Domestic Canary Diet

They might never be cuddly pets, but canaries, with their bright yellow plumage and melodious voices, make for a colorful aviary filled with beautiful singing. With a proper diet, in fact, canaries will fill your home with a sweet soundtrack for years.

  1. Dry Seeds

    • Wild canaries, which are larger and browner than domestic canaries, subsist mainly on seeds. A mix of high-quality, fresh seeds containing about 80 percent canary grass seed and a blend of mainly canola (also called rapeseed) and a small amount of flax seed is best. Seeds should always be fresh. Try to sprout a few seeds from the mix. If they sprout, they are fresh enough to feed your canary.

    Soaked Seeds

    • Seeds such as cracked corn, wheat, buckwheat, and safflower are too large and hard for canaries, but soaking them to make them softer makes a great treat. Soaking breaks down complex carbohydrates to make seeds more palatable and digestible. Soaked seeds are also a necessity for hens feeding their chicks and for newly weaned chicks. Soak one part seed mix in two parts water in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Rinse well and strain before feeding.

    Greens, Fruits and Vegetables

    • Though canaries subsist mostly on seeds, they also require fresh greens and can eat up to half their body weight a day in greens. Canaries should be fed no more than they can eat alongside their seed mixes. Chopped broccoli, savoy cabbage, kale, dandelion and endive are great choices, but lettuce other than romaine is too watery. Make sure your canary's greens are not treated with pesticides. If you sprout seeds, the greens are also an excellent choice. Canaries also love fruits and vegetables and can eat all but avocados.

    Molting

    • During the last half of summer, canaries molt, or replace their feathers. During this time, canary diets should be supplemented with hard-boiled eggs. Canaries need more calcium and fat in their diets when molting, ideally from more flax and niger seeds. Cucumber is good during molting too. After molting season, cut back on the fat, and feed your canary niger and hemp seeds as a treat.

    Pellets and Supplements

    • Though many veterinarians recommend a diet comprised of 80 percent canary pellets, canary owners must be aware that many commercial pellet mixes are low on nutrition and high in chemicals and additives that can harm canaries. Canaries also need regular access to calcium. Cuttlebones and sterilized egg shells can go a long way. Vitamin supplements are necessary for indoor canaries. Many owners prefer liquid vitamin supplements that can be sprinkled on food to powders. Though canaries drink little water, they should always have access to clean, fresh water.