Hi Swati,
Finches can be very particular about their nest. To begin with, most finches prefer the woven nests that are enclosed except for one opening. They usually do not like a nest box. I wasn’t sure what you meant, but Gouldian Finches like a nest box – a box made from wood. Other types of finches like the woven nest made from natural grasses and it looks like a little hut. As for nesting materials, it is best to buy the kind that is sold for finches. If you use grasses that you gather, some of those are toxic. The commercial nesting material will be clean and safe. I don’t recommend cotton because the fibers can get caught in their nails or their toes. And paper doesn’t hold up well with moisture or droppings. If you interfere with a finch nest in any way, the will almost always abandon it. Your pair didn’t abandon it entirely, but they basically abandoned the eggs by putting material over them. They are not likely to sit on those eggs anymore. With finches, it is best to leave them alone and let them make the nest the way they want it. You can do things to protect the cage and nest from weather, but if the nest gets wet anyway, you have to just hope the parents can keep the eggs dry. As for having two pairs, they need to each be in their own cage. If you have more than one pair in the same cage for breeding, they end up fighting or raiding each other’s nests.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
