GENERAL
Provide fresh water and food daily, checking water levels on hot days. Allow enough water for birds to bathe daily. Include seeds and cuttlefish – some vets also recommend commercial ‘crumbles’. Add omega oils to food occasionally, and a multivitamin during molting and breeding season. Obtain some liquid calcium from your avian vet and administer during and after breeding season. Some recommend grit, some say avoid grit and suggest broccoli and spinach instead, with a washed river sand base in the cage. For more information on types of grit, click here.

FRESH FOODS TO INCLUDE:
Apple, apricot, asparagus, banana, cooked beans (chic pea, kidney, lentils, lima, mung, soy) beet, blueberry, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrot, cherries (not the pit), bok choy/pak choy, coconut, corn, cucumber, dandelion leaves, endive, fig, grapes, grapefruit, kale, kiwi fruit, melons, mango, nectarines, orange, papaya, parsnip, peaches, pear, peas, pineapple, plum, potato, pumpkin, raspberry, silverbeet, spinach, sprouted seeds, squash, strawberry, sweet potato, tomato, zucchini. Millet sprays are very popular with canaries.

FOODS TO AVOID:
Avocado is toxic to canaries. So is parsley and rhubarb. Other foods to avoid include: salt, spices, cheese, sausage, butter, cream, fat, chocolate, pastries, sugar, alcohol, coffee. Houseplants are often toxic.

COMMERCIAL FOOD:
Seed varieties. You can purchase ‘Canary Mix’. Buy small bags to ensure freshness and put them in the freezer for 48 hours to kill any weevils before using. Don’t use straight from the freezer. Click here for detailed information on seed varieties. Crumbles/pellets - ensure food is not too high in protein, as this can cause gout.