Canary Diet - Nutrition 101

As a canary owner, it is obvious that you want to give your pet the best diet possible. Before making a decision to buy a canary, you should research and have an idea of what kind of diet they will need. This will allow you to make an informed decision and locate the best foods at the lowest prices in your area.

Before we look into what you should be feeding your canary, you should have a basic understanding of the nutritional needs of birds. Having a thorough understanding how what a canary needs from a nutritional standpoint will increase the longevity of your loved one.

There are three aspects you need to be aware of when dealing with your canary. Those three are proteins, carbohydrates and fats. I'm not going to go in-depth, but I will give you a basic understanding of what they are and how they are intertwined with your pet.

Proteins are complex organic compounds that are formed by amino acids. When it comes to your canary, they are necessary for correct feather formation and condition. They are also essential when for a regular water balance, correct blood pH balance, a healthy immune system and the ability to absorb nutrients from the food they eat.

Proteins can be broken up into two categories for canaries: animal proteins and vegetable proteins. Animal proteins include insects, mealworms and meat. These are also noted as complete proteins, containing the amino acids that are needed for maturation and maintenance.

Vegetable proteins are called incomplete proteins because they do not contain the essential amino acids. Therefore they must be supplemented with other foods to help complete your canary's diet.
A few vegetable proteins that you can incorporate into your bird's diet include soybeans, wheat germ, corn, sunflower seeds, lentils, peanuts and peas.

Carbohydrates are essential for your bird to energy and maintaining body fat as it is used as a source of energy before proteins. A lack of carbohydrates will result in muscle and fat breakdown, which will lead to your pet being unable to maintain its body mass. Bird's primary source of carbohydrates will come from seeds. And as a rule of thumb, the darker the seed, the higher the carbohydrate value. Examples of carbohydrate sources include; oats, sugars, honey, fruit, millet canary seed and corn.

Fats (and oils) are necessary for healthy skin, insulation and shiny feathers. They are also essential for the absorption of the vitamins A, D, E & K. Fats assist in the proper growth, sexual maturation and reproduction. Fats store energy most efficiently. They have double the calorie count as proteins and carbohydrates.

Canaries need high fat amounts when they are using a high amount of energy. This occurs when a young bird is growing, molting or when a bird is under a lot of stress.

Birds can get their fat from numerous sources. This includes hemp seed oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, all nuts, sesame oil and safflower oil. They also can get fats from coconut oil, butter and lard.

This should help give you a base understanding of your canary's nutritional needs. You should have a decent understanding of this before you get your canary.