Should I be concerned if my finches lay eggs?
It’s perfectly natural for finches to lay eggs, so there’s no need to be concerned if you find eggs in their nest. Egg laying is part of the finch reproductive cycle. However, there are some things to be aware of when your finches start laying eggs:
Causes of egg laying
Finches can start laying eggs for a few reasons:
- Breeding season – Finches typically breed in the spring and summer. The increase in daylight hours triggers hormonal changes that cause them to lay eggs.
- Accidental breeding – Pet finches may accidentally breed if you have a male and female housed together. This is common if they have a nest or nesting material available.
- No mate – In some cases, a lone female finch may lay infertile eggs even without a male present to fertilize them.
Signs your finch may lay eggs
Watch for these signs that your female finch is preparing to lay:
- Mating behavior
- Carrying nesting material to her nest
- Sitting in her nest frequently
- Enlarged abdomen
What to do if your finch lays eggs
If you discover your finch has laid eggs, here are some tips:
Leave the eggs in place
It’s best not to remove finch eggs once they’ve been laid. Doing so can stress out the parents. Let them sit on the eggs until they hatch or the parents abandon the nest.
Provide extra nutrition
Laying eggs depletes calcium and other nutrients from a finch’s body. Make sure to provide extra calcium, protein and vitamins by offering:
- Cuttlebone
- Hard-boiled egg
- Fortified finch food
- Green vegetables
Leave the parents alone
Parent finches need peace and quiet to incubate their eggs and raise babies. Avoid disturbing the nest as much as possible. Don’t clean the cage or reach into the nest.
Incubation period for finch eggs
If the eggs are fertilized, the incubation period lasts:
- 12-14 days for zebra finches
- 13-14 days for society finches
- 13-17 days for Gouldian finches
The female finch performs most or all of the incubation duties. She’ll sit on the eggs constantly to provide warmth. The male may occasionally incubate as well.
Signs the eggs are fertilized
It’s difficult to tell if finch eggs are fertile without candling them. However, these signs suggest the eggs are fertilized and developing:
- The parents are sitting on the eggs in turns
- You can see embryonic development when candling at 5-7 days
- The eggs feel warm when touched
Caring for finch chicks
If the eggs successfully hatch, you’ll need to take steps to help care for the fragile chicks:
Leave chicks with parents
The parents will feed and care for chicks themselves. Avoid handling chicks for at least 2 weeks to prevent parental rejection.
Provide extra food
The parents need to produce crop milk to feed the chicks. Offer extra fortified finch food, sprouted seeds, greens and protein sources.
Clean cage
Clean droppings and discarded shells to prevent bacterial growth. But avoid full cage cleaning for 2-3 weeks.
Here’s a table summarizing finch chick care:
| Age | Care Tips |
| 0-2 weeks | Leave with parents, provide extra nutrition |
| 2-4 weeks | Parents still feeding, offer soft food |
| 4+ weeks | Start weaning onto adult diet |
When finch chicks leave the nest
Finch chicks will leave the nest around 3-4 weeks old once they develop wing feathers and are able to fly short distances.
Signs chicks are ready to fledge
Watch for these signs the chicks are almost ready to leave the nest:
- Fully feathered
- Moving around the nest frequently
- Flapping wings
- Beginning to peck at food
Preparing for fledging
To help the chicks safely fledge:
- Move the cage away from windows/walls
- Pad the cage bottom with towels
- Keep other pets away
- Supervise first flights
Expect the parents to continue caring for fledglings for 1-2 more weeks. Then the young finches will be independent.
When to remove finch eggs or chicks
It’s best to allow finch parents to raise chicks on their own without interference. However, you may need to remove eggs or chicks if:
Parents abandon eggs
If parents lose interest in the eggs before hatching, you can remove the clutch after 5-7 days of abandonment. Discard unhatched eggs once they are cold to the touch.
Parents reject or attack chicks
Sometimes finch parents may injure or ignore chicks after hatching. Move rejected chicks to a brooder box with supplemental heat right away.
You need to downsize flock
If letting all the chicks reach maturity would lead to overcrowding, humanely euthanize excess chicks by freezing them once they are 2 weeks old.
Parents are struggling
You may need to hand feed weak or sickly chicks if the parents are having difficulty caring for them. Consult an avian vet first.
Conclusion
Egg laying is a natural part of the finch reproductive process. Allow parents to incubate eggs and raise chicks on their own whenever possible. Provide extra food, clean the cage, and supervise fledging to help the chicks thrive. Only interfere if the parents demonstrate difficulty or reject the chicks completely. With proper care, a finch clutch can be a rewarding experience.
