An Odd Kind Of Fostering (Of Eggs)

[zena]

Hi everyone,
I have had an odd... experience with a budgies concerning finch (zebra finch) eggs. My finch en layed an egg in her nestbox, but she abondoned them, and wasn't interested in sitting on them - i made sure.... i was going to remove them, when what do I find...? I took the box down to remove the eggs and my budgie hen is sitting on the eggs! I didn't know she was in there (I don't even know how she fitted in through the entrance!) I know she didn't chase the finches away because she's never been interested in their nestbox - only her own box... (and someone is usually watching the birds) I did remove the eggs and I moved the budgies into the other aviary. I just thought it was wierd seeing as the eggs were so small, and they had been abondoned and all....

[avinet]

Sept 2, 2013 11:53:13 GMT 10 zena said:

Hi everyone,
I have had an odd... experience with a budgies concerning finch (zebra finch) eggs. My finch en layed an egg in her nestbox, but she abondoned them, and wasn't interested in sitting on them - i made sure.... i was going to remove them, when what do I find...? I took the box down to remove the eggs and my budgie hen is sitting on the eggs!

She must be a very broody hen!!  I once had an aviary with Zebras and Cockatiels breeding in it.  I checked a cockatiel nest box one morning and the male cockatiel was doing his session on the eggs, and in a corner of the box a pair of Zebras had also made a nest and the hen Zebra was also sitting on her eggs next to the male cockatiel.  However I never had a parrot start sitting on finch eggs.

cheers,

Mike

[zena]

Yes... I'd never heard of it before though...
She did have her own babies and eggs... but mice got in the avairy and I think they went in her nestbox (I did see her attack them on the floor a few times after she had left the nestbox...)