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| | From:  dorothy8812 (Original Message) | Sent: 5/12/2004 2:19 PM |
Just want to help keep you on the same page with me; my Willie, (canary) still hasn't made a peep and I'm not even thinking anymore he'll sing for me. Anyway, he's loved by me and I love him if he sings or not... Yes, he is a male for sure and I've been told my Pet-Smart's manager he SHOULD have been no more than 4 or 5 months old at the time I bought him ($99.95)! That was 5 weeks ago so I assume he's 6 months old now. No songs, not much activity... just sits and eats his way through the day. He has an assortment of foods to enjoy! Daily Fruits, veggies, song food, egg bisquits, hard boiled eggs, color food, cuttlebone (never sampled it yet either) fresh water but I can go on and on and he always appears to want more! He is NOT molting either.. Shouldn't he be molting? Not in soft molt either... ! Not interested in what is going on outside the window his care is in front of with all the wild birds singing and cherping where he can see and hear them. When I approch his cage his body language tells me: "Na Na, I'm not going to be like all those other happy birds outside enjoying their freedom"! Willie looks so sad to me all the time and I feel sorry for him... what am I suppose to do to encourage him to sing? I even bought him a canary singing CD and play it for an hour every morning 8:00 am to 9-9:30 am... Still no interest in it or the CD music. Just sits and eats through it. I know this is a long message, but I can't stop wondering if I'm the cause of his not singing? I've paid a lot of attention to him and then I just stop for a day or two and not do anything to make him think he is THE center of my attention to see if he'd calm down and sing but nope... na na nothing still. OK I can go on and on but I won't... please help. Dorothy Conroy |
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Aw, I'm sorry Dorothy. Maybe it's just going to take him a long time to feel secure. I don't know anything about canaries but I'm SURE your not the cause of his lack of singing. Hopefully some of the canary people will be able to help you. Good luck and just keep up the good care, that's most important. |
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Hi Dorothy and thanks for the update. Did you ever get him some toys or bells in his cage. You said he looks bored all day, and that may give him something to do. Just a thought. Glad he is eating well, I bet one day he'll come around and surprise you with a song, in the meantime he is giving you a little bird to take care of and love. |
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Dorothy--I believe Di--who raises canaries-- has given you this advice in a couple places--Take the bird to a vet. It may have air sac mites or a dozen other things going on that we cannot diagnose over the internet. It sounds to me that you may be over feeding it --but I am not a canary person. I do notice that you keep mentioning the cost of the bird? That should have nothing to do with his singing ability--lots of people spend hundreds for a talking bird that never talks--But I will tell you -most talking birds don't say a word when anyone expects them to.Its on their time and terms. Could a singing canary be the same? Katz |
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thank you Katxzan: I only mention the cost of the bird because two other members asked me how much did it cost a few days ago.. I know that doesn't make a difference whether a bird can or should sing. Guess I never mentioned it before but I DID take him to a vet and he is healthy she said.. no mites no problem in his air sac either! I was also given advise that it may still be too young and was probably hand fed up until he was delivered to be sold and I bought him immediately. You see, he opens and closes his beek constantly every time I approach his cage which I'm told is a sure sign he is waiting to be fed. That was told to me by another canary website. Yes I found ou I was definately overfeeding him as well. Will stop that today. Right now he is picking off the egg-bisquit remains on his cage bars!!! Yep, I took his egg-bisquit holder out and there were a few pieces of the bisquit stuck to the bars and when I just checked on him I see him picking them off the bars!!!! Spoiled??? I would say so. Again, he jumped right to me.. close... and opens and closes his beek - no sound, no wheezing, just a sound like he's smacking his lips and throwing me a kiss. Other web-member told me (she was laughing at me and at my description of what he is doing) it reminds her of her baby canaries when they are hungry and want to be fed while she is still hand feeding them. I tend to agree with her now that she explained it to me. Willie is my little Willie and I hope you didn't get the wrong impression of us... I'm not insisting he MUST sing especially not on comand! I hope he will sing when he wants to sing.. but being I was lost... for advise... and was NOT getting anywhere here I started a new search for help and I found it. Dorothy
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oh yes yes yes... he needs a lot of attention (at least that's what I say to myself) again, yes I bought him two toys... but doesn't get near them. I bought one little artificial bird on a spring that slips onto his perch.. now he won't go on that perch! I think he's scard of it. The same day I bought him a row of plastic see through bells. Hard to explain but I hung it from the top of his cage and strings down half way down his cage. Nope.. no interest. Oh well, I tried. I didn't think canaries play with toys like parakeets do but I tried anyway. I know, he'll jus start singing someday and I'll be shocked. I even wrote a song for him and I sing it all day to him. Here it goes:
Willie Willie Willie sing for me.. if you do I'll set you free... if you decide to fly... I will then sit and cry.
Tell me I'm crazy but that's ok... at least it gives me something to do.
Dorothy
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Another idea here...take his mirror away, I believe you said he has a mirror. If he is still young and was being hand fed, I would continue with some egg food, several times a day. Just a fourth of a teaspoon full at a time. If in fact, he is that young, he is too young to sing and won't start really singing until the fall, if he is a baby from this spring. di |
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Well therya go.....he's a beebee and physically can't sing yet (right di?). Good, I'm glad he's well and healthy and maybe eventually he'll play with his toys. I love your song! Very, very cute! |
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Dorothy if there is one thing I know about birds, all birds, it is that they take their own sweet time doing things. I don't believe in forcing birds to do tricks the way some people do, but my bird does some funny things she has learned all on her own! It took a long time and a lot of patience. Just be patient. Keep talking to her, whistle to her or play her music CD the way you have been doing. Don't give up and don't ignore her. Because one day when you least expect it..it might be a week or a month or a year....she will surprise you by singing to you or making some other noises or coming to you for affection. You just have to sit back and let her do these things when SHE is ready to do them. Now, birds are very territorial and birds are creatures of habit. When they get used to their cage being qrranged a certain way, and then you change it by adding that new toy or feeding dish or whatever...well, it takes them time to get used to that change. It might seem to you that the bird should say "OH WOW there is a new toy I MUST go and play with that!" When in reality the bird is sitting there looking at this new THING and saying "What is that THING doing in MY cage? Does that THING want to hurt me or move in on MY territory?" But, after a few days or however long it takes, the bird will finally realize that THING is not there to hurt her or take over her home, and she will start to get closer to it and may even end up going up and giving it a little peck or two, just to see what that THING will do. Remember to introduce only one new THING to a bird at a time, and give it time to get used to that THING, before you add another. When I used to raise Cockateils, and I wanted to bring a new male into the cage of a female that had been alone for awhile, I would first put their two cages side by side for a few days or weeks. Only after they had gotten used to living so close to each other and getting to know one another, would I then move them in together. Remember, you have only had your bird for 5 or so weeks. That really isn't a very long time. They are so much like kids, humans.....It will take her time to become comfortable with you, and to feel safe and secure. Never get mad at her, never yell at her, and never let her know you are not happy with her...just keep being nice and sweet and talking to her....and one day before you know it she just might become your best friend. Hope this helps.
Peace,
Nutty |
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Wow. I just realized how old that last message was! LOL! Well, hopefullly Dorothy and her little one have become good friends now, and that advice is good for anyone to read, I am sure, who is having a hard time with a new bird. |
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