FINCHforum

I recently bought 2 finches - a male and a female. They seem really happy and I really enjoy them. Within 36 hours though I already had my first egg...and then its 4. They have been taking their turns on sitting on the eggs, but nothing seems to be happening - which is kinda a relief to me right now.

I love my birds - but I am not ready for 4 more. How long do I let them sit on them before I remove them? Is there anything I should do to discourage the laying of eggs - it seems really hard on the female finch. Perhaps later on I will be asking how to get them to lay more more more - but right now I just want them to be content and healthy.

Just joined the the forum by the way and really looking forward to looking around!

Christine

Welcome to the forum! What kind of finches are they? The time of incubation varies from species to species, but as a general rule, about two weeks after they start incubating is when the babies will hatch out. If you don't want babies right now, the best thing is to toss the eggs. If you have a nest, it is best to remove it and all nesting materials, as that just triggers them to lay eggs.

Thank you very much for your response. I had been thinking about taking the nest out, I guess I just feel bad for doing that. Ha. They seem so happy and content in there. They are zebra finches.

I am finding the forum very helpful in just the first several hours of being here!

Christine

Zebras love nests and will sleep in them every night. The problem is, if you have a m/f pair, they will have babies. And you are right, egg laying is hard work for the female, and they will sometimes exhaust themselves. Some species seem to know to limit themselves, like birds in the wild do, but Zebras are like rabbits, unfortunately.

It is hard to take that nest away, they are so cute cuddled up in there together, peeking out at you, but if you aren't careful, all of a sudden you have a nestful of little faces peeking out at you!

That's a fast turnaround for them to have eggs! I agree about how cute it is to see them in their nests.

Just a note, do you give them calcium? I give my birds morning bird's calcium plus in their water. They haven't laid eggs yet but I am terrified of one of my girls getting eggbound.