Should I put a nextbox in for the Canaries?

[Rispa]

Well for awhile she would sit for about a day after putting fluff and dried spinach in the food cup, then she would pull everything out and a few days later do the same. At first I thought it was the male pulling everything out, but I saw him add some toilet paper, so I think it's the hen. Now she still puts bits into the food cup, but she hasn't sat for awhile. There haven't been anymore eggs. I'm thinking I might just need to separate the pair or take the food cup out, but I don't want to stress them out.

As for the eggs the Societies took awhile to start sitting and weren't sitting as consistently as I would have liked, so I set up an incubator. The egg has been in there for about 3 days, but I think 1) it was too little too late and 2) the egg isn't any good because the yolk seems to be stuck to one side. I didn't know that I was supposed to turn it prior to incubation as well as keep the humidity up, so I didn't. Is there any chance of a healthy chick developing anyhow or anyway to fix this? If not I'll just throw the egg away. I also accidentally cracked the egg a little more when trying to mark like most places say to. I used a bit of clear nail polish and held the egg crack side down to let it dry like a breeder I talked to does. I don't think I broke the membrane, so I think it was okay.

For future egg misfortunes I'm planning on getting an incubator. Actually I would like everyone's opinion on if the Brinsea Mini Advance Ex is necessary. If not I'm going to get the Mini Advance with the small egg insert.

[Sally]

I've not had either incubator. I have had the R-com Mini, which used to be sold by Brinsea and is now manufactured by another company. I actually used the R-com Mini as a portable brooder, when I had to take my handfeds along with me, and it did work great for that purpose.

The Brinsea Advance was auctioned off at the NCBS dinner last year. I was bidding on it, but dropped out. The person who had donated it said it was an excellent incubator.

The Brinsea Advance is $160 with the small egg insert, while the Brinsea Advance Ex is $320--exactly twice the price. You would have to decide whether automatic humidity control is worth the difference in price. There is a water reservoir in the Advance, I believe a small one built into it, so you would probably have to add water from time to time. You could install a small humidity gauge, so at least you would know what the humidity is.

[30 Seconds to Bob]

Sounds like a young, inexperienced hen trying to figure out the whole nesting/egg laying process. If it were spring and she had a proper nest, proper nesting materials (and an experienced, bonded mate), she probably would have figured it out eventually. It is WAY too late in the season for canaries to be breeding in the northern hemisphere. Wait til late next February or early March and try again. Bob

[Rispa]

I was thinking that the Min Advance would be fine because I don't exactly live in a dry climate, though the AC probably takes some of the moisture out of the air.

I offered her proper nesting materials. I recently purchased a bunch of supplies from a breeder who was getting out of the hobby and that included emu feathers, a mixture of nesting materials from ladygouldianfinch and some hay. I offered all of these plus some cotton balls torn apart and part of a toilet paper roll hung on the side of the cage by a perch. They pulled everything out once, so I restocked, but she barely used anything both times. She would grab a bit and play with it with her beak then most of the time she would drop it. She has used some small pieces from the mixture, 2ish dried spinach leaves, a little toilet paper and the seed. I tried offering her a canary nest, but she didn't want anything to do with it.

Oh also after I sent the earlier post she went back into her food dish nest.

Bob, how would you recommend getting her out of breeding mode?

[30 Seconds to Bob]

Bob, how would you recommend getting her out of breeding mode?

Canaries' whole breeding process/cycle is triggered by hormones directly related to the length of day. I would make sure she is on a natural daylight schedule and cut back on the protein - no egg food. Where you are, the length of day is around 12 hrs and 20 minutes. If they haven't been on a natural daylight schedule, it sometimes takes a couple of months to get them back on track.
When on a schedule, everything works like clockwork. They rest and rebuild in the winter. They come into condition and breed in spring and early summer and moult in the late summer and fall. Also, provide only seasonally "appropriate" fruits and veggies. Bob

[Rispa]

Well she's on a normal light schedule and been on it. Maybe that's why she's not producing anymore eggs.

[Meagan83]

I'd say give them a tube feeder/ vacation feeder or a small D cup that she cannot fit in. Then give them the nest basket. They might be nervous about it at first, but they will figure out what it is in no time (when you are closer to time to breed them that is)

[30 Seconds to Bob]

I'd say give them a tube feeder/ vacation feeder or a small D cup that she cannot fit in.

I've had to do this a couple of times as well with hens persistent on nesting in the seed cups. You can also help in these cases by starting out the nest for them. I'd sometimes line the plastic or wicker nest with nesting material and form it into the shape of a proper nest. Sometimes that was all it took for them to catch on and take over. Sometimes the hen would rip it apart, and I'd have to form it a few more times before she got the idea.
Again, these were just the "exceptional" cases. When two birds are ready to breed at the right time of year, they usually figure out the whole nest building/egg laying/parenting thing together. Bob

[Rispa]

Right after this she started to build a proper nest and we got to excited that she was actually building it we decided to hold off thinking she wouldn't produce another egg because of the lighting...well she started sitting in it and this morning an egg appeared. Well too late now I suppose. At least they are figuring out a new feeder we put in, so there won't be anymore dishes like this to nest in. I kind of wonder if one of the babies will have the spirit of Mustard (Budgie who passed away today). I hope so, she didn't get to experience enough of life and I want her to experience much more.

Related to this I was going to worm all of my birds, is it safe to worm the hen?

[Zebrafincher]

I had a female canary (named TB - Tennis Ball) who used to drive me crazy nesting in every single food dish, the floor, the water dish. I gave her a nest with dummy eggs but she wouldn't stop brooding them! In the end, unfortunately she got egg bound during the night, and I had to have her put down. I provided all the calcium cuttlefish and everything.

[Rispa]

I feel like I'm making some of the most stupid mistakes. Today we decided to candle the eggs. First I could see yolk, but couldn't tell if it was developing, second I didn't see a yolk, but saw something floating in it, third had veins and everything. So guess what I did with the third. Let it roll off my hand. Then when I picked it up, saw the crack and blood I freaked and worried about it being okay and flashed to a pic of an article I read about chicken eggs, so I tried to check if the baby was alive and opened the shell more. I fell like such an idiot. I know better normally, but was freaking out and not thinking straight. I tried putting the baby back in the nest and Seeta didn't throw it out, but I checked and didn't see the baby though I did see the shell. I'm really devastated. I don't think I have the hear to check eggs until after the date and if I check I think I'll be either taking the whole nest and sitting on carpet or at least transferring the eggs to a container lines with something soft and going and doing the actual check while sitting on carpet. The third egg (laying order) was laid very late while the other two were laid one after the other, so if that yolk egg is the third egg it might still be fertile, I maybe just couldn't see anything. The yolk did look bigger than normal and kind of strangely shaped.

I know it's out of season, but I feel bad that she may not have any babies. Can I let her have another clutch if she wants to? Or would it be best to wait until the proper season?