I have two pairs of zebra finches, I have introduced nesting boxes to their aviary and they seem to like sleeping in their food dish instead of using the nesting boxes, is their a way to encourage them to use their nesting boxes as I have notice them now laying eggs in their separate food dishes?
Hi Marc,
If you want to breed your birds, it is better to only have one pair per cage. Breeding more than one pair in an aviary doesn’t work out well. You have no control over who is mating with who. One male often becomes dominant and mates with all of the females, then you have females with eggs and no male to help. Breeding birds get very territorial and you can end up with vicious fighting, birds killing each other, and adults raiding each other’s nests and breaking eggs or killing the chicks. If you want to keep the birds in an aviary, do not give them nests, and put smaller food cups in there so they don’t use them as nests. They do not need nests or anything else to sleep in. Nests are only used for breeding season in the wild. Throw any eggs away.
If you decide to separate the pairs and breed them, make sure you have the right type of nests. Zebra finches usually do not like nest boxes. They prefer the hut type nest made from woven grasses. Hang the nest as high as possible in the cage, leaving just enough room for a bird to sit on top of the nest. Provide some nesting material that is sold for finches. Don’t try to use hay or grass – it can be contaminated or toxic. If they have the right kind of nest and nesting material, they will use a nest. You should be feeding them a pelleted diet – not a seed mix. And also offer greens, chopped veggies and fruits. When you give them a nest, start offering an egg food daily – cooked egg with the shell washed, crushed and cooked with the egg. You can’t let them breed over and over. Remove the nest after every clutch and rest the pair for 4-6 months.
Thank you for asking Lafeber,
Brenda
