My mom called this morning and the canary we gave her in April has quit singing for 3 or 4 days and is puffed up. He is still eating well, but just seems off. He has lost a couple of feathers in the last bit. Maybe a molt? What do you all think?

Jessalyn I hope it's nothing to worry about. Bea knows so much about Canaries. I sent her a PM so she sees this thread.

Hi Karen! You are the best of the bestest of the very bestestest eggs! J

Funny you should mention this Jess, The person we got our canary's from just emailed me with a update on the Fantail Pigeons I gave him.
Here's what we spoke about.
******************************************

Thanks for the valuable info!

Do you still have the canaries living together? If so, perhaps they
will
start singing if they are separated. I put my birds here on a round of
ivermectin in the water. My friend Marlies said she did that and
discovered
that some of her birds had mites. The ivermectin took care of the
problem
and one of her males who had not sung for 3 years is again, singing. My

birds seem to have responded to the treatment as well. I hear them
singing
quite often now and one male, I had forgotten was a male, was singing
his
heart out yesterday. I believe that both of the birds I brought over
were
from clutches here last year so, they definitely should be doing their
singing thing.

Gary
----- Original Message -----
From: "arty tovar" <tallship30@yahoo.com>
To: "Gary Powell" <gary.powell@comcast.net>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 7:19 AM
Subject: Re: Fantail pigeons!


> Hi Gary,
> The Pigeons mate for life, a male won't allow another
> male to breed with his mate, males have been known to
> breed with other females other than his mate, but this
> also is rare.
> I am assuming you had black fantails, if a white and
> black get together you will end up with a splash for
> coloration.
> I was going to tell you, the male will assume all
> duties in rearing the young, weaning will be very
> soon, and the female will nest again, you will have
> more birds than you know what to do with, but
> according to Strombergs Pigeon Supply, a mated pair of
> those fantails sell for $120.00.
> Nope no more singing out of the canary's, I think we
> have 2 males here.
> It is nice to hear from you, kepp in touch.
> Arty
> --- Gary Powell <gary.powell@comcast.net> wrote:
>
>> Hey there Arty and Rose,
>>
>> What's up with this weather? I was going to wish you
>> a nice Spring but, I am
>> not sure we are there yet.
>>
>> I wanted to give you an update on the pigeons. One
>> pair, probably the
>> original, have 2 babies and before I even knew it,
>> they are also on 2 more
>> eggs!
>>
>> I guess one of my pairs of Indian Fantails was
>> really 2 males as they both
>> decided to hook up with 2 of the white fantails.
>>
>> Then, in another nest, parents are a black female
>> and a red male, they have
>> one baby and it looks like it's color is coming in
>> and it is going to be
>> white. Now, I don't know if it is possible but, I
>> wonder if one of the
>> white fantails bred the black female, even though
>> she has her own mate? Time
>> will tell.
>>
>> Hope you are well and I hope at least one of the
>> canaries is singing for
>> you.
>>
>> Gary

Now I am not saying that little bird has Mites but it might be something to consider.
It never hurts to have a vet look at the little one.
Puffed up tells me something is wrong, the first molt usually occurs within 6 months.
It maybe best to have the little one looked after by a bird vet just to be sure.

Love your way sweety!


Arty

Thanks Arty! I will call mom and tell her what you said.

I have no clueabout canaries,but a vet sounds like the best bet. I hope the little guy is ok!!!!

A bird puffed up is the first sign of illness,your mom really needs to take him to a experienced avian vet,we can all say what it could be but a vet check is in order,better to be safe then sorry in these cases.

Which room of the house is the bird kept in? (if it's the kitchen, he needs to be moved out of there PRONTO!)

Is the bird in a place where there is a lot of heat? (high temperatures will trigger molt)

How high is the cage? (should be at eye level)

Where is the cage placed? (should be against a wall to avoid drafts)

Is the bird exposed to 15 or more hours of light? (15 or more hours of light will trigger molt)

What kind of diet (specifics, please) is the bird on? (continuous high protein will trigger molt)

How old is he? (if 6 months of age, it could be the juvenile molt)

Does he puff up all the time or only at certain times? If so, when, exactly? (if he only puffs up for a little while before or during a nap -they nap at around noon- it's OK BUT if he puffs up all the time and/or sleeps a lot during the day, he is sick and needs to see an avian vet).

Please don't give the bird Ivermectin as a just-in-case solution. It's a very, very strong parasiticide and should be administered only when it's necessary and in the exact dosage. I am not trying to offend your friend, Arty, but a canary keeper that has male birds that have not sung in years and has not figured out the reason why should not be keeping canaries. Some males don't sing very much (notably color-bred and some type breeds) but they all sing. If a male doesn't sing and he is not in molt, one should take him to a vet because there is something wrong with the bird. Just because canaries are small and inexpensive one should not neglect their medical care.

Thanks Beatriz! She is going to take him to the vet this am. We decided it's much better to be safe than sorry! You are a good egg!