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Hello,

I have 3 males and 1 female society finch. I'm concerned about the eggs the female is laying. They are small, yellow, and soft. They look like they have no shells. She drops the eggs in the bottom of the cage, even though the birds have built an elaborate nest.

I have done everything I can think of to supplement her diet. She gets pellets, seed, egg food, fresh fruit, veggies, hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, mineral supplements in her water. A cuttlebone is available but she doesn't touch it. I ground up a mineral block and sprinkle a little on her food. So far, nothing has helped. She seems healthy and happy in every other way.

Any suggestions? I've tried to research this but none of the "experts" seem to be able to help.

Possibilities:
1. inadequate vitamin D ( needs partial direct sunlight, or a full-spectrum lamp.
2. did not store an adequate supply of calcium prior to egg-laying,
or not able to utilize the stored calcium. This can happen with either older birds, or can be a problem with some family lines. Some green vegetables actually bind calcium so that it cannot be used. (spinach)
3. "mineral additions" to the water is probably not all that helpful.
If you feed boiled eggs, the shell should be included. My birds like a mineral mix that ABBA puts out, which is bagged in some pet shops. Looks and tastes like a combination of dried crushed egg shells, blue coloring, and a bit of salt.
4. stress from having too many males harrassing the hen. pair her with just your best male and try again, unless summer is too hot. I've had successful hatches in October.

Ditto what alhee said. Separate her from the males, or pair her with one of the males, without a nest, let her rest for a few months, then replace the nest.

Thank you for your suggestions.

The birds have a full spectrum light in their cage during the daytime so I don't believe that to be the problem.

I understand that green veggies like broccoli can bind calcium so the birds can't use it. They don't get a whole lot of greens. except broccoli occasionally. They like shredded carrots mixed with the hard-boiled egg with the shell included. I also sprinkle commercial egg food on their pellets. Alhee, what is the name of the mineral mix you suggested?

The suggestion that she may be harrassed by the males is a good one. I had not thought of that as a problem. I'll buy another cage and pair her up with the male that seems most interested in her, let her rest for a while and then put the nest back in.

They all like the nest, especially at night. Do they need a special place to sleep?

Thanks so much for your help.

Another opposite possibility is that your diet might be too rich !
A balanced/enriched finch & parakeet blend seed mix, lettuce leaves and fruit a couple times a week, occasional hard-boiled egg and a small portion of pellets when they want it might be all you need. I'm glad that your birds like carrots and the richer diet, because this would be great for fostering other species which need the richer diet. But the needs of societies themselves is fairly simple. The mineral mix that I use is packed at my pet shop, by ABBA. I think that it's the bit of salt that makes the difference. Their appetitie for this comes and goes.
I add canary mix when there are babies in the nest, and then millet sprays when the babies leave the nest.
Also, especially for the summer, the nests do not need a lot of filling material. I use wicker nests that are about 4 inches across. For most of the year, ventilation is more important than insulation.
I also need to clean their water dish twice daily, because they love baths!
I would actually let the pair have a nest box, without (or with very little) nesting material, because the birds feel a lot more secure with a nest to sleep in. Do whatever you think is right in keeping the hen happy and healthy, because I know how hard it is to find another hen.

Yes, their diet may be too rich. I started spoiling them when I was experimenting with how to fix the problem with my female's eggs. To me, it seemed clear that it was a vitamin/mineral/calcium deficit somewhere along the line. They do enjoy it, though! They get excited when they see the treat cup coming! They also love cottage cheese. For the 4 birds, they get maybe a tablespoon of "mush" (whatever fruit/veggie/egg/etc that I have on hand to mix up) each day.