Predicting and Facilitting Fertility

Every canary breeder has learned from experience the truth in "Don't count your chicks till they hatch"! Certainly, a fertile egg is only the foundation step to raising chicks but never the less I always relax a bit when I feel certain that mating is occurring. Since I work and have heavy dog duty (mostly throwing a tennis ball) with Lucca, like many of you I can't simply wait and watch.

I have learned that the best predictor of mating is seeing the cock feed the hen. When I see it, my heart begins to flutter and I am already anticipating fertile egg in their future!


Likewise, I like to see unpaired birds whether two males or two females feeding each other as it is a sure sign that they are ready for pairing. In fact, I watch for signs of feeding to gauge whether or not they are getting enough vitamin E to stimulate them.

To facilitate feeding behavior, I have begun now offering wheat products. I have used Bruce Gardner's nestling food and a dry mixture of half and half wheat germ and brewer's yeast.

Wheat Germ/Brewer's Yeast Mix