FINCHforum

I want to keep this short and to the point but a lot of questions are running through my head.
To start off, I have a lovely pair of zebra finches, a female gray, and a male marked white. They seem to get along, and they sleep together in the nest at night, and don't mind each other's company. I haven't seen the actual act of mating between them however... but they seem to be intimate at times, and their behavior leading credence to them being a suitable pair.
On Saturday, August 13th, I discovered two eggs in their nest while checking up on their cage, and have been seeing an addition of one egg each day since. Today, August 16th, the egg count is totaled to be five, and a sixth egg may make its arrival tomorrow, I will be checking for that tomorrow morning. So far, the eggs have not yet been brooded during the day, but at night, the pair will go to their nest to roost like normally, only that I'm not sure if she has already began brooding them at night. I know that the eggs must be brooded consistently, but she hasn't brooded them in the day yet? I also know that pairs may not brood their clutch until all eggs have been laid, and I am thinking that there are still others to come. I'm not sure what to do at this point and if the parents have already begun the incubation process? I know that once begun, they must be kept within a constant temperature range for the chick's survival inside the egg. Will development if the egg is fertile cease inside because of it if she has already began to sit on the eggs at night?
What is it that officially signifies the brooding process, is there a difference on just sitting atop them, and brooding them? I know that fertile eggs can go a week without brooding, and still be in good condition? That means, she still has until this Friday before the first egg begins to be in bad condition? I have searched many articles and videos online about the incubation process particular to zebra finches but it still doesn't answer any of my questions?
Also, this morning, I found the eggs displaced from their normal spot, and scattered around the nest. I think reason for that was the excess nesting material, so I removed half carefully, with thoroughly cleansed hands, and placed the eggs back to where they once were. I did this in case to prevent the parents from accidentally harming the eggs with all the excess material around, and the eggs being individually strewn around the nest. The eggs appear to be undamaged, but I can't say that it is for sure, so I have posted a picture, and let me know what the present condition of these eggs are?

To break it down, this is what I hypothesize is going on?

1. Zebra finch accidentally brooding them in the night by resting on top of them but not during the day making the eggs less likely to hatch? To add to this, the cage is placed outside, we have been getting temperatures so high in the Californian summer that could even possibly "substitute" for the parents and act as a brooder for the eggs?

2. Zebra finch has laid all infertile eggs, and she knows this, but why does she always lay them in the nesting site at different times (early morning to early afternoon) but still lay them in the same spot, in the nest as if to have an actual purpose to laying them?

3. This one I hope to be the case. Am I just freaking out for no reason, and the female is really just waiting until all her eggs have been laid to commence incubation? A good supporting evidence for this is the fact she's been on hopping from perch to perch, climbing cage walls, and going to the floor to nourish herself. As far as I know, she is not calcium deficient and is not suffering from being egg bound, she is highly active, spry, and doesn't appear to be sickly. Is she just building up her nourishment, and releasing out her energy before going in for the long egg sitting process?

I know I may just be a neurotic first time bird pet owner, but I want to make sure I am doing everything I can, and not doing anything wrong. I'm very sorry that this was wordy and lengthy but I really want answers. Please let me know. I will keep you all posted when something comes up.
Thanks.
I am really wanting to make the most out of this site.

mjstudios97, I have a 4 egg clutch of societies that I am trying to not be neurotic about. Momma didn't sit tight on her eggs until the last one was laid. There were actually 5 eggs but we had a really bad storm one night (60mph wind gusts) and their nest blew down. I found the nest, hole down, on the ground in the morning. When I picked it up, 3 societies flew out, 2 intact eggs were on the ground and one egg was broken. I, carefully, placed the eggs back in the nest and hung it back up and mom laid 2 more eggs. I also secured the nest so that it won't blow down again. I hope to hear begging chicks any day now but.... I have also recently lost a gouldian clutch after a stressful move. *sigh* Hang in there. Zebs are really good parents.

Shannylee

Oh! I'm so sorry to hear that happened to you! Let's hope for the best for both of our clutches. Yeah, I suspect momma bird just to be waiting until all eggs have been laid to give the chicks an equal and fair start.

It is too soon to tell anything about the eggs yet. Yes, finches can sit in the nest without brooding. Brooding normally doesn't start until at least one parent stays in the nest all the time. Some birds start brooding after the 1st egg is laid, some after 3 eggs are laid, and some wait until their entire clutch is finished, so that their babies all hatch at the same time. Some people candle the eggs after about 5 days of brooding to see if they are infertile. However, since you are a new finch owner and you don't know how tolerant these birds will be to nest checks, I don't advise it. Sometimes, candling the eggs will cause a pair to abandon the nest.

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

Sally

Thanks for your words. Yes, I am not planning on doing egg candling for this clutch. I do quick nest inspections but the nest is inside the cage so I have to sort of do some poking.
I want to make sure that nothing bad is going on. I just checked the birds very briefly as they were tucking themselves in their nest. The eggs seemed to be fine but it was too dark to really see. I'll check tomorrow morning very briefly. I keep these checks once or twice a day. In the noon and just before they're off to sleep. I'll stop once they're actually sitting on them and let nature take its course. The female hen is not yet on the egg it seems it may just be that she's waiting for them all to get laid. I'll find out soon enough and hope to welcome some small antsy birds into this world! Hehe.

two eggs appear more red than the others right or am i have an illusion?
looks that embryo dev emphasis has started can you candlle them is there is any blood in the shell

haroun

Yes, they do appear to be more redder than the other eggs. I was considering on candling them but like Sally had said, I don't feel comfortable doing it since I don't really know how tolerant they are of me.
Today the male cock is sitting on the eggs, and he seems to be doing a good job at it. It just takes a lot of patience for him which he is starting to get.
My hen is a little jumpy, and she hasn't really settled yet. She's still frolicking around the perches and cage without really doing any parental duties unlike the male. He seems to be finally getting it.
Still trying to keep an eye on them from afar with minimum close contact. I'm thinking a sixth one is yet to come, which explains her behavior, just getting the last of her energy out before staying confined to a bunch of eggs.. or maybe she's just not into this whole parental care thing. . and is delegating all the duties to the cock.
As long as one is sitting on them, that shouldn't be a problem right?
Also, I did a curious read and it seems that sometimes both parents will leave the eggs uncovered some hot days because interestingly enough they could use the force of nature to their advantage. Slacker friendly isn't it?