Canary Question

[gnasher16 31,602]

I got this " red factor " canary last summer

 

 

And this is the same bird now

 

 

How does that work ??

[Malt 379]

You need to colour feed it mate! Don't know how it works, but certain things they eat puts colour into the feathers.. My grandad used to have stuff to put in the water, not sure if its still the method they use today..

[Hot Meat 3,109]

Never had anything to do with red factors, I'm sure it has just modulated out the red mate, I'm sure it's a dye they put in foodstuff. Could be wrong tho as I don't know if they ain't red without the dye. Somebody will tho

[Malt 379]

Quick google:

 

 

http://www.yccuk.com/briankeenan/ccs30.html

[Hot Meat 3,109]

So they ain't red naturally? I thought the dye was to enhance there plumage not change colour completely, learn summat New everyday eh... lol

[Malt 379]

So they ain't red naturally? I thought the dye was to enhance there plumage not change colour completely, learn summat New everyday eh... lol

I'm not sure how it works mate, I just remember my grandads red factors drinking water that looked like tomato juice and being bright red! He said they wouldn't be red without the stuff though..

[the_stig 6,614]

fireman will know

[the_stig 6,614]

it don't look as perky in the bottom pic..

[fireman 11,460]

The red factor canary is still a bit red when it's not colour fed and the red bit came from canaries being bred with red breasted siskins and then breeding them back to canaries and getting the red to fix within the birds.,the red powder is called Carophyll red and you can either spinkle it on their egg food or mix in the water.I add to the water outside but have always spinkled it when in cages due to the mess it makes when in water.

[gnasher16 31,602]

oh i wondered what " colour feed " meant ...............ive just been feeding it the same as i feed the others......ok so if i sprnkle it in the water it wont effect none of the others.......it wont turn the yellow ones illuminous or nothing ....................he,s as lively as ever Stig i think the tiny bit of red thats stayed around his face makes him look a bit glum......ok well thanks chaps i,ll give this colour food a go,

[fireman 11,460]

Well your to late to colour feed it now as it's already moulted into it's new feather and the colour feed is drawn up into the new feathers as they grow,at most it'll make it patchy but won't be a even colour.Your'll get some red back into it come spring when it has a light moult but next year when the main moult is on is when you need to do it and yes it will affect all the birds that drink the water in some way.I've some in a water drinker now in with my goldie mules and once the main moult is done i shall catch all my redpolls up and pluck just a few chest feather out of this years young un's and then colour feed them and the cocks will show pink new breast feathers,i have to do it this way as red poll cocks only get a red tinge to their chests after their second moult so by plucking a few feathers after this moult then i'm getting the birds feathers into growing back a year early type thing.Usefull stuff but in water in a cage it'll look like the birds been in a blender in there so be warned .

[Hot Meat 3,109]

cheers fireman I just learnt a couple of new things lol

[gnasher16 31,602]

Stone me what a complicated little carry on !..............Well thanks for the advice Fireman.......I think i understand

[fireman 11,460]

I'm cheating a bit Gnasher with the redpolls but you can just either mix it in the water drinker or seperate the bird off and spinkle a bit on it's eggfood,just spinkle it like pepper as you don't need much for one bird in a cage and it sounds worse to use than it is.

[pappabear 128]

i keep red factors and use a ready mixed red egg food made by orlux ( £6.25 a kilo ) that i feed to all my birds every other day , i have to mix it with a little water to a crumbly consistency however it does give the other coloured birds a red hue including the zebra finches