FINCHforum

My red factor canary has laid her eggs in the small plastic container I put the shell grit in. It would not be big enough to hatch more than one chick I should think .Is there any way I can convince her to move to the large size nest I have put in the cage?

Try putting the nest where the plastic container is and leave the container out of the cage for a few days. She obviously likes that spot for some reason

daisy2003
Basically the same advice as Roxanne gave. Only I would put her egg in the nest as well.

Thank you for the hints will try them and let you know what happens ,Cheers

I've seen this type of thing happen with a pair of canaries a friend had, they made up their mind that they would use a seed dish for nesting, emptied the seed out, stripped the nesting material from the nest pan and built nest/layed eggs and reared chicks in seed dish. He tried removing the seed dish only to see the pair choose another even smaller dish in which to build nest. Once they decided not to use the proper nest pan that was it and in the end he just gave up and left the pair to use the origional dish for nesting.

Hopefully your canaries won't be as stubborn

Some birds (canaries esp) will lay their eggs ANYWHERE. Encouraging her to use a nest, with nesting materials might help (if you want her to breed!). Otherwise, females continuously laying eggs will 1) drive you crazy and 2) be bad for her with a loss of calcium.

Zebrafincher
Proud owner of:
*Kevin aka “The Old Man” – very cranky canary – 13 years old and rules the Roost!
*Beaky aka “Beaky Beak” the Zebrafinch – 1 year old – and a real, real cutie!!!
*Merlin aka “Merl” the Starfinch – 3 ½ years old – and “bossy as anything for such a small fry!

Well after trying all that was suggested to no avail, I watched her lay another egg in the shell grit I then put shell grit in the nest pan, still no good, so I took the shell grit container out of the cage and only left the pan with grit in it. She is sitting on four eggs as of today but she did not use any of the nesting material I gave her and there was a great assortment So all I can do is wait and see and I will let everyone know the results. Thanks again Cheers Robin (daisy2003)

Daisy, are you in the southern hemisphere? It's unusual for a canary to nest in the autumn.

Id leave the nest bowl in the same spot with the eggs. If she doesn't start sitting after a couple minutes then switch back. Canaries are good mothers, she'll most likely not abandon. If it comes down to it out the chicks in the nest once they hatch if they don't all fit in the grit dish. Be sure to add some cotton or tissue to cushion those eggs if she won't!

Jonvill
I am in Australia, the temperature here this last week is over 30 degrees, it is the middle of spring.
Dante
Yes she is sitting on eggs in the shell grit nest with nothing else in there I will put some nesting material in there and we shall see what she does, Thank Daisy