# to be male or not to be? Canary!



## Derby411 (May 3, 2012)

:confused1: Hi all, new to the forum, and looks good.
My first post is a canary question. 

I brought a Red Factor canary as a MALE about a year ago and 'it' has never sung.. I have tried everything but to no avail and it has never laid an egg so I can't say its definally NOT male..
I have 'it' in with two other canaries (both female) - Yes i have been TRYING to get a male and ended up all female! How unlucky ay? - and the red factor is now 'nesting'.. is this something a male canary can do? I thought only females nest!?


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Hi,I breed canaries and think you have another female there, as hens do the nest building,I have a load of hens in together and they are all building nests all the males do is sing there hearts out trying to attract them


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## Derby411 (May 3, 2012)

Thanks Sue..  I thought as much, have had an inclin for a while.. the shop i got it from sold it as a male, when i went back about 3 weeks after buying it they refused to change it saying they only sold males.. 
Thankfully all three seem happy together so will no doubt keep they together.
I so want a male bird, I miss my male canary.. can't seem to find a breeder here to go and buy a bird thats male from.. fed up with the shops selling me girls..


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## suewhite (Oct 31, 2009)

Hens are happy living together it's males that are a pain in the breeding season they will often fight to the death if together,wish you lived near me I have loads of males singing there hearts out you could happily of had one.Pet shops arent that good at sexing canaries


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## Derby411 (May 3, 2012)

Thanks.. i used to see canaries being sold everywhere.. if i buy one now i'll make sure i see it singing 100% before i buy it!


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## poohdog (May 16, 2010)

Which is why you should google out a local club and buy from a breeder...


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## Derby411 (May 3, 2012)

poohdog said:


> Which is why you should google out a local club and buy from a breeder...


Thats ok if you can find a club or breeder near by.. I have googled and not picked up on anything in Maidstone area.. if you can point me the way I would be great full!


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## Guest (Dec 28, 2012)

Male canaries will not sing at all if in a cage with hens or even other cock birds.

I would split all 3 up and put them out of site of each other. 

Hens can also sing but its no way near as nice as the males. Very broken. Although my green fife canary hen sang like a trooper 

But my cock birds never sang if he could see other birds or was living in a cage with them. And from my experience the cock bird will start the nesting process. The hen will then take over and lay eggs. The cock bird will come to the nest to feed her,. She very rarely is seen off it. Even without eggs in the nest.


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## Ponky42 (Nov 11, 2012)

My aunt had a canary and, to encourage it to whistle, she had a plastic whistle with water in it which she blew near the canary.It seemed to work.


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## Paul Dunham (Apr 1, 2010)

I've often found male Canaries in separate cages compete with one and other.. It's not uncommon for a singing Canary to set off the other males singing together.. Perhaps if you play a recording to your birds of a male singing it may encourage the males to sing? (if you have any).. Someone did mention occasionally you can have a female which sings.. This is true but extremely rare...


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