# Egg size



## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

is there a difference in eggs size in feral pigeons, racers and homers~? some of my pigeons (feral racer crossbreed) have a little bit smaller eggs and some of them have bigger eggs~ could it also be bigger pigeons have bigger eggs and smaller pigeons have smaller eggs? or maybe these just happen ocasionally depending on the pigeons health or feeding


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## PigeonX (Oct 17, 2010)

Different hens have different egg sizes, and shape. Its not about the breed, its about the individual bird. I have a hen that lays very sharp looking eggs (oval shaped) and I also have hens that lay circular eggs, both of them are homers.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I agree, it depends on the bird. There is no difference between homers and racers and the feral eggs I've had weren't any smaller either. Out of all of my breeds, no certain one has had any noticable difference. Some young hens will lay tiny eggs at first.


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

MaryOfExeter said:


> I agree, it depends on the bird. There is no difference between homers and racers and the feral eggs I've had weren't any smaller either. Out of all of my breeds, no certain one has had any noticable difference. Some young hens will lay tiny eggs at first.





PigeonX said:


> Different hens have different egg sizes, and shape. Its not about the breed, its about the individual bird. I have a hen that lays very sharp looking eggs (oval shaped) and I also have hens that lay circular eggs, both of them are homers.


thanks~!! it's because my hen laid 2 eggs almost the size of quail eggs~ i'm a little worried maybe the chicks would grow into small sized pigeons.....


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

My experience with eggs that small is that they do not hatch.


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

MaryOfExeter said:


> My experience with eggs that small is that they do not hatch.


becky i have a problem right now with their father it seems that he doesn't want to sit on it and i'm thinking that it's because of the nest box i placed inside and i transferred the eggs in it with nest straws. the hen doesn't have a problem on it and she already started incubating them yesterday afternoon and overnight but right now it's AM10:50 and the cock doesn't dare to sit on them like he was afraid of their own eggs and i think that would make the eggs not hatching... i wish the hen will talk to him about that^^


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Heedictator said:


> is there a difference in eggs size in feral pigeons, racers and homers~? some of my pigeons (feral racer crossbreed) have a little bit smaller eggs and some of them have bigger eggs~ could it also be bigger pigeons have bigger eggs and smaller pigeons have smaller eggs? or maybe these just happen ocasionally depending on the pigeons health or feeding


I have a roller hen whose eggs are always about 3/4 the size of my other rollers' eggs. Doesn't seem to effect her ability to produce healthy, good quality babies.


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

Heedictator said:


> becky i have a problem right now with their father it seems that he doesn't want to sit on it and i'm thinking that it's because of the nest box i placed inside and i transferred the eggs in it with nest straws. the hen doesn't have a problem on it and she already started incubating them yesterday afternoon and overnight but right now it's AM10:50 and the cock doesn't dare to sit on them like he was afraid of their own eggs and i think that would make the eggs not hatching... i wish the hen will talk to him about that^^





MaryOfExeter said:


> My experience with eggs that small is that they do not hatch.


i was almost hopeless but i saw him do his job this morning after 4 days~ would the eggs still be fine?


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

I believe they will be fine.people have said eggs can last up to a week before incubation.


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

g-pigeon said:


> I believe they will be fine.people have said eggs can last up to a week before incubation.


even when the hen already started 2 nights of incubation and that time the eggs were not incubated by the cock in his turn for it.. would it just be ok with just 2 days? because now he is already doing his job since the third day of incubation~ now is the 6th day


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## g-pigeon (Aug 24, 2010)

I am not a expert but they should be ok. I would candle the eggs and see if thee are fertile


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## PigeonMadness (Apr 21, 2009)

The eggs should be fine. I've had similar situations happen to me and it seems fine. How has the temperature been lately in your area? I hope warm. Also just candle the eggs. At the 6th day it should be evident if their is life and if there isn't. Hope this helps.


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

reaperofhim said:


> The eggs should be fine. I've had similar situations happen to me and it seems fine. How has the temperature been lately in your area? I hope warm. Also just candle the eggs. At the 6th day it should be evident if their is life and if there isn't. Hope this helps.


thanks for sharing your experience!^^ but we're on the rainy days right now and it's currently raining and i hate it for my pigeonsㅜㅜ it's damp everywhere... the old plastic bowl that i placed on the other pair worked!! and i'm watching for both neighbor cocks if they would do it right continuously~


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

tomorrow is the 7th day~ are there ways to identify if they are fertile or not? and what do infertile eggs look like through candling~?


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Heedictator said:


> tomorrow is the 7th day~ are there ways to identify if they are fertile or not? and what do infertile eggs look like through candling~?


Is it the seventh day since they were laid, or the seventh day since they were incubated? At seven days (of incubation), the eggs should be showing a darker color and possibly red veins spiderwebed around the inside of the eggshell when candled. An infertile egg will just show gold or yellow - the color of yolk. If you candle them and they don't appear fertile, I would wait another three days and candle them again before you did anything.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

or wait the 11 or 12 days and look in the nest.


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

ptras said:


> Is it the seventh day since they were laid, or the seventh day since they were incubated? At seven days (of incubation), the eggs should be showing a darker color and possibly red veins spiderwebed around the inside of the eggshell when candled. An infertile egg will just show gold or yellow - the color of yolk. If you candle them and they don't appear fertile, I would wait another three days and candle them again before you did anything.


thanks for the tip i'll do it^^ most of my pigeons now starts incubation right after the the first egg is laid and 2 pairs of them did~ but the cocks don't do it right in the first 3 to 5 days starting when the first egg was laid


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## Heedictator (May 19, 2011)

*6 or 7 day old egg with crack*

i just candled the first pair's egg this night and there are blood veins and small chick visible and moves a little~ does that mean the first 2 days that they experienced some cold during the day that their father don't incubate them didn't affect them~? when i returned the egg on the second hen it accidentally stepped on it and the egg had a small round crack from the mother's nail...ㅠ-ㅠ would it be still fine until it hatches? or it maybe rotten because of the small crack~??


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Heedictator said:


> i just candled the first pair's egg this night and there are blood veins and small chick visible and moves a little~ does that mean the first 2 days that they experienced some cold during the day that their father don't incubate them didn't affect them~? when i returned the egg on the second hen it accidentally stepped on it and the egg had a small round crack from the mother's nail...ㅠ-ㅠ would it be still fine until it hatches? or it maybe rotten because of the small crack~??


If it is cracked but the membrane is intact, it should still hatch. You can seal the crack using liquid paper (white out) to give it more structural strength against the weight of the parents.


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