FINCHforum

Hello Everyone,

Our female just laid her third egg (their first clutch) this morning. She's been on her eggs more frequently each day and the male doesn't seem to know what to do with himself. He is quite the busy body and has not relaxed much the past 2 days (much more than usual) as long as she is in the nest. When she comes out he relaxes or he goes in the nest and does who-knows-what in there. Hopefully he's making himself useful and sitting on the eggs, but I have a hunch he's 'redecorating' (moving nesting material around).

Yesterday I even gave him more nesting material which he used up right away. Of course, he covered the eggs so I had to remove it. This morning he was making me crazy again trying to get at the newspaper at the bottom of his cage so I gave him some shredded Kleenex which, again, he used up right away. This time he managed to use it for the walls of the nest so the eggs are still exposed. He also has been wasting seed like a little mad man. He's been tossing uneaten seed out of his new tube feeder and making quite a mess.

It seems to me he misses his missus. Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone have any ideas to keep him busy? He has a nice bath tub that he loves, he has a swing, and I even hung his millet spray up at the top center of the cage so he has to work for it. Any other toys I can get him?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Michelle

i had a similar problem with mine every time she got off the nest he would renovate and reconstruct. i gave him little bits of coconut fiber, just enough so that he couldn't cover the eggs. i haven't tried it but small bells are another finch toy so you could try them. mine didn't make a mess with the seed so maybe yours is a nut case haha let us know how it goes

Thanks for the reply! I will probably give him a little more nesting fiber to play with tomorrow morning. They do have a bell under their grit cup he plays with a bit. He calmed down for awhile since the female was out for about an hour a little while ago. We will see if he's calmer tomorrow. He probably just needs to get used to not getting as much female attention. ;)

He's full of energy and bored...enter him for a marathon the training will do him good and keep his mind off the eggs.

Poohbear, I just love British wit!!

I'll ask Albert here if he can lend him his copy of Playboy...



Seriously though, all cock zebras are the same, they all get hyperactive when the wife is on the eggs.He'll soon have plenty to do when they hatch.
Paul.

Thanks for the advice Poohbear. I am starting to see the parallels of male zebs and male humans. Maybe I'll move him in front of the TV so he can watch hockey with my husband. That should keep him preoccupied.

Hockey sounds good,.....GO PITTSBURGH

try tying some string to the side of the cage that he can pull in that will at least keep him occupied for awhile