Canary breeding calendar
Canary eggs hatch about 13 days after the hen starts sitting. From that one date you can work out everything else: when to candle the eggs, when to put on the closed rings and when the chicks start eating on their own. Enter the date and this page does the counting for you.
Work out your dates
Count from
Date
Choose a date to see your calendar.
Step by step
Day 6–7 of sitting
Candle the eggs
Hold each egg against a small light. A fertile egg shows red veins and a dark spot; a clear egg is not going to hatch and can be removed so the hen does not waste her effort.
Day 13 of sitting
The chicks hatch
Most eggs hatch on day 13, some on day 14. Counting from the first egg instead, expect them around day 14. Leave the hen alone as much as possible these days.
5–7 days old
Ring the chicks
Closed rings have to go on while the foot is still small enough to pass through: usually between day 5 and day 7, depending on the chick. Wait too long and the ring will not fit.
About 21 days old
They start eating on their own
Around three weeks the chicks leave the nest and start picking up food. Separate them from the parents once you see them feeding well on their own, usually around four weeks.
Common questions
Why count from the start of sitting?
The embryo only develops while the hen keeps the egg warm. Many breeders take the eggs away as they are laid and give them back together, so they all hatch on the same day: count from the day the hen sits on the full clutch. If you leave the eggs with her from the first one, count about 14 days from the first egg.
How many eggs does a canary lay?
Usually one a day, early in the morning, until the clutch is complete: most often 3 to 5 eggs.
Nothing has hatched by day 15 or 16. What now?
Candle the eggs. Eggs that show no development are not going to hatch. If a hen keeps laying clear eggs, check the cock and the pair before the next clutch.
What ring size do I need?
It depends on the breed: each breed has its own standard ring size. Ask your club or federation, which usually supply the official rings.
For your fridge or bird room
Print this calendar as a 70 × 100 mm magnet or card (in Spanish).
Let Canora count for every clutch
Canora is a free app for canary breeders: pedigrees, pairs, clutches and rings, and it works out these dates for each of your clutches.