treatment. I have had great results using SCATT & S76. I use it in January as a preventive for the upcoming breeding season, and if mites are a problem into the year I treat with S76. For feather mites you can add S76 to even the bath water for your birds! They love to bathe and adding treatment to the water helps them to wash away those pesky mites.

Be sure to read the label to get the proper amount for what you need. Scatt is applied to the birds thigh, 1 drop, if your bird has air sac mites or scaley mite.

Go to this page for product. I do not carry product just yet, but this site has what you need.  http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/features_scatt-s76.mgi

End of molt! :>

Your birds molt should be coming to a close! No more snow flake feathers floating about! If you have males and females they may be flirting already, but it's too soon to put them together for breeding. The days are too short to begin nesting, and most of the females are not going to be ready. After molting they still need time to rebuild from the previous breeding season and gain strength for the new season. Your male canary should really start to sing again now that molt is over.

Some new additions to the Coop!

I've just added a beautiful pair of blue northern dutch frill canaries! If you have never seen this type of canary you should Google it and see what they are all about.  With a bit of luck and patience, I hope to have some of these birds available for sale next year. I understand that Frills are not so easy to breed, unless you specialize in that type. Wish me luck! I also added another frosted red factor male for breeding next year, and some cute zebra finches. I love to hear zebra finches sing! They have so much personality.

The Coop is growing! :>

End of season blues & molting

Your canary may be looking a little listless about now (Fall is coming!) and may not be singing as he used to. As our days begin getting shorter your feathered friends are taking notice and going in to their yearly molt. This is a magical but critical time for your bird. Feathers will begin to build up in the cage, mostly down, and they will sit on the perch looking a bit under the weather. Never fear! It will pass. BUT- you must take care of your bird in this time. He needs extra protein to strenghthen him as he molts. Birds get weak in the molting season and they can become sick as their resistance to disease is lower. Look for molting supplements. I get many of my supplies from www.friskyfinches.com. They offer a great molt aid that is added to the birds drinking water. That one product takes care of the bird throughout the molt, and gives the new feathers health and shine! Also offer a pan of water for bathing. Your birdie will love you for it! Pull up a chair and watch as he splashes and dips in the water. This helps wash away dander, helps with scales on the legs, and gives a rinse to the feathers molting away. Just be sure he is good and dry before lights out, as a wet bird gets cold at night! Look forward to a newly feathered friend who will sing very soon! :>

Basic Canary Care

Keeping your bird happy and healthy is very simple! A little basic knowledge is all you need. Provided are some tips for you to apply, but searching the web will give you a plethora of information. Also provided at The Canary Coop is a links page with recommended bird websites that you will find very helpful!

Always provide your canary with the largest cage you can afford. Width is always better than height, when it comes to cages. Canaries need to be able to flap their wings several times in flight to get proper exercise. If you can’t find what you need in a pet store, then please shop online. Ebay has some great choices in cages at affordable prices.  

Never put your canary in direct sunlight. The heat is too much for them. (Full spectrum lighting is ideal! Check out OTT- lite for birds.) Keep them away from drafts. Never put a canary outside unattended! There is always a predator lurking somewhere. Even mosquitoes are the enemy. They bite birds and make them very sick.

Provide fresh water, non-chlorinated if possible, and fresh canary seed every day. Be sure to thoroughly clean the water dishes daily and rinse well to remove all residues of soap, etc. Slimy water dishes can make your new canary very ill.  Fresh greens and orange bits are great, but don’t leave it in the cage longer than an hour. It can go bad and make your bird sick. Never ever give him avocado. Millet is a favorite but offer it sparingly, as too much can make your bird overweight.

If your canary stops singing he may be molting. He may also be sick. If you are experiencing this let us know.

Your bird needs to have a good night’s rest. Be sure to turn the light off after he has had about 10-11 hrs of light.  It’s a good idea to cover your bird cage at night. They feel a little more secure and it ensures any night drafts don’t blow across them. The lamp you  read by can keep your bird awake too long, so covering him helps with that. Too much light or too little light can affect his health. You can Google information about this topic to get more details.

Your canary will provide you with years of companionship and song, if properly cared for. They don’t need regular vet checkups, but if your bird does get sick see an avian vet. Talk to your bird! He will look for you each day to see what you are bringing him, and likes you to talk to him. Remember, canaries are not a bird that wants to sit on your finger. Enjoy him from the outside of his cage.

Have fun!