How to prevent egg laying?

[Ashleigh Rose]

Hello all! I am new to finch ownership. Someone started a discussion topic like this before but I didn't find a good answer there.
I adopted four zebra finches over a month ago. There are two males and two females. The person I got them from said they are unrelated. They had eggs in nests when I got them from him which they abandoned once I brought them home, from stress I presume. I put them in a new cage without the nests because I do not wish to breed them. They have laid three eggs within the past two weeks which have fallen through the bars and broken. I worry about a bird getting egg bound or a calcium deficiency. I have a full spectrum light on them during daylight hours. I feed them a finch seed mix and fresh veggies every day and provide cuttlebone. Two of the birds are bonded mates. The other two are not but I have seen them mate. The male of the unbonded pair has been attempting to build a nest from the Spanish moss I hung in the cage. He works on it every day I think one of the females laid the first egg there and it probably immediately fell down to the ground. The second and third she must have just laid on the floor in different places in the cage. What can I do if anything to prevent them from laying? I do not wish to separate them, especially the bonded pair. Thanks for any advice.

[Sally]

Unfortunately, when you have two male and two female Zebra finches in the same cage, it is almost impossible to keep the hens from laying eggs. You can remove all nests and nesting material, but the hens will lay in seed cups, mineral cups, or on the floor. They are determined little things. The best way to keep them from laying eggs is to have two cages, one for the males and one for the females. However, you said you do not want to do that. You will need to remove the eggs as they appear. I would get a liquid calcium to have on hand, as either of those hens could become depleted of calcium and then become egg bound.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, where you will find many articles on breeding and general finch care. If you put your general location in your profile, it makes it easier to answer locale-specific questions later on.

[wildbird]

You could try replacing the eggs with fake eggs for them to set on, and she may stop laying for awhile. You can get them at ladygouldianfinch.com.

[lovezebs]

Ashleigh Rose

Welcom to the Forum.

As Sally said, I would remove all nesting materials (including the moss).

Yes, your girls will lay for a while here, there and everywhere, but if you keep removing them, eventually it does get less over time.

Make sure your girls have enough calcium, cuttle bone, crushed boiled egg shells, fortified grit, crushed oyster shells.

[Ashleigh Rose]

Thanks for the advice. I will be sure to get several different calcium sources. Why does the eggshell need to be boiled? Also I read that they do not need grit because they remove shell husks before eating them and that grit can be problematic, what is your experience with that?

[Aspen]

Some of my girls lay eggs when they are in a female only cage, no nests, no nesting material, nothing. Not sure how to get them to stop because they are just persistent...