# hormone shots for pidg that won't stop laying eggs



## pappy1264 (Feb 2, 2009)

I am at my wits end. I have posted about Stewie here before. NOTHING has stopped this crazy egg layer. Done wire floor, fake eggs, leaving her 'real' eggs', covered cage to similate day and night...and still she keeps laying eggs and started to get MBD again (back to Caltrate D for another week!) I am thinking of talking to my vet about hormone shots to prevent egg laying. Has anyone done this? This is taking a toll on her (and on me, worrying!) And, of course, when she does lay, she won't leave her eggs to eat! So back to syringe feeding again! HELP!


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

My pigeon, Romy, has just completed a round of hormone injections to get her to stop laying. It doesn't always work but in her case, thankfully it has.


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## pappy1264 (Feb 2, 2009)

I hope it does for Stewie. I worry, I know this is shortening her life, it has to be!


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## lmorales4 (Jul 8, 2010)

Why dont you just get her a male so she can share the responsibilities with him?


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## pappy1264 (Feb 2, 2009)

Stewie was handraised and is VERY imprinted on humans. I am looking into trying a male, but I have taken her to someone's house that had males and she wanted NOTHING to do with them (but being in a strange house, that may have played into it, too.) I just want her to be healthy and this is taking so much out of her.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Does she lay on the eggs and complete the cycle?

You can't just take her to where there are male pigeons and expect her to accept one of them. Romy was hand raised by me from when she first hatched and she had no concept of being a pigeon. A year later, I hand raised Sammy and it took him 6 months to win her over, once he started courting her. She wanted nothing to do with him and was very mean when he would follow her around. Just when I was confident he never would, I caught them kissing. Now they have been together 8 years and their bond is very strong.
If you wish to introduce a male pigeon to her, put him in a cage next to her. Let him woo her that way until she starts responding from inside her cage...then let them out at the same time. Until that happens, let each out of the cage independent of the other.


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## pappy1264 (Feb 2, 2009)

I do let her set on them until she stops doing so. Problem is, she sets for a while, then stops, then lays more eggs! If I get a male, then I will have babies, no? I was hoping to avoid that, too. (Not trying to be mean about it, just can't have more here and we have a HUGE hawk population, so I can't imagine releasing them!!!) What do I do????


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Yes...you let her lay on the eggs until she doesn't want to any longer.

She is laying more eggs for you as she thinks of you as her mate. That's what pigeons do, once they start laying...they lay over and over again. Try to avoid petting her below the neck.
Just because you get a mate for her, doesn't mean you need to have babies. Once the second egg is laid, you can replace them both with wooden or plastic eggs. The couple will continue to incubate them and complete the cycle, only the eggs won't hatch. You can buy pretend eggs form all the on line pigeon supply companies and they are very inexpensive.


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## pappy1264 (Feb 2, 2009)

She is laying the eggs WITHOUT me touching her AT ALL! I had stopped a long time ago the petting below the head, then stopped all petting (although still let her out to fly). Didn't matter, she lays constantly. Its crazy!!!! If she does accept a male, and they lay eggs, and set on them, will that stop her? What I mean is, if she is still going to keep laying eggs.....aren't I/we still in the same boat, so to speak?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

If she has a mate, she will have help with the process and won't be stuck on the eggs all the time. She won't be lonely. So....for her....it would be like being in a yacht rather than a boat.


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## pappy1264 (Feb 2, 2009)

Well, guess I will have to keep my open for a boy then! (Now, to break the news to hubby...lol)


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## Jivu (Feb 1, 2010)

My Stuart is the same way! She's an egger, with or without cuddles. The eggs that she considers to be "ours" though, she will let me cover so she can go and stretch and poop and eat and all. But she's very devoted, and never leaves them long. Good luck, and if you find a good solution, be sure to let us know!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

How often does she lay? And I can't believe that she would actually starve to sit on eggs. I think she would get off and go eat when she gets hungry enough. Where is her food kept? I wouldn't tube feed her. That seems a bit excessive. Let her get hungry enough to eat on her own. She will.


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## Kailey lane (Jun 8, 2009)

I have a female,before i got her a mate she laid eggs all the time and it was all on her to care for them,i knew she needed a man. I found a boy that needed to be adopted,she fought with him and bickered for about a month and now are madly in love! she would be vary mean to the boy and wanted nothing to do with him also.i was worried they would never bond.But now they are laying eggs and sharing all the duties ,i can tell my girl is 100% happier now with a mate,she now gets cleaned and loved all day now instead of just when i could give her love.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Kailey lane said:


> I have a female,before i got her a mate she laid eggs all the time and it was all on her to care for them,i knew she needed a man. I found a boy that needed to be adopted,she fought with him and bickered for about a month and now are madly in love! she would be vary mean to the boy and wanted nothing to do with him also.i was worried they would never bond.But now they are laying eggs and sharing all the duties ,i can tell my girl is 100% happier now with a mate,she now gets cleaned and loved all day now instead of just when i could give her love.


that is good to hear, I agree pigeons do better with a mate, that can be two hens as well...


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