Ask Lafeber

Eggs Are not hatching but they’re still sitting on the nest the male and the female

Why is zebra finch The eggs are not hatching I think it’s more than two weeks this is my first time ever having finches the previous owner told me that they don’t hatch when he owned them they would lay an egg he believed that the male wouldn’t let them hatch could that be true is there something I can do they love it in their new home here you’re so comfortable in the cage and I just love each other they’re inseparable they laid eggs but nothing is hatching I don’t know what to do to believe that they died? I was so excited to see eggs that they hatched and show them to my grandchildren on FaceTime it was so excited they started naming them I didn’t know they weren’t going to hatch I’m very disappointed are they still nesting I don’t know what should I believe that he died? I am a rookie Please help

Hi Debbie,

The best thing to do is take the nest away from them for now. Finches do not need a nest or house or anything to sleep in. A nest is only used for breeding and laying eggs. They should not be allowed to nest all the time. It sounds like this pair has been allowed to lay eggs over and over and the pair is simply exhausted. It takes a toll on the female’s health to form each egg and lay it. In the wild, they only breed one time a year and during that time, they only raise one or two clutches of chicks. In captivity, they do not know to stop because the seasons do not change indoors. So it is up to you to keep them from laying eggs too often. The female can literally die from laying too many eggs. Since the previous owner let them keep laying eggs, they were over bred before you got them. Take the nest away, and if they try to use a food bowl as a nest, remove it and replace it with smaller cups. Make them rest from breeding for at least 6 months before giving them a nest. You also need to be feeding them a balanced diet, like pellets or granules, and not a seed mix. Seeds offer little in nutrition and they can’t produce healthy eggs or chicks if they only eat seeds. Also offer dark leafy greens and chopped veggies. When you give them the nest, you can off a daily egg food. This can be a commercial dry egg food, or you can cook an egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the eggs. The female needs the extra protein and calcium when she is about to lay eggs. Also, most Zebra finches only live about 6-10 years, so it may be they are too old to produce fertile eggs. And some pairs are simply not good for breeding and should not be given a nest if they continue to fail.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda