FINCHforum

Hey everyone. Couple of questions about my zebra finch (she lives with her female partner)

She lays lots and lots of eggs. ALL THE TIME! She puts them on the ground, in the food bowl etc. Just wondering if it's ok to have a nest in the cage all the time? I have put two nests in there so they can have one each (except I am fairly sure that only one lays)

Second question is how do you get her to use the nest! She just ignores both of them and lays in the seed bowl. Then she sits on them inside the seed bowl. I can't not put seeds in the cage or they will starve. How can I get her to stop laying in the seeds and start using the nest? She is supplied with plenty of straw-stuff in there for her to make a nest cosy but she just doesn't!!

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks in advance.

You can try a tube type seed feeder that can be purchased at most pet stores, or a smaller seed cup that she can't fit in. If the seed is mixed, she might throw a lot out though looking for favorites. You have to be sure she is using it too. With her laying all those eggs, be sure there are plenty of finely crushed egg shells, oyster shell, and cuttlebone for calcium for her. It is not good for her to continuously lay eggs, as it depletes calcium wears her down. The nest might be one of the reasons that she is laying eggs constantly.

Use a tube type seed feeder so eggs can't be laid inside. My zebra hens don't even if they just use a bowl. And to stop her from laying eggs remove the nest.

Tube feeder = great idea. Although I used to have a cuttlefish holder in the cage which she tried nesting in once (which I removed).

I have only decided to put the nests in recently since I find smashed eggs in the bottom of the cage at least once a fortnight, even without anything to nest in. The nests have only been in there for 2 days!