Question about Female Zebra Finch Breeding Behavior

[MeepAndBeep]

Hi everybody! Thanks for letting me join the forum.

I adopted a pair of Zebra Finches in April of this year. Just last month, Beep (the female) began laying eggs, so we got her a small wicker basket nesting box. Everything went well, she laid 4 eggs and 3 hatched. The babies have been growing up healthy as they are fed by their parents.
However, I have a strange situation going on right now. The babies are about 3 weeks old so far, and both parent finches have been taking turns feeding them. But sometimes when Beep goes into her nest when I'm not around, I come back to find her seemingly stuck in the nest, but upside down... her belly is in the air, as she's almost laying down on top of the chicks. Her feet usually stretch toward the side and she lays still. The nest is big enough to the point where she can get out easily.
But there's nothing else strange about her. Whenever I get her out of the nest she returns to perching, fully alert and fine. She hasn't displayed any kind of sick symptoms or mental illness.

Does anyone have any idea why she's doing this? It has happened 3 times already in the last two weeks, and it scares me quite a bit because I think there's something wrong with her. She lays completely still while she's upside down but looks like she's breathing heavy. I've tried researching this behavior and haven't found anything yet. Hopefully this isn't a dumb question... Is this normal? I am new to raising finches so any kind advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[Babs _Owner]

MeepAndBeep

Welcome to the forum! I dont own zebras, but plenty of people here do. I'm sure as the day goes on our zebra finch owners will lend a hand!

[Sally]

MeepAndBeep I can't say I've seen this behavior before, hopefully someone else will have a good explanation. It is unusual for finches to lay on their sides or backs at all.

Welcome to the forum! There's lots of good reading at www.finchinfo.com, with many articles on Zebras and breeding. If you put your general location in your profile, it will make it easier later on for members to tell you where to get supplies, etc.

[lovezebs]

MeepAndBeep

Welcome to the Forum,

I have honestly never come across this behaviour, and find it very strange.

The only thing that comes to mind, is that she might be too warm.
Is it really warm in the room where your cage is? Is the cage sitting beside a brightly lit window in full sunlight, or under a hot lamp?

Do you offer your birds baths?

[cindy]

flipping o the back can often be neurological... you need to have a look at her droppings... things like cocci, internal parasites (not mites), vitamin deficiencies, toxins can effect the central nervous system.

On our group we have seen this issue a few times (mainly on the floor of the cage) and not just limited to zebras.... both times the birds had some sort of internal parasite/bacterial issue

[cindy]

AGY also displays like this...keep an eye on the birds... are the young begging consistently so you can hear them?