Ask Lafeber

Zebra finch babies and parents

Hello! I have 7 zebra finches. 5 babies and their parents. As of now I have tagged all babies and removed their nest (a month prior). I am able to tell that 3 of those babies are male and two are probably female. They’re very close. They usually eat together and sleep together (they’re always huddled) while the parents remain to themselves. Now my issue is that I haven’t giving away the babies since I wanted to make sure they ate 100% by themselves, and also to make sure what they were when I found them a home. The mom and dad keep reproducing. They don’t have anything resembling a nest so they will lay eggs sporadically around the cage or now their food pail. I am removing the food at certain times a day and putting it bad and so forth. Should I separate the mom from the dad? What should I do to stop this constant reproductive behavior?

Hi Zuleima,

The chicks should be weaned by now. Do you see the parents feed them at all? Usually it’s best to remove them to their own cage, so you can watch and make sure they are eating. Then in about a week, you can see about sending them to their new homes. As for the parents, there are some changes you can try to break the breeding cycle. Zebra finches can be little breeding machines, but of course this is not good for them and shortens their life span. I wouldn’t remove their food at all. Finches have such a high metabolism that even a few hours without food during the day can be harmful. In some cases finches have died after being without food for as little as 8 hours.

You need to do all of these things to discourage egg laying. Keep in mind that to lay eggs, she needs longer daylight, warmer weather, abundant food, and a quiet, private environment. Your goal is to reverse these conditions.

Limit their light to 8-10 hours by covering the cage early each evening

You have already removed the nest but she is using the food bowl. Find some smaller cups that will work and remove the one she is laying eggs inside of.

Move the cage to a different place in the room. Move the cage about once a week, or whenever she shows signs of nesting – settling on the cage floor for example. This disrupts her idea of having a stable place to lay eggs and raise chicks.

If there is no metal floor grate, then do not use any bedding or paper in the cage tray – leave it bare and clean it daily.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda