I have 2 pair of zebra finches. Pair #1 (Curly and Colleen) have 4 young ones now 4 weeks old. Colleen has taken over the nest and started laying again. The first egg was laid today. How do I stop them from breeding so soon? Is this also why the adults have become aggressive towards their 4 little ones?
The other pair (Moe and Mindy) are in a separate smaller cage. She is quite young, about 6 months. She started laying eggs about a month ago. After the 3rd egg, he/she/they pushed 1 egg out, and repeated this. Then pushed out the second to last after 2 days and the next day the last one. About a week later this process started again. This time when there were only two eggs left they started incubating them constantly. After about a week of this they pushed out 1 egg and have continued to sit on the last one. Why would they do this?
Is the cage too small? Did Moe over fill it with the coconut fiber? Is she just too young?
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I would not concern myself too much wit the second set of birds. They are young and it is natural they do this. Nature has a funny way of taking care of itself. As for the other birds you should move the babies out of the cage if the parents are getting aggressive and trying to make again and lay eggs.
One of the books about finches suggested replacing the eggs with plastic eggs. and the hen will incubate the fake eggs for about 3 weeks. I have done this and the hen and the cock have both continue to incubate the dummy eggs as well as feeding the 4 young.
I feel sorry for the male adult as the young run him ragged screaming for food. The young ones do eat on their own; seed, rearing food and lots of spinach.
Thank you !
Jim
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