FINCHforum

Well, I finally took the last (of 3) eggs out of the nest. She was sitting FAITHFULLY & I felt sorry for her spending all her time in that nest box with an egg that wasn't going to hatch. This a.m. I took the nest box out & she can finally enjoy the 5' lg cage w/her mate. Funny thing.....this morning they were eating sprouts & egg food, and he'd take a sprout out of her beak & then try to feed it to her. Evidently he doesn't think she can eat on her own.
He's so attentive to her (definitely bonded).....when do I put the nest box in No mating behavior just yet.

here's some pics

Bonded pairs will feed each other, courtship is the male feeding the hen. Males will often eat and go into the box to feed the young and feed the hen while she is incubating/caring for the young.

The hen will usually not breed until she is in season. Breeders often leave boxes up, the hens will go in when ready to breed. Other breeders remove the boxes and wait for hints the hen is ready to nest.... I take boxes down, my hens will start kicking/scratch seed out of their flat dishes, cups, pulling paper up, kicking seed or scratching at the corners of the tray. The signs are usually very noticeable... then a box for the pair is put up.

You need to rest the hen for a few months and take their lead.

*removing the box and not leaving it up will prevent issues such as if your hen happens to be one that lives for her box.... constant egg laying with out mating. Grasskeets are not like finches and you can hang a box with hopes they will breed and lay eggs but it can take weeks or months before they do anything. Most try to get grasskeets on an schedule, late September early October the boxes go up then they come down by Thanksgiving, rest the birds until Spring avoiding the coldest part of the winter. Boxes then go up late March early April, boxes down by late June, no breeding in the heat of the summer.

I happen to breed indoors and tend to avoid breeding during the chill of the winter months when the house is cooler. Hens can be prone to egg binding. Prior to breeding replenish the hens calcium supply with a powdered calcium in soft foods. I also try to not back to back clutch (double clutch) with some of my pairs, it is very taxing on the males.

Thanks for the good advice Cindy. I'll leave them without a box for a while; maybe put it up in Sept as you suggested. She was spending her whole life in that box with that one egg & I felt sorry for her. Now she'll have a chance to "get a life". It was nice today seeing her about the cage; running on the bottom, eating, etc. They are so sweet. She even took a bath

Eventually she would have given up, incubation is between 18 to 21 days.

I usually let them sit until they decided not to sit anymore, especially with a hen that loves to be in the box. It also prevents them from dropping more eggs while satisfying her need to nest.

thanks. She took another bath today; must have been feelin' grubby from spending so much time in the box.
He's still enjoying feeding her. They sure are good little eaters, and so inquisitive. Willing to try any food

Nice setup for them!