Why is she doing this?

[CanaryLover]

My female canary has been seperated from the male since her last batch of eggs, and now she has been pulling on the string in her cage really hard (she always does this when she is ready to nest) and is waddling in her food dish.
I was under the impression that you don't mate them more than three times a season, because it is hard on the female and takes a lot out of her to produce the eggs. But if she is going to lay eggs anyway, why couldn't I be mating her?
I am pretty sure that she is going to lay some eggs pretty soon even though she does not have nesting material in her cage. She has done it before in her food cup!
Any answers would help me out.

[rainefeather19128]

The nesting instinct may be strong in her.My zebra finches are known for this every once in a while.Just keep removing the material and eggs,hopefully she will pick up the hint.if she lays eggs,duds(infertile eggs)or not remove them...destroy them if you must. sometimes you have to be mean to be kind to the hen.you will help her and her future broods.

another thing is if she lays(fertile eggs) she also may have the responsability of those eggs hatching,that takes a great toll on the hen.she may like the idea of nesting and brooding but what about chicks?if you breed non stop the chicks may suffer as well as the hen.

hope this helps:/

[nixity]

Laying an egg is taxing, yes, but it's not as taxing as laying and incubating an entire clutch, then rearing an entire clutch of babies.

Some hens are persistent and will continue to lay eggs here and there even if separated - but it's really not the same as going through the entire ordeal of breeding, laying, incubating and rearing young.

I wouldn't remove the eggs immediately after she lays them - this will only trigger her to replace them.
Just let her attempt to incubate for about a week and then remove them.
The other option is just get fake eggs and put them in a nest in the cage for her - maybe the act of brooding the fakes for a week or two will appease her desire to nest.

[asianphan]

Its hard for my to breed canary i dont know why, but i sold all of it to my friends and I got about 80 zebra finches in my aviary they produce around 30 babies for me to sell every month.

[Zeina]

if she lays eggs this time DO NOT REMOVE THEM!!!She will lay more & more that would be a problem... if she lays eggs now she will be busy with them for about 2 weeks or so!!

As for the laying eggs instinct to go away you can start covering her up early, she will get the hint. (((Throwing away eggs will make her lay more!!!)))
That's what I used to do with my canary! Just cover her up early she will get the hint that the breeding season is over!!!

Be careful some hens dont get the hint that they should stop even if you put fake eggs!! the most guranteed way is to cover her up early at night!!

[rainefeather19128]

Sorry guys,I forgot the part about removing them.if the eggs are duds let her take care of them.
*I'm not very sure about this since I never had canaries*I would think if you have any other known deffinite dud eggs that are very simmilar to canary eggs that this may also tie her up.(distract her)

covering her up may work...I never tried it that way before.

try out what everyone has said and see what works best.

[Zeina]

I think you should also know when you start covering her up early, she will start to molt.
here's a site about canaries that would help:
A Place For Canaries, Robirda's Birds

[CanaryLover]

Thank you for all your help! I am starting to give them less light and so far she has not laid any more eggs! I still have them seperated. Thanks again for all your helpful advise!

[Zeina]

Originally Posted by CanaryLover

Thank you for all your help! I am starting to give them less light and so far she has not laid any more eggs! I still have them seperated. Thanks again for all your helpful advise!

Just a heads up sometimes seperating is not enough, the voice of the male canary is enough to make the female want to lay eggs.
I don't know if that will happen with your birds, it may or may not.
But I think less light is a good step!!