Pigeons laying eggs..now what?

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:17 pm

Well my pigeons have started to lay some eggs. To be honest, I probably have a bunch more birds in my coop then I should size wise and thought thats why I haven't had any eggs up to this point.

I dont have any breeding boxes or bowls in the coop. The eggs are just on the newspaper that I put on the bottom of it. I went and grabbed a bag of shredded paper from my office and threw it in there thinking they may use it for some kind of nesting material.

Should I just leave the eggs/birds be or should I be providing some nesting bowls or something?

I would really like to get a few new birds out of the deal.

Thanks!

rkalgren · Post by **rkalgren** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:19 pm

The birds will make nest out of what ever material is available.

Danro · Post by **Danro** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:26 pm

What you could probably do, I haven't ever tried it though, is to get a couple clay pots, like terra cotta, and put that in there with straw or something. If you move the eggs the pigeons probably won't accept them. And as far as I know, pigeons can't pick up eggs so these probably won't hatch. But the more important thing is that you have a breeding pair and generally, pigeons are monogomous so if the eggs turn out to be bad, they'll breed again and lay another set in a few days. How many eggs are there? If the eggs are fertile there should only be one first and them a day later one more. Any more and its probably just the hens dumping their payload. :D

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:33 pm

Try and flag the ones that are sitting on the nests...they are ones you want to keep for sure they will come back to the coop

then future take some 2x4 or 2x6 and build some squares so they are 4-6 inches deep along a wall with just a small lip if you have the scrape material to do it...they will make a nest with what ever is available but the little lip helps
they will make their nests there..they will do their nests anywhere but if you do that it will help keep the eggs off the floor giving the younger ones a better chance

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:38 pm

There are 3 eggs now. I was off on vacation and returned to 1 egg. Then today 2 more showed up.

I have 4 boxes on the back wall but no "lip" on the front...its just open. I will go and try to put something up tomorrow and stick some shredded paper or straw in there.

I do have a bottom to a clay pot and will try that as well.

I did move the first egg when adding some shredded paper, but didn't touch the other two which are side by side of each other on the floor of the coop as well.

If I remove the eggs that are in there now and get the areas setup, will that promote her to lay more eggs?

Thanks again!

Post by **kninebirddog** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 9:02 pm

We tried moving a couple of eggs one had laid by the front door...they never hatched but it was also about winter time we have some that just always lay on the floor and those babies grow up fine

once you have made some spots they will use those areas over and over once they get used to it

some straw shredded paper twigs foam pieces just toss it in there let them build it

Danro · Post by **Danro** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 6:56 am

It is rare to have pigeons lay more than two eggs. So chances are,(I'm assuming that the first egg is by itself), that the first is not fertile and the two eggs together(there I go assuming again) are a clutch and were probably brought on by the first egg being laided by a different hen. Those most likely won't hatch by incubation by the pigeons, but for times like this, you can buy a very cheap incubator from GQF poultry. Like $10.00. And if you wanted to that much, for homing eggs or something expensive like that, you could hatch them yourself. Can't be too much different than hatching game birds, right?

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 9:29 am

Don't try to hatch them yourself you will never be able to take care of the chicks if they do hatch. Your nest boxes should be more like this one.

You will probably have to build anouther loft if you want a breeding setup. A "breeding loft" will really help produce birds and you won't have to buy anymore. The nest boxes take up alot of room and if you don't have it you don't have it.

There is room for two bowls in these nest boxes. The reason is because if there is a spot the pigeons will drop a secound set of eggs after the babies hatch from the first clutch. They will go back and forth between the boxes and will breed pretty fast.

Putting bowls on the floor will work with some straw but you won't get anouther set of eggs til the ones are totally grown up and off the nest. With the boxes you will have twice as many young birds. Good luck

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:03 am

I just put a lip on the front of two of my four boxes that I have nailed to the back wall and threw some shredded paper and foam in them. The boxes are only 4" deep, but it should work. I also put a plastic dog bowl on the floor with some shredded paper as well.

I think your right on in regards to having to build another loft since I am really tight on space. I also need to try and figure out my breeding pair and take a few of the pigeons out of the loft...just too many in there right now.

The single egg is not be tended to, but I think the clutch that was layed after the first is being tended to. Should I just take the single egg out and toss it?

If the pigeons are not sitting on the clutch of eggs should I also remove those? Will that stimulate them to lay another set quicker?

Appreciate all the answers.

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun Feb 25, 2007 10:05 am

Pigeons are pretty interesting if you want to study them a little. As far as laying the normal procedure is they will mate then after a few days breed. The cock will drive the hen for several days trying to get her to their nest area where ever it is. He does most of the nest building which in reallity is very little. The hew will finally lay an egg some morning. She will probably hover over it but not actually sit on it. This is true in the cold more than in the heat of summer. Two days after the first egg she will lay another in the afternoon. This is when actual incubation starts. The hen will sit on the eggs till eight or nine in the morning and then the cock will set till late afternoon or evening, then the hen takes over again. It will take normally 15 days after the last egg for them to hatch at which time both parents will feed them.

It is not unual for them to relay sometime after two weeks at least but it will normally be nearer three weeks. And then they start over again.

You will notice that your birds are territorial and they each have a place to roost. This is established through their pecking order so whwere ever the birds decide to nest that will be their territory and they will continue to nest their unless something upsets the pecking order. becaus eof the territorial concept it is good to get your young birds out to another pen when they come off of the nest. It will only be a few days till they are starting to fly in the pen and within a couple of weeks will be strong enough to let out for a short time. If you do that everyday with int a couple of weeks they will get strong enough to start taking little longer flights and after another week or two you should be able to start taking them a short ways from the loft and releasing them. once you have done this a fewq times they are ready to go where ever you need to take them for your dog training.

Hope this gives you a little insight as what a pigeon needs to make it happy and if they are happy they will come back.

Ezzy

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:34 am

Well....I think I have an egg laying factory now. They keep laying eggs but are not tending to them. The hens are having some kind of egg laying contest I believe....

I need to pull a few pigeons out to give them some room, but I am not sure which is my breeding pair. I think I have the hen pinned down, but have no clue on the male.

Don · Post by **Don** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:49 am

Just wait. I've had pigeon's on two nest's at a time. They give a whole new meaning to the word promiscus! And they are about the worst home builder's you ever saw. Couple stick's and they are good to go. Then they fill it with doo and it turns to an adobe brick if you don't get to it fast enough! The babies are so ugly you'll want to kill them right away. Interestingly, my dearly departed wife did raise one by hand once. She made this,,,,,,stuff? and squeezed it in her hand and got the little beggar to stick it's beak into her clinched hand to eat. You'd think all my pigeon's had suddenly become sterile she put so much effort into that one chick!

I don't train anymore but I still have those pigeon's! I guess I do like them. Put a few tumbler's and roller's in your pen. When your out watching them excersize, and you should watch them as it's good for the soul, all of a sudden you see amazing thing's!

You'll have to excuse me. They are out on the porch right now demanding I come feed them. They are also glutten's!

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:30 pm

If they are not building nests and just dropping eggs. Then not sitting on them throw them out. They only take two week to hatch anyways so if it has been longer then that get rid of them.

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 3:36 pm

Sounds like you need to set some boxes in on the floor for them if you don't have time to get some on the walls. When they are just dropping eggs where ever it is because they can't find a place to nest.

That two week thing is pushing it as it is 17 days from the time the first egg is laid till hatching.

Ezzy

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:54 pm

I actually have 4 small boxes on the back wall. I added two perches today so there is a total of 4. I also added a plastic dog bowl (:lol: ) edit last week on the floor hoping they would use that.

Ezzy said earlier about the pecking order and I have some dominant birds that have staked out the boxes and not letting others in there. I think I know at least one breeding pair..so two of the bossy pigeons in the boxes may be taking a long trip...

Thanks for all the info!

Don · Post by **Don** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:00 pm

A plastic dog bowel?????

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:09 pm

...yeah

No good?

Post by **ezzy333** » Sat Mar 03, 2007 8:15 pm

Rooste,

Don's making fun of your spelling. A plastic dog bowl is good. Those bossy birds that have staked claim to the boxes are your cocks and they will find a hen and mate if you leave them alone. That is if there are enough hens to go around. I think if you quit worring about them you will make out ok.

Ezzy

gdog · Post by **gdog** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 12:59 am

No worry....actually having fun with them!

Thanks Ezzy!

**bowel=bowl....yikes!

Don · Post by **Don** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:23 am

A guy on another thred was talking about shooting plain's game in Africa and spelled it "Plane". Really had a time trying to figure out how much gun ya need for a 747, how the PH would track a wounded one, how you mount a plane ect, ect. Took the better part of a week to get done with it. Sometime the mistakes we make can be really really funny! I'll get mine, I'm a lousy speller!

ohiogsp · Post by **ohiogsp** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:40 am

I bet this would be enough to take a 747 down.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CQJSZs-euZU

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:50 am

The T-Rex video right after that one is pretty good too. A .600 Nitro pistol!

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Pigeons laying eggs..now what?

Pigeons laying eggs..now what?

eggs and more eggs....