Zebra finches laying eggs in food dish

[Kimmycup1]

Hello, my family and I got a pair of zebra finches a couple of months ago. We adopted them from a bird rescue so we don't know their age or anything about them besides they are male and female. I moved them to a bigger cage about 2 weeks ago, and recently noticed them mating for the first time(that I saw) about a week ago. They don't have a nest and I didn't want to encourage breeding, but I know they are known to breed. I would prefer to not have chicks, but they are my mom's birds so there's nothing I can do except create a healthy environment and see what happens.

There are four eggs so far in a food dish. They are doing a great job incubating, both male and female sit on the eggs. It's just not safe for the chicks if any hatch, it's a very small dish, not deep and only big enough for one parent to just fit in. I have something bigger I can move them into with proper bedding, but I don't want the nest to be abandoned. Any advice on what to do in case any of these eggs are fertile so that they aren't hatched in a small dish with seed. I'd like to move them(but keep them in the same spot, just a larger bowl) and hope parents will go back to incubating

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Finches need a nest to sleep in nightly. I would provide one. They will lay eggs no matter what you do. If you don't want them hatching than just remove the eggs daily. I used to use an old spoon to scoop them out of the nests daily.

I would at this point move the eggs into a nest and see how it goes.

 

[Kimmycup1]

We didn't provide a nest(they love to sleep on a swing) because we didn't want to encourage breeding. I knew they probably would anyway, and if it was my choice I would have removed the eggs right away, but they are my mom's birds yet I provide most of the care. I don't have a proper nest, and don't have any stores nearby so I was going to make a nest with a larger bowl and paper bedding. They're both doing really well with incubating, so I don't want to disturb them. The bowl just won't work if there are chicks yet moving the eggs worries me. I think I'll just go ahead and do it, and hope for the best

 

[Finchbreeder]

You should NEVER remove eggs daily - this encourages the hen to keep laying as she never sees a full nest.
If you do not want chicks you should make false eggs (from plaster of paris) and replace each egg with one of these as it is laid - then mum bird thinks she is doing well and happlily sits on her nest till it dawns on her that they have not hatched. When she will give up.
As a long time Zeb breeder, I can assure you that most can have a small bowl replaced with a larger bowl with better lining (dry grass and shredded plain white paper ((they prefer white for reasons unknown))) Zebs are nearly bombproof - have had determined little Zebs lay and hatch and raise in a scrape in the sand on the bottom of the avairy.

 

[townchicks]

I agree with Finchbreeder, just make fake eggs and replace the real ones. I made fakes for my ring neck doves from Fimo clay. Really easy. Once they realize the eggs won't hatch, they usually start a new clutch, so you need to check regularly. The real eggs make a healthy snack for my dog.

 

[Kimmycup1]

I did try to move the eggs to a new nest, but they were abandoned unfortunately. I kept the new nest after the eggs were removed, knowing they would lay eggs again and hoping they would use it. They ended up using the seed bowl again, and so far, we have two chicks that look healthy. The first hatched a couple nights ago and second the night after that, so they are less than three days old. While I didn't want chicks, my mom did and they are her birds so I'm doing my best to create a safe environment and give parents everything they need. They get veggies and hard boiled egg everyday. Both parents interchange sitting in the nest with the two chicks and there are two eggs still so waiting to see if they hatch also.
If they survive, I will separate males and females(parents also) as soon as the chicks can eat and drink on their own.

Any advice would be great now that there are chicks and this is my first time.

 

[Finchbreeder]

It sounds like you and the parent birds are doing everything right - bar preferring the seed bowl to a nest.
Once the 1st chick is a week old remove any remaining eggs.
While the last will not take that long to hatch, they provide protection to the existing chicks so they don't get squashed when very small.
Congratulations on getting it as right as the birds would let you.

 

[Kimmycup1]

It sounds like you and the parent birds are doing everything right - bar preferring the seed bowl to a nest.
Once the 1st chick is a week old remove any remaining eggs.
While the last will not take that long to hatch, they provide protection to the existing chicks so they don't get squashed when very small.
Congratulations on getting it as right as the birds would let you.

I noticed yesterday the parents are now feeding the babies and even saw their little mouths open looking for food a couple times when mom or dad isn't in the nest. They seem to be doing well, both parents and chicks. Oldest baby is 3 days old now, and the second chick is two days old. There are still two eggs, do you think they probably won't hatch or is there still time? Two is great, especially if there is one boy one girl so I can separate and pair with a parent of the same gender once weaned.