# Color change for cere



## SueC (Jun 9, 2005)

Will the color of the cere turn to pink/reddish when the pijie is about to lay eggs?

Beanie is in the egg laying mode again. This is her 4th or 5th time this year, I think. I noticed that her cere has turned to pinkish red this time. Is it a sign that she's going to lay eggs or is it something more serious that I need to see the vet? 

I'm worried b'cos for the past few times including this, she gave these big poops, doesn't eat alot and always wanted to return to her cage with her mate, BiBi. But she did not lay any eggs inspite of all these. She did not puffed up or showed any signs of discomfort.

Does the cere color change and her not-eggs-laying behaviour warrant a trip to the vet?


----------



## Pigeonpal2002 (Jul 27, 2002)

SueC said:


> Will the color of the cere turn to pink/reddish when the pijie is about to lay eggs?


Hi Sue, 

I've never heard of this myself. The only thing I can think of is that perhaps Beanie and Bibi have been billing a lot? In the past I've noticed with my hens that their ceres get a little "pinkish" during "breeding" time. Not sure pink is the right colour to describe it but they change colour a bit and I figure it's due to some heavy duty billing by the pair. A couple obviously does a lot of "kissing" & "billing" as a prelude to mating and egg laying so perhaps her cere is just a little irritated from all of that?


----------



## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

I'd agree entirely with Brad's view, and it's also suggested in the Australian Pigeon Vet's book as a cause of cere turning pink.

The big poops would certainly be normal for a hen staying on the nest. It sounds like she may have a reproductive problem which could be stopping eggs from forming at all, even though she 'knows' when the egg cycle should be taking place. 

If she is not in any evident discomfort, and this is a pattern, it doesn't _sound _like there's a bad problem.

We had a barren hen, and Cynthia used to give that pair plastic eggs about the time when the hen would normally be laying.

John


----------



## SueC (Jun 9, 2005)

Thanks for your replies.

Yes, I've seen alot of 'kissing' and billing between the 2 of them.

So far, Beanie doesn't appear to be in discomfort and although her appetite has decreased, she's still eating pretty well.

I'll monitor her situation. Meanwhile, will go shopping for some plastic eggs. Not sure if I can find anything.

Does quail eggs look like pigeon eggs, in terms of size?

Suzanna


----------



## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

You can use a variety of things for dummy eggs. I've had pigeons lay on everything from wooden eggs, to small porcelain figurines, to ping pong balls, to chicken eggs.  A lot of craft stores sell wooden or plastic eggs. Any size similar to their eggs should be just fine.


----------

