I want to say thanks. My zebra girls eggs. What to do ..

[livinonaprayer]

I'd like to thank you guys for your advice. I did remove the nest.
They seemed a little confused the first night and huddled in the corner where the nest was. Yeah, I felt sorry for them. Next day they were just fine. And since I took the nest out...no eggs!
Thanks so much.
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Hi guys. I've got a question about the zebra girls and their eggs.
I leave a little basket in their cage because they love to go in it and sleep in it. I guess I just don't have the heart to take it out.

They're always laying eggs in it. Should I take them out right away or let the eggs sit in the nest for a couple of days.

Also, when I take the eggs out, is it okay to let them eat them?

Thanks.

[BirdCrazy]

I would remove the nest if there are just females in there. It is not good for them to lay all of them time and having the nest will just encourage it. They don't need it to sleep in. Also, as far as eating the eggs. They can eat them after hard boiling them even the shell crushed up. I would remove them right away and refrigerate them until you have enough to use. I would not feed them ones that have sat in there for a couple of days. They need to be fresh so gather daily. I would remove the nests though and give them chicken egg instead. It would be much healthier for them.

[livinonaprayer]

I would remove the nest if there are just females in there. It is not good for them to lay all of them time and having the nest will just encourage it. They don't need it to sleep in. Also, as far as eating the eggs. They can eat them after hard boiling them even the shell crushed up. I would remove them right away and refrigerate them until you have enough to use. I would not feed them ones that have sat in there for a couple of days. They need to be fresh so gather daily. I would remove the nests though and give them chicken egg instead. It would be much healthier for them.

Gee I really hate to take it out. I'm just an old softie. It's for their own good I guess so I'll need to remove it and I will. But yeah, it seems like as soon as I take the egg out there's another one next day or so.
Sometimes they break one and eat it. I guess that's okay. Yes?

Thanks for the advice.

[franny]

Iif you want to leave the eggs for a few days, they will maybe get broody, and stop laying when they get what they think is a normal clutch size, hopefully, and just sit on them and try to hatch them for awhile. This will give the hens a break from egg production, which is hard on them.

Are they getting lots of cuttlebone? You should also be sure they get eggfood, as long as they are still laying, and possibly a calcium supplement in their water a couple of times a week (not every day).
Better to cook eggs before feeding them, too.

Better if you can discourage their laying altogether though, since this should really only be encouraged if you intend to raise babies. But with only two hens... it's hard on them. Although you might think they like the basket to sleep in, it's really just a nest to them, and they are trying to do what's in their nature to do, reproduce. But they don't need a nest to be happy. They really are just fine, roosting on a perch (natural perches, not dowels). For their long term health, it's best to remove the basket, IMO.

I found it a bit hard to remove the nest from my Goldbreasts' cage after they had their babies... but I realized after a couple of days that they were acting no different, and were perfectly happy to sleep on the perches.

I would make sure if you have silk plants in the cage tie them up close to the wire, and up high on the ceiling of the cage. So that there was no convenient place in the plants for them to try to nest. Also put tube style feeders on the outside of the cage, if you can, so they aren't tempted to use the seed dishes as nests.

[livinonaprayer]

Iif you want to leave the eggs for a few days, they will maybe get broody, and stop laying when they get what they think is a normal clutch size, hopefully, and just sit on them and try to hatch them for awhile. This will give the hens a break from egg production, which is hard on them.

Are they getting lots of cuttlebone? You should also be sure they get eggfood, as long as they are still laying, and possibly a calcium supplement in their water a couple of times a week (not every day).
Better to cook eggs before feeding them, too.

Better if you can discourage their laying altogether though, since this should really only be encouraged if you intend to raise babies. But with only two hens... it's hard on them. Although you might think they like the basket to sleep in, it's really just a nest to them, and they are trying to do what's in their nature to do, reproduce. But they don't need a nest to be happy. They really are just fine, roosting on a perch (natural perches, not dowels). For their long term health, it's best to remove the basket, IMO.

I found it a bit hard to remove the nest from my Goldbreasts' cage after they had their babies... but I realized after a couple of days that they were acting no different, and were perfectly happy to sleep on the perches.

I would make sure if you have silk plants in the cage tie them up close to the wire, and up high on the ceiling of the cage. So that there was no convenient place in the plants for them to try to nest. Also put tube style feeders on the outside of the cage, if you can, so they aren't tempted to use the seed dishes as nests.

Thanks for the advice. There's actually four girls in one cage and two girls in another cage. The original pair which I bought is in a separate cage with no nest and happy as larks. It's the four girls that are constantly laying.
So I guess I got eight zebras for the price of two.

If I got this right, I can leave their nest for a couple of days until they think they have enough; there three eggs in there now; and then I'll take it out.

But I think I'm better off taking it out altogether.

Thanks again.

[L in Ontario]

I have to agree that the nest should be taken out. Zebras (and Societies) do not need a nest to be happy... and you usually won't have egglaying to worry about when no nest is present.

[livinonaprayer]

I have to agree that the nest should be taken out. Zebras (and Societies) do not need a nest to be happy... and you usually won't have egglaying to worry about when no nest is present.

Thanks. These four are pretty happy little girls. Seldom argue. So I'm taking everyone's advice and removing the nest. I still feel kinda bad about it though. But I know what has to be done. It must be hard on them laying every single day. I didn't realize that. So thanks again.

[livinonaprayer]

I'd like to thank you guys for your advice. I did remove the nest.
They seemed a little confused the first night and huddled in the corner where the nest was. Yeah, I felt sorry for them. Next day they were just fine. And since I took the nest out...no eggs!
Thanks so much.

[L in Ontario]

Glad to hear they are doing well. And no more eggs for you - hooray!

[Littlemissfinch]

cool litttle thank you dude![/quote]