Nest Building in Water Dish

[BrookR1]

I purchased a female canary two months ago from a bird farm. She was so weak (or unhealthy) that she could barely hop & fly the 36 inch length of her cage. I'm glad to say that she's now literally flying circles around my apartment...it's amazing what a good diet and some wing-flapping space will do for a bird.

Anyway, she's now in nest building mode. I've provided her with two wool-lined nests in her cage but she seems to be ignoring both, and instead, has decided that her water dish is the place she's going to build her nest. Obviously, this won't do. Is there any way I can encourage her to use the nests I've provided her? I don't really want to replace her water dish with those dropper style water bottles. I've even tried to pick up the strands of material and have even tried to build the nest for her, but that just won't do. She's taking the material and placing it in her water dish.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[Monica]

You might try looking for some different type of nests for her or buy her another dish she can drink out of...

I assume though that she has a mate? and that you are planning on breeding her...

[BrookR1]

Yes...she has a mate. They still aren't caged together, but once she completes her nest I'll place Turbo in with her. I'll try some different nest types. Thanks for the advice.

[Joel]

Hi Brooke.... I would still try and get the birds used to a drinking bottle, in addition to the water dish if ya don't want to get rid of it....If you are going to allow breeding, I hope you purchase the necessary equipment FIRST so you will be ready to intervene & help out if there are any complications once the babies hatch & even prior....Like purchasing a good book on breeding canaries (learn to assist hatch also if needed), handfeeding formula (have on hand always when breeding), syringes, make a home-made brooder (fishtank, thermometer, heating pads, etc.), connections with someone well-qualified to lend assistance if/when needed, money put aside for emergency vet care & meds and a willingness to get up every two hrs. during the night to handfeed if necessary. Also you should have already or be willing to purchase proper F.S. Lighting for your indoor birds.....Good luck, can be rewarding, interesting & even fun if done right without risking any lives......I hope you take the advice....

Btw, welcome to the board & congrats on bringing the female back to health....Another suggestion regarding the water dish: Let her use it for the nest and purchase something else for a water dish - of a different color ....

Originally Posted by BrookR1

Yes...she has a mate. They still aren't caged together, but once she completes her nest I'll place Turbo in with her. I'll try some different nest types. Thanks for the advice.

[BrookR1]

I've got everything...a hospital cage, a warming lamp (ceramic reptile lamp), books, lighting (in addition to their cage being placed next to a window...don't worry, there isn't a draft blowing on them and they get lots of morning sun). I also have syringes. I still need to buy formula, but I have time for that. I'm reluctant to purchase medication to keep on hand but I am well stocked with vitamin supplements and emergency first aid equipment. I have a very good vet that's helped me out with Turbo in the past. The first time around, I may just decide to replace the real eggs with plastic ones just so I know what to expect the second time she lays eggs.

[Joel]

Brooke........You need to have a brooder also that holds in the heat, like a covered/partially covered fish tank - unless by "hospital cage" you mean that...The heating lamp is great to have but I wouldn't use it in a brooder type situation, too dangerous unless proper precautions are taken to make sure no fires or burns occur....Lighting needs to be the proper type with a CRI rating of at least 92 but best 98 etc......with a fixture that has an electronic ballast - not a magnetic one....Light thru window glass is not adequate from all I have heard. You still need a good quality thermometer, wouldn't hurt to get one with a hygrometer built in to measure humidity levels in the brooder (Radio Shack carries them)....I hope you reconsider about destroying any fertile eggs and thus the potential lil babies in there....

Originally Posted by BrookR1

I've got everything...a hospital cage, a warming lamp (ceramic reptile lamp), books, lighting (in addition to their cage being placed next to a window...don't worry, there isn't a draft blowing on them and they get lots of morning sun). I also have syringes. I still need to buy formula, but I have time for that. I'm reluctant to purchase medication to keep on hand but I am well stocked with vitamin supplements and emergency first aid equipment. I have a very good vet that's helped me out with Turbo in the past. The first time around, I may just decide to replace the real eggs with plastic ones just so I know what to expect the second time she lays eggs.

[BrookR1]

I would be surprised if the filtered sunlight isn't enough to keep birds happy because you can literally grow coral in your living room with enough filtered sunlight. With two open reef tanks and one large cichlid tank in my place, humidity is never a problem. Regarding the eggs...it would be a shame a sell the little babies to a pet store or a bird farm where their quality of life would diminish significantly because of filthy, overcrowded conditions. Or worse, get sold to an irresponsible owner and placed into a tiny cage where they don't have the opportunity to get out and fly everyday.

Thanks for all of the advice! I will do some more research regarding lighting. These style of lights...are they considered flourescent type lights or metal halide type lights? Because of my aquariums, my electricity bill is already pretty high and I've seen first hand how effective natural sunlight can be, so I might take my chances with that route for the first clutch or two and guage the results after that.

[Joel]

Brook.......I would suggest we not compare coral with birds....And maybe we should be less concerned about what WE may FEEL is happiness for them & be more concerned about their own feelings of happiness which probably is healthiness & longevity etc...... If you do a bunch of research on the subject, you will find info. taken from experiments that show natural sunlight passing thru glass windows filters out the important & necessary ultraviolet rays - so therefore it is of little value from a nutritional standpoint for birds. It does not allow absorption of nutrients which ultimately affects their overall health (momma & babies).....Other research has shown that sunlight passing thru the windows of your home has more than 90% of the beneficial UV spectrum filtered out by the glass unless the glass was made before 1939.....Aluminum screening used in many homes can also filter out 30% or more of UV light.....I assume your open fish tanks are covered with wire or something to prevent a loose bird from drowning in them? Just checking. ;) .......

So then don't sell the babies to places where they might not have optimal living conditions. Find the best homes possible yourself, otherwise I would suggest not allowing breeding. JMO....Of course if destroying life in a fertile egg is ok with your conscience, there is nothing I can say to probably change that.

You are welcome about the info....... From all I have read & studied regarding the research, you want the linear fluorescent tubes 2-4ft. in length to be burned in a fixture that has an electronic ballast (I would suggest for optimum benefit, regarding light amounts, you get a fixture with a downward reflector). The tubes need to have a CRI rating of 92-98 so why not go with the best = 98 and a color temperature of greater than 5000 Kelvin.....The UVB light needs to be between 290 & 310 nanometers in wavelength (referred to as "middle ultraviolet light"). That is what causes Vitamin D synthesis in the skin.

Btw, myself & others here on the board, use the Phillips F32T8TL950 tubes (two in each fixture). I'm sure it doesn't use that much electricity to send you to the poor farm so maybe you might consider them...Best of luck to you...

[jimpierce7]

the fixtures can be purchased at Home Depot for about $30.00 and the tubes online for $8.00 each. I just did it recently myself and I and my fids have been tickled about it!

[My Kiwi]

The males name is "Turbo" hehehe makes me think of the Judas Priest song "Turbo Lover"