Zebras abandoned the nest

[limechiffon]

My two zebra finches laid four eggs the last week of April. From my best estimations, they began incubating around May 2 or 3, so we should be coming up on a hatch date here.

HOWEVER... Saturday they abandoned the nest. Just won't go back in. They pecked one egg open and rolled it out (and you could see the tiny chick in it) and haven't sat in the nest for more than ten minutes straight since, except for sleeping in it. They ripped a bunch of the paper out on Sunday but the remaining eggs are still there. Today they fussed over it a bit, hopping in and out, and were sitting in it a little before I left for work, but before they were in the nest almost constantly and now they are hardly interested at all.

I'm assuming something scared them off incubating but I can't think of what it could have been.

How long can they be off the nest before the eggs are no longer good? They were greyish and I think so close to hatching. Is them leaving the nest a normal thing if the eggs are about to hatch? These birds are new to me and I've never raised birds who are raising birds before.

(if this clutch is shot I'm not heartbroken or anything. I will just take the nest out for a while - I was kind of just seeing if they could/would have babies. So no need to break it to me gently. )

[lovezebs]

limechiffon

Hi Gail,

Normally there is always someone sitting tight on the eggs before hatching time, I mean 24/7.

If they're fussing with new nesting materials, it sounds llike they're planing on another clutch.

Not sure what's caused them to abandon.

If they are a young inexperiensed pair, they may have their calculations off., figuring they've sat long enough .