BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Birds Taking the nest out.

My little Zebra finches our out and about in the flight cage everyday now. But they still have thier baby coloring. And Mum and Dad are still feeding them, but they can eat on there own, too. I'm afried to take the nest out to soon, but I don't want the parents to lay more eggs.

Babies were born on the 24th and the 25th of May.

So when should I take out there nest? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Also, I have a new and bigger flight cage being built, and it's all most done. When can I put the family in it? Should I put the smaller cage in the bigger one and keep the door open?

Or should I just wait untill the babies are older. I don't plan on giveing these two away, and the flight cage they're in is a bit small for four birds.

I'd be surprised if they haven't started laying eggs again already. They usually do start before the first clutch is completely weaned. Then they may start to pick on the babies to chase them away just before the new clutch starts to hatch. The problem is that they are probably still all sleeping in the nest together, so I'd hate to remove it yet, since the babies are only a little over 3 weeks old.

Sometimes, you really don't have much of a choice though. You have to decide whether to leave the nest in until the parents chase the babies away & risk having more eggs - or take the nest away & let the babies learn to sleep on a perch (where they will probably do fine, but may not like it & may sleep on the floor instead). Its a tough call, and its probably one of the main reasons, I decided to keep the males in one flight & the females in another. :rolling:

Accually, last night they were all in there nice a cozy.

And I woke up this morning with dad chasing the two babies off the bar in front of the nest! i peeked in and lo and behold, there was a egg. I was told that if this happens take the eggs out and let them start finishing the first clutch. Do you think that would be okay?