By Brown Enrique Ortega
Specialistic veterinarian in birds
The fans to the canaricultura in Spain are many,
and also those are many that have problems of mortality between
their units during the time of the young. Sometimes it is quite
difficult to establish the causes by which the canaries die, but
most of the times the origin it is necessary to look for it in incorrect
practices. If the advice follow themselves who next I will give
he will be able to reduce the number of casualties to a great extent.
Mortality can happen before the birth (abortion) or once the chick
or has freed itself of the shell.
The death of the embryo can happen in the first
days of the incubation, in an intermediate stage or next to the
a) The chromosomic alterations, the presence of
pesticidas, medicines or toxins and the infections transmitted by
the parents are sufficient causes so that the embryo dies to the
few days to begin the incubation.
b) the death in an intermediate period of the development
can be due to a bad nutrition of the parents, who have transmitted
those deficiencies to the children. Thus we have it vitamin deficiency
like vit. D3, vit. K, vit B2, vit B5, vit. B6, vit. B12, biotina,
fslico acid and other substances like manganese, phosphorus, linoleico
acid, etc. can be responsible for losses in that stage. This nutricional
deficit can be caused indirectly when abusing antibiotics, since
these destroy the digestive flora able to synthesize some of the
previous substances in the internal of the parents.
The viral, bacterial and fzngicas infections also can be indicated
like people in charge of the abortions to this age.
c) Finally the death of the canary shortly before
to be born it can be due to the presence of lethal genes or alterations
chromosomic. Let us remember that in the eagerness to fix characteristics
determined in the race of canaries with that one is working resorts
with too much frequency to the consanguinity, with all the undesirable
effects that this it entails.
The vitamin deficit like the A, D3, and, K, pantotinico
acid and acid fslico the infectious diseases like the famous " black
point " also they are responsible for the death of the embryo.
Sometimes practical as simple as to put bathtubs
to the parents or to increase the humidity of the aviario can to
avoid that the chick remains patch in the interior of the egg, since
of being thus it will not be able to be turned to break correctly
the rind and will die in the attempt.
DEATH AFTER THE BIRTH
In other occasions the death takes place once the
canary already has been born. Some of the responsible causes they
a) Antibiotic abuse.
He is practical habitual on the part of many canaricultores
abusing antibiotics at the moments previous to the young and during
the same one. With the pretext of " whitening " or preparation for
the reproduction canaries are bombed with antibiotic cocktails.
This badly use of medicines causes, to my to seem, more disadvantages
that advantages. The undesirable effects that appear they are:
- Inmunodepresisn: it is verified which certain antibiotics, like
the tetraciclinas, depress the operation of the Immunological
System in the birds, with the consequent danger to be able to
infect itself by any opportunistic infectious agent.
- Appearance of bacterial resistance: sometimes inadequate doses
are used or during a nonappropriate time. This causes that the
bacteria can become resistant to these medicines, in such a way
that when we really need them to not they will serve us.
- Digestive upheavals: with antibiotics we not only eliminated
the dangerous but also the beneficial ones bacteria, these last
in charge ones to make useful substances for the organism of the
canary as they are the vitamins.
- Appearance of fzngicas infections: the bacteria and the fungi
are in balance in the intestine of the birds, reason why the elimination
of one of the groups favors the excessive growth of the other.
For example, when they abuse tetraciclinas is easy that they appear
- Alteration of the embryonic development: some substances like
penicillins, tetraciclinas, cloranfenicol and sulfamidas have
been verified that interfere with the normal development of the
embryo. Although most of the investigations they have been made
on old antibiotics, like the mentioned ones previously, does not
discard that the new ones are not also dangerous. The reasonable
thing in these cases would be to use with precaution medicines
in females that are putting.
b) Hipo or hipervitaminosis.
Small vitamin deficiencies in the Canary Islands
can be magnified during the reproduction, mainly if several puttings
become. And it is that suitable levels for an adult they can be
insufficient for a female that it is raising.
At the moment it is equal of possible to find cases of hipervitaminosis,
since it is habitual that the canaricultor year vitaminic supplements
to pastes of commercialized young, which already usually they come
with the necessary vitamin levels. This vitaminic excess is equal
from harmful that its deficiency.
c) inadequate Preparation of foods.
The great majority of the breeders of canaries
usually uses humid foods to favor the feeding of the chicks on the
part of their parents. The use of germinated seeds, cus-cus or humid
paste can be harmful if it is not prepared correctly or if an excessive
time within reach of the birds is left. And he is that the high
temperatures and the humidity favor the enmohecimiento of the foods,
not being strange that the chicks of many aviarios suffer of infections
d) deficient Hygiene.
The time of the young is a stage of much work for
the canaricultor, reason why sometimes the hygiene is an aspect
that neglects. This favors the bacterial infections intestinal that
is going away to translate in diarreas in the chicks.
In other occasions, in an attempt to maintain the aviario hot, a
bad ventilation of the facilities takes place, with the consequent
respiratory problems (respiratory difficulty, sinusitis, etc.) in
These are some of the causes of mortality between
the canaries during the young. Lamentably they are not only but
those that more easily can be gotten to avoid. In situations of
generalized loss of life it is made advisable require the services
of an expert veterinarian in birds.
© Brown Enrique Ortega