Another dumb pigeon question

[Duckdog]

Ok...just to refresh.
I had the one mated pair. They nested and had two eggs.
Then I let the female fly and she didn't come back until 3 days later.
During that time, the male didn't tend to the nest like he had been. He may have while I wasn't there, but he definitely didn't guard it like before, when the female was there.

When she returned, he went back to guarding and business as usual. One of the eggs hatched Friday. I just went and fed and the baby pigeon is nowhere to be found. And the other egg is pushed out of the nest to the side. (it didn't fall to the floor), but it's cracked. It could be the chick hatching for all I know.
Or, they rejected it?
Now, the million dollar question...
Do...or WILL, pigeons canabalize the chicks?
I know it's a possibility that a snake could have got it, but it doesn't seem likely.
Though, the fact that there is NO evidence kinda points toward a snake kill.
Dang...

[Rod W]

Sounds just like the luck I am having, lots of luck, just ALL BAD !!

[DonF]

The missing one has to be somewhere. Can snake's get into your loft and up to a nest? Snake probably would have eaten the egg too?

[GSP7]

Ive had snakes eat eggs and chicks.

One time I found a dead snake that died with a half swallowed full grown pigeon

Be sure and have covered water so the cant crap in the water. Salmonella kills young birds and the adults pass it on to the young. they seem fine untill the get big and start growing feathers then they go loco and die

Id get some of that antibiotic stuff to put in the water and feed

[big_fish]

what kind of antibiotic should one use can any that is good for birds work(hoping tractor supply has some)?

[gotpointers]

Tractor supply will have a sulfa type powder in a small packet for around 7$ in the cattle section. Also try some of the wormer for poultry that they carry. Peiperzine will be the ingredient in it but again may have a different brand name. Cannibalism would take a while and you would find some skeletal evidence. They would have to be pretty hungry to even begin to do it.

[Duckdog]

Thanks for the salmonella heads up.

Don...I really do think it's gone. When the birds went out into the aviary to eat, I locked them out there and looked high and low. Nothing.
I even picked up the nest to see if it somehow got stuck under it. Nothing.
Watched the ground for a while thinking I'd at least see ants or something if it'd been killed and eaten there. Nothing.
But,...the plot thickens.
I found THAT chick's egg OUTSIDE the loft. The other egg, like I mentioned, is still at the nest.
It would have to be the hatched chick's egg. (found 2 big pieces)
And, just the day before, my daughter asked, "What happened to the egg?"
Of course, I answered..."I dunno?"
So, it looks like something came one day and dragged the broken egg pieces out, then returned for the chick.
Very strange.
COULD a snake get in? Yes, but it wouldn't be easy.
COULD a snake get all the way up to the nest? Yes, but it wouldn't be easy.
I haven't seen a black snake in a LONG time, but them suckers can really climb.

[cjhills]

the adults toss the egg shells out when they hatch. not cannibalism sometimes the other adults kill babies, but I don't think they eat them. Cj

[ezzy333]

I don't think I would get too worried yet as you have little evidence of what the problem might have been. Sounds like an isolated incident at this point. Salmonella is normally not a big problem with the birds. And I wouldn't start an antibiotic till I knew for sure it was needed. Let the birds natural immunity take over and grow and your birds will bbe much healthier in the future.

Ezzy

[Duckdog]

Did another thorough check again this evening, and the chick is definitely gone.
The second egg hasn't hatched either. That would be close to a 4 day split between the first one hatching (thus far).

I guess if they don't cannabalize, it must have been a snake. If it were a Weasle (rare for here)or something similar, I would have probably lost more than one chick.
I have heard that hanging moth balls will deter snakes. I know it works for deterring wasps anyway.

How long should I give this second egg before I pitch it? Right now, it's 21-22 days old, and the first one hatched 4 days ago.

[ezzy333]

The second egg is not going to hatch, so pitch it if you want. The babe that you lost probably is in a corner or covered with dirt and they are so small you would have difficulty in finding it. A shrew or a rat could have carried it off also. The birds will mate and lay again in a few days and they will do better this time.

Ezzy

[Duckdog]

I kind of thought so. Especially when I saw they had pushed it out of the actual nest.
That chick is not in there, I can promise you that. I have done a THOROUGH search.
More than likely, something packed it off, but you have to wonder, if it weren't a snake,
Why'd they kick it to the floor? Who knows at this point?...

Will they use the same nest?

[ezzy333]

Yep they sure will.

Ezzy