Aussie Finch Forum

My zebra hens have been laying an excess amount of eggs, is there any way of stopping them apart from using dummy eggs? I still keep them well supplied with calcium to prevent egg binding in this weather.

trying to tell zebra finches to stop breeding is like trying to tell humans to stop breeding. No chance

They want to be mummies so get em a boyfriend and let them rear some kids

My normal grey was totally confused when she lays eggs with her mate and ignored them. My pied is probably a bit over enthusiastic and diligently sits on her eggs and gets all angry when her friend comes near the nest (even though all of their eggs in in the nest).

How will dummy eggs stop them? This is a common problem when you keep only hens. They are ripe and it just comes natural. I reckon everyone who has kept a hen budgie, quarrion and heaps of other birds have found eggs on the cage floor. Like clucky chooks with no rooster. Will sit and sit and sit. Then abandon and start again. Just have to live with it, comes with the territory.

Dummy eggs will not do anything that real eggs don't. Just leave the eggs so they sit instead of continuing to lay. And you are doing the right thing in supplying calcium rich foods. So keep up the good work.
LML

Finchbreeder I might think about buying two males, so at least they can raise some chicks. Although it might mean that I have to get a new or bigger cage.

Whatever works for you Cathy. But remember that if you do get them hubbys, they may get even more teritorial about the nests. So a bigger cage and a larger selection of nests (at least 3 for 2 hens) would be my suggestion if you add boys. Enjoy.
LML

It is natural to produce eggs. If you do not want too many birds, continue as is. My zebras are beginning to go in suspended cabinets ready for the show next month. I get some eggs in the hens areas but just dispose of them. I obtain plenty of eggshells from poultry and cuttlefish from the ocean as well as greens from the vege patch so they get an opportunity to distract themselves. We seem to be trying to humanise our animal world in the current world and maybe not appreciate most live a more congenial situation in our care and do not need a lot of the concerns we seem to place on them.