What to Feed Baby Canaries

Canaries are very convenient pets for people with limited time and space. They are naturally solitary and do not require a mate or companion. There is not much upkeep and the costs of caring for one are low. They can also live for over ten years if kept healthy. Baby canaries do require special attention as any baby creature does. One of the biggest questions concerning the raising of a baby canary is what to feed it. There are several options.

  1. Feeding Baby Canaries

    • If you have a parent canary that will be taking care of the babies, you want to leave nestling food on the twelfth day of incubation before the babies are hatched. Nestling food is composed of soft seed that is either boiled, sprouted or soaked in water. The soft seed needs to be mixed with smashed hard-boiled eggs and greens because you want the nestling food to be rich in protein and nutrients. You can add items like grated carrot, cream of wheat and rolled oats if you like. The parent canary will eat some of this herself but will feed it to her offspring. As the babies start to mature, they will start eating it by themselves. Supply the nestling food twice a day; once in the morning and once in the early afternoon. Take out any uneaten portions when providing new servings. If you notice all the food is gone when you feed them again, leave a larger amount to make sure they are getting as much as they need, especially once the babies are born because they will be feeding constantly.

      If there is not a parent canary, you will need to use tweezers to feed them the nestling food or an eye dropper if you are using a liquid. Pet stores also offer specialized formulas for baby birds that provide another option. Baby canaries should not be offered hard seed until about six weeks of age because their beaks will not be hard enough to crack the seed.