Society Finches & Egg Laying

[Pandapop]

I have a total of six society finches split into two groups (as one of the two males was getting the back of his head pecked at) in separate cages. One male to two females, and one male to one female.

Initially I had the three females together for a few months before I adopted the two males from a nice woman in the same state. One had a badly mangled foot that eventually... had to be pulled off, it was literally hanging on by a thread. So he's got a stump. Gets around just fine and is able to perch and enter/exit their nest I bought them.

The first group of finches (the one male and two females) have only ever laid 2 eggs for me. The eggs were two days apart, too. That was almost a month ago.

They get plenty of daylight, fresh food and water... nesting materials (I let them take what they want into their nest), etc.

Why haven't my other pair laid any eggs? And why has my first group decided to stop?

I had taken both eggs out when I saw them, as there's a tiny egg-eating snake at a pet store we visit who was in need of finch eggs. The pet store's own finches aren't laying (but they also don't have nests or nesting materials, so...).

What could I do to promote/encourage breeding behavior and egg laying?

 

[CCUK]

I have no experience with finches but @Serin may be able to give you some advice.

 

[Serin]

The usual complaint with societies is too many eggs.Your birds may be very young, or very old as these birds usually lay eggs no matter what. While it would not explain the lack of eggs as females lay qhether it not they mate, a male with one foot will not be able to grip the female to mate properly and is very unlikely to fertilize any eggs.

 

[Pandapop]

I'm not too concerned with them being able to procreate, but I was relying on the eggs themselves to help feed this snake. That and I just found it odd that mine aren't laying when everywhere I read says they should readily be.

The males are probably too old. The woman I adopted them from said they were around 2-3 years. The girls may be too young, too. The pet store I purchased them from tend to sell younger animals, so that may be the case.

 

[Serin]

I'm not too concerned with them being able to procreate, but I was relying on the eggs themselves to help feed this snake. That and I just found it odd that mine aren't laying when everywhere I read says they should readily be.

The males are probably too old. The woman I adopted them from said they were around 2-3 years. The girls may be too young, too. The pet store I purchased them from tend to sell younger animals, so that may be the case.

2 or 3 is not old. My oldest male is still breeding at 5. They live up to 12 years with good care and males can breed until they die.

 

[Pandapop]

That's good to know. They're so cute, and I love the male's singing. The chirping from the girls is adorable, too. I'd like to think I'm taking good care of them. I'm just not sure why they aren't laying.