Ask Lafeber

Female finch

My female zebra finch is not going inside the nest…only male is going inside???

Will they breed???

Hi Ajit,

Sometimes one bird is ready to nest and the other isn’t. It’s important that both birds are old enough to have a nest and breed. Zebra finches should be 18 months old before you give them a nest. Many people let them breed as young as 8 months of age, but it is better to wait to make sure they are fully mature physically and emotionally. Younger birds are often more interested in mating than settling down and caring for eggs and chicks. If your birds are young than this, I would remove the nest until they are older. Your birds will be better breeders and will be less likely to develop bad breeding habits like breaking and eating their eggs. If your pair is old enough, just be patient. The female will explore the nest when she is ready. It is important that you are feeding them a nutritionally balanced diet like finch pellets or granules, and not a loose seed mix. You can also offer dark leafy greens and chopped veggies. To get her into breeding condition, you should be feeding an egg food daily. This can be a commercial dried egg food, or you can cook and egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. Chop it all finely and offer a small amount daily.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda