Why, Why oh Why!!

[BigBear0007]

Hi All,

My Cubans decided they did not like their nest basket, so they decided to take everything out includeing the eggs!
They started to build a new nest between the basket and the bars and the plastic greens.
The eggs were on the ground with some nesting material and they
are fine not broken.

1) Why did they do this?

2)Could the eggs be good and fostered to Societies or other finches?

3) Should I give them a differant type of nest, maybe an outside type?



4) Should I move them higher up on a shelf ? They were chest high, and it may have been too low to their liking?

Jerry

[L in Ontario]

I have my Cubans in a breeding cage on the lowest position at floor level. They've had and raised a few clutches in there with an inside nest.

You should be able to candle the eggs 5 days after incubation began. I would try fostering the eggs to Socs if you have them ready and let the Cubans try a new clutch.

[BigBear0007]

So just keep the same nest again and keep them in the same spot?
Or should I try the outside nest, or both and give them an option?

Jerry

[BigBear0007]

Clever little birds!
They know what they are doing.
The eggs were all dudds, the shells were too soft.
Looks like she didn't get enough cuttle bone in her.
The new batch of egg food should aleviate that,
I scraped and crushed up some cuttle bone into the mix.

Jerry

[BigBear0007]

Both pairs laying!! Yeah!!!

[ac12]

For more calcium during egg laying I do the following:
- I mix Morning Bird "calcium plus" at 1/2 dosage (to prevent over-dosage) into their drinking water.
- I give a small treat bowl of crushed egg shell, for them to eat as they feel they need it.

[BigBear0007]

What I did this time but didn't in the last batch,
was scrape half a cuttle bone into the egg food mix.
Now the eggs will be good.
Out of the three eggs only two were soft,
so she was starting to get more calcium in her diet.

Jerry

[Mozelle]

hmmmm...
Could a mineral deficiency be enough to knock them out of a breeding state of mind?