The canary moult: normal, but demanding

A fully grown feather doesn’t regrow: to replace it, the bird has to moult. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, every bird moults at least once a year, gradually and symmetrically, so that it is never bald or unable to fly. The MSD Veterinary Manual adds that a partial moult often follows around six months later.

In canaries, the moult follows the breeding season, as the days shorten in late summer and autumn, according to Dorrestein’s handbook of avian medicine. In captivity, it can last from one month to several months, according to VCA.

• Whole feathers on the cage floor, in unusual numbers.
• Little quills of new feathers growing in.
• A quieter bird that sings little or not at all.

Changes of season and day length trigger the moult, VCA points out. According to Dorrestein, a day length that varies from one day to the next can interrupt breeding and trigger an early moult. An early study published in Science showed that artificially long days prolong the canary’s moult.

Feathers are made of keratin, a protein. According to VCA, the moult increases the need for protein, calcium and iron, and tires the body to the point of making it more vulnerable to illness. In canaries, feathers make up around 14% of body weight, the highest share among the pet birds studied by Dorrestein.

• A complete diet all year round, not just during the moult: pellets or egg food, greens and a little seed, according to VCA.
• No unbalanced “moulting” products, which VCA advises against.
• A cuttlebone always available for calcium.
• A dish of water for bathing, refreshed every day.
• Peace and quiet: avoid moving house, new birds and other changes during this period.

Plumage colour depends partly on diet during the moult. For red canaries, breeders give food pigments (carotenoids) until the end of the moult, according to Sandmeier and Coutteel; loss of colour can also come from a deficiency. Talk to your vet before adding anything to your canary’s diet.

A moult that never ends

Feathers falling for months, out of season: often linked to light (days too long or irregular), temperature or poor general condition, according to Sandmeier and Coutteel.

Bare patches

A normal moult leaves no gaps. Sudden or patchy feather loss is abnormal, according to the MSD Manual.

Damaged or broken feathers

Moulted feathers are whole; ragged feathers suggest feather plucking or a parasite.

Dull, misshapen or faded feathers

A diet low in vitamin A and protein directly damages feathers, according to the MSD Manual.

Feather cysts

Lumps under the skin, common in some frilled or soft-feathered canary breeds.

Note the start and end of each moult in the MyArk health record: from one year to the next, you will know whether it is lasting longer than usual. The household’s weigh-ins and observations complete the picture for your vet.

• Moult start and end dates in the health record
• The household’s observations, dated
• Weigh-ins on a chart in the weight tracker during the moult
• A daily reminder for the bath water