To Color Feed or Not to Color Feed? By:  Marvin B. Walton The Canary's Nest

TO COLOR FEED OR NOT TO COLOR FEED?
 The contents of this article will spark tremendous controversy and has done so for many years.  Much of this article is 
based on laboratory research and much is based on actual  finding within my own birdroom.  The practice of feeding Red Factor 
canaries a coloring agent called canthaxanthin has been a topic of great debate for many generations.  This article is not intended 
to persuade the reader one way or another as to whether it is right or wrong, it is simply designed to explain the term  “Color-bred, 
not Color-fed”, and to try and educate potential Red Factor owners as to why Red Factors must be given something in their diet to 
ensure that they maintain their brilliant color.  The method that an individual breeder or pet owner chooses to provide the 
carotenoids in the diet is strictly a matter of preference.  Hopefully after reading this article the reader will have a much better 
understanding as to why I do not feed my birds’ canthaxanthin, and also why I feed them what I do.  I will not try to convince 
anyone that my way is the right way and that other ways are the wrong way; this article is strictly to educate. 

COLOR-BRED NOT COLOR-FED 
 "Color-bred, not Color-fed”, exactly what is meant by this term?  My breeding efforts are focused on breeding the 
best colored birds by breeding what is inherent in the birds’ genetic make-up.  By pairing together only the best colored birds 
together year after year one hopes to end up with some outstanding looking specimens.  Every bird that is produced is not a 
show quality bird whether they are color-fed or not.  In order to show Red Factors they must be fed some form of a coloring agent. 
The most common coloring agent that is fed to show specimens is Canthaxanthin.  I personally do not feed canthaxanthin 
choosing to feed a powdered form of Beta Carotene instead.   With this said I must say that my birds will never achieve the 
color of a bird that has been fed canthaxanthin, but it is my humble opinion that Beta Carotene is a much more natural ingredient
to supplement the diet of Red Factors, simulating what their ancestors ate in their natural environment.   People have argued 
the fact that even feeding Beta Carotene is also a form of color feeding my Red Factors, and maybe they are right, but to fully
understand why Red Factors must be fed some form of supplementation to help them achieve their optimum color, please 
continue reading below.

BASIC UNDERSTANDING
 To understand what is meant by color feeding Red Factors one must first possess a basic knowledge of how the Red 
Factor came into existence in the first place.  People who do not know the history of the Red Factor Canary will be surprised to
learn that the Red Factor is a hybrid bird which was obtained by crossing the Venezuelan Black Hooded Red Siskin 
(spinus cocullatus) to a Yellow Canary (serinus canaria), thus the Red Factor Canary derives their red gene pool from the 
Venezuelan Black Hooded Red Siskin. If the Siskin is fed only seeds and egg food/softfood it will moult out a creamy yellow. 
With this in mind you may then begin to ask yourself where the Siskin obtains their bright red plumage.  The answer lies in the 
diet that the Siskin receives in their wild environment. Their diet is comprised of seeds, fruits, berries, crustaceans and grasses 
which are all rich in carotenoids and enables their feathers to achieve a nice reddish-orange color.  The same is true of the Red 
Factor canary which also derives its reddish orange plumage from some form of carotenoids that they receive in their diet.  
Of course the Red Factor cannot go out and forage for the same diet that the Siskin eats, so breeders of the Red Factor must
supplement the diet with an “ingredient” for them to receive the carotenoids that they need to achieve the most beautiful plumage. 
Red Factor canaries derive their colorful plumage, which ranges from bright red to pale orangish color, from carotene pigments, 
the same pigments that are responsible for the orange color of carrots, and the redness of autumn leaves.  Only photosynthetic 
organisms like plants and algae can manufacture the pigments from these molecules, so birds and other vertebrates can only display
carotenoids in feathers by first acquiring them in their diet.  The same situation happens to a cardinal, and to a flamingo.  In the wild 
both cardinals and flamingos receive the diet necessary to obtain the correct coloration. The feathers of flamingos are colored with 
carotenoids (red and orange) pigments found naturally in small crustaceans.  However, to keep the feathers of these birds bright, 
zoos supplement their diet with carotenoids. If the Flamingo was not fed these agents, they would molt out completely white.  The 
male cardinals’ diet during the time of the molt consists of primarily fruits and berries which gives them the carotenoids to achieve
their color, if not given the correct diet male cardinals will molt out a faded rust color.  Carotenoids pigments are the primary 
source of coloration in vertebrates (i.e. birds).  Birds do not have the ability to synthesize carotenoids for them to be utilized, 
they must be ingested.

UNDERSTANDING FEATHER COMPOSITION
 Feathers are made of a very light strong protein called keratin, and  the two main pigment types in bird feathers 
are the red, orange, and yellow carotenoids and the black, gray, and brown melanins.  The red and orange pigments are 
obtained from the diet which the bird eats. The principal color pigments are melanin pigments, and lipochrome or fat pigments.
The melanin pigments occur in the form of granules and give rise to the black, brown and grey tones; or they may combine
with those of the lipochrome series. The lipochrome pigments tend to be diffused throughout the entire feather, and give rise
respectively to the red and yellow colors.  The melanins have been divided into two categories; the eumelanins which produce
black and dark brown coloring, and the phaeomelanins which produce paler brown ranging through to yellowish coloration. 
Feathers are colored in different ways, in some feathers; pigment synthesized by the feather-producing cells is deposited in the
feather as it forms. These pigments are different kinds of melanin, which can be either almost black or a reddish-brown color. 

TYPES OF SUPPLEMENTATION
 All of my birds, not just Red Factor canaries, get a powdered form of Beta Carotene mixed in with their softfood 
mixture, this additive only enhances the depth of color in the Red Factors, and it does not change the color of the bird.  Beta 
Carotene also does not influence the colors of the feathers of Yellow or White birds, it only influences the feathers of the birds
that have the red genes of their genetic background.   I have stated that it is combined with the softfood, but there is absolutely 
no reason why it cannot be combined with the drinking water.  The Beta Carotene product that I have is water soluble and 
mixes easily with water. Through my experience I have found that supplementation of Beta Carotene in with the drinking water
is quite messy and it also is a more wasteful way to supplement as the water should be changed daily.  My softfood has no egg
in it so therefore there is no requirement for it to be changed daily.  Beta Carotene is not a coloring agent such as canthaxanthin; 
it is a naturally occurring substance that occurs in carrots, grasses and many other forms of vegetables.  I must also add that 
canthaxanthin is not a normal part of the canary or siskin diet.  Canthaxanthin, it is a coloring compound that will change 
a Yellow or White canary to orange if fed to these birds during a molt.  

RESEARCH ON CAROTENOIDS
 Research has been done using goldfinches as specimens, the goldfinches when fed canthaxanthin during the moult, 
molted out a striking orange color.  The same research also suggests that many birds in the wild have the ability to utilize the
carotenoids of the red and orange pigments; however their diet does not consist of the food types that contain these red and
orange carotenoids pigments.   Research has also shown that when birds are fed canthaxanthin you bypass the enzyme systems
that would naturally convert yellow pigments like beta carotene to red pigments.  Birds that are fed canthaxanthin simply 
deposit this color directly into their feathers. This research further emphasizes my point as to why I do not feed the coloring
agent canthaxanthin, if many birds have the ability to utilize the carotenoids of the red and orange pigments, I could then change
the colors of my Yellows and Whites and market them as Red Factors! 

PROS AND CONS OF SUPPLEMENTATION
  All of the Red Factor breeders that I know that do use canthaxanthin are truly reputable breeders and breed some 
extremely beautiful birds, they feed canthaxanthin due to the fact that they show their birds and the feeding of canthaxanthin is 
a requirement for showing them.  However my regimen of feeding Beta Carotene allows for the production of some outstanding 
birds which have the most natural color that a wild diet would give to them.  If I fed canthaxanthin, how would I determine 
which birds were the best colored?  

COLOR AND MATE SELECTION
 Research has also shown that only the most colorful males can out-compete their rivals and serve as suitable, attractive
mates for females.  Researchers have become particularly interested in why females pay particular attention to the more colorful 
males when making their mating decisions.  What information are males communicating to females with their color?  What advantages
do females gain by mating with the most colorful male?    Laboratory experiments, demonstrated that the more brightly colored 
males are preferred as mates by females, but that they also obtain the largest quantities of carotenoids in their diet, are in the best
nutritional condition, help provision females with food as she prepares for breeding, and have the highest survival rates.  Thus, males 
use their color to demonstrate to females their foraging abilities, general health, and willingness to provide parental assistance.  
While the above discussion of mate selection is true for wild birds, it is we breeders who select the most colorful males to mate
with compatible females as we decide upon our pairings.  With this statement being made, I question how breeders of Red Factors
that are fed the coloring agent canthaxanthin can decide which males are the most colorful males?  When fed Beta Carotene, it is not 
difficult to determine which are the brightest colored males and even which females are the brightest colored.  This is due to the fact 
that they do not all color up with the same depth of color, this is largely due in part to the genetic make-up of the red gene pool, 
and how the color is assimilated in their plumage.

SUMMARY
  I would hope for a day when judges allow classes at the shows for Red Factors that are not fed canthaxanthin to be judged
for the way they should be and that is for their natural beauty. This article was written to stimulate debate and hopefully to enlighten 
people on why Red Factors are fed the way in which they are.   It is not intended to be the “answer all” to all questions, nor is it intended 
to be all-inclusive.  I hope that through the reading of this article many people will have a greater understanding of how the Red Factor
achieves and maintains their beautiful color and to give individuals the options of how to proceed in their quest for
the ultimate RED FACTOR!

A special thanks goes to Dr. Geoffrey Hill, Alumni Professor, Department Biological Sciences Auburn University for  providing his time, expertise and proofreading this article for accuracy

Last updated:  January 11, 2009      © 2003-2009 - - The Canary's Nest