zebras burying their eggs, should i unbury them?
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Mrs.Finch
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zebras burying their eggs, should i unbury them?
my second pair of zebras have begun laying eggs in a bamboo nest. they have not nearly filled the basket! so there was still about 3 inches from floor to opening when they laid the first egg.. then they covered it with material.. laid another egg.. covered it with more material.. and then laid another.. I think they may be on about egg 3-4 now. but they keep putting cotton and pet store string on top. should I let them do their thing? or should I, as I read in a blog earlier, take everything out, set the eggs aside, help them out on filling the bottom. Then, put their nesting on top and set the eggs on the top and the hen should lay on them on her own then? I am afraid that if I leave them be, that the eggs will get cold or if they hatch, they will be stuck down there and suffocate at birth. please help! another issue is.. someone gave these little guys to my kids, and I didn't actually have a flight cage at first.. we had them in a tall cage, but not long.. so I got the flight cage about a week into having the birds.. well, the day I got the flight cage, we found their first egg. I have read that you should not move their surroundings after they start laying.. and so now I feel a little stuck. I don't want to stress them out by taking their babies and moving everyone to the new location. should I let them stay in the small cage for now? or should I just move everyone on over?
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lovezebs
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Re: zebras burying their eggs, should i unbury them?
Mrs.Finch
Personally, I would move them to the flight, much better for all concerned.
You can fix up the nest then, and put the eggs on top (one word of caution * I would get rid of the 'string' which they sell at the pet shops as nesting material. That stuff is notorious for wrapping itself around chicks feet and legs, and causing nothing but trouble).
If your pair persists in burying the eggs again, then they are probably not ready to get down to business. They may bury the eggs because they simply don't know what to do with them, or because the eggs are not fertile. Would you happen to know how old they are?
Eventually, they do figure it out and get it right, even if it does take them some time and a few hit and miss practice sessions.
There is more information in your other post, about food and such for breeding pairs.
Good luck.
Personally, I would move them to the flight, much better for all concerned.
You can fix up the nest then, and put the eggs on top (one word of caution * I would get rid of the 'string' which they sell at the pet shops as nesting material. That stuff is notorious for wrapping itself around chicks feet and legs, and causing nothing but trouble).
If your pair persists in burying the eggs again, then they are probably not ready to get down to business. They may bury the eggs because they simply don't know what to do with them, or because the eggs are not fertile. Would you happen to know how old they are?
Eventually, they do figure it out and get it right, even if it does take them some time and a few hit and miss practice sessions.
There is more information in your other post, about food and such for breeding pairs.
Good luck.
~Elana~
Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~
Linnies~ Canaries ~ Zebras ~ Societies ~ Gouldians ~ Orange Cheeks ~ Shaft Tails ~ Strawberries ~ Red Cheek Cordon Bleu ~ Goldbreasts ~ Red Brows ~ Owls ~ Budgies ~ Diamond Firetails ~ Javas ~ Forbes Parrot Finches ~
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Sally
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Re: zebras burying their eggs, should i unbury them?
Mrs.Finch I agree with Elana, if they are burying the eggs, they may not have figured out what they are doing. The eggs that are buried most likely will not hatch, as they will never be incubated properly. Zebras are notorious for making nest 'sandwiches', with layers upon layers of eggs and nesting material. I once had a pair of Zebras that did that, and when I finally cleaned out the nest, there was a total of 20-some eggs in that nest, with 4-5 eggs in each layer, and lots of nesting material in between. They only quit because the nest was full up! lol