# Pre-emptive Eggs



## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

One of the issues in having pigeons as pets is dealing with the impact of egg laying on the hens. I have several older hens ('97 and '99), one with a life-long mate, so separating the pairs would be too stressful.

Something I have tried, with some success, is to give the hen a wooden egg just before she starts the process of laying one herself. The internal process takes about 24 hours so you want to get the egg in the nest before she starts the ovum down the egg canal. There are several keys to making it work:
- Know your birds' behavior and watch closely for signs she's feeling like laying. With mine, there's a change from the flirting courtship, to the hen sitting alone in the nest with the cock waiting outside the nestbox.
- Plan to slip the egg into the nest in the evening just before dark. If she's ready, spending the evening feeling an egg under her helps her believe it's hers.
- Pre-warm the egg so it feels like it should.
- Remove both birds for the time it takes you to put the egg in the nest (don't let them see you!), then release the hen to return to her nest. Give the hen a few minutes to settle in before releasing the cock. Ideally, you want him to see her sitting on the nest like she was before. He'll see the egg first thing in the morning, by which time she will hopefully have accepted the egg. If you misjudged her hormonal level, you can always try again the next evening.

If they accept the first egg, repeat the process two evenings later.


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## nikku-chan (Jan 18, 2008)

what then happens to the egg that she was going to lay?


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I'm going to try this. Terri, this is very clever.


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

It gets re-absorbed. My friend does this with cockatiels.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

TErry, I have always wondered whether the false eggs could be used prophylactically. Now I have some hope it will work, and will definately try this, especially on the egg machine, "Mookee Mama". Thank you!!


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

This is very clever Terri. Thanks for sharing.
So far, my hens do not seem to be overly stressed by egg laying. But I will keep it in mind for the future when they are old & grey.

I've definitely noticed the change in behavior that you mention - about a day before they actually lay they start to hang around the nest with their mates waiting attentively just outside. Very sweet.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi TerriB,

That is very interesting!

I share your concern about elderly hens and have been wondering if that is possible.

I'm not sure about the egg being actually reabsorbed. 
There is alot of material there, can it be reabsorbed-like crop milk, or will it collect? 

Also, I use this couple for surrogate's to raise an oops baby now and then, if the actual egg is never laid will she still have the crop milk?

Thank you for sharing.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Trees Gray said:


> Hi TerriB,
> 
> That is very interesting!
> 
> ...


This is quite interesting. I don't know that I would ever have a reason to use it, as we pigeon fanciers put our birds together TO lay eggs and raise babies, so..............interesting none the less.
As for your question Treesa.........as far as I know, the egg laying is not what causes the crop milk. It's the incubating the eggs. In fact, a pair of birds I had, Roosevelt and Bonnie, who are now up in CT with Cricket, did raise a baby for me the last year they were here. I gave Bonnie two dummy eggs at the same time another hen laid an egg and after the egg hatched, I gave one baby to Bonnie and she and Roosevelt raised it just fine. Bonnie had stopped laying eggs at all, so that's why they went to live with Cricket. Apparently she and Roosevelt both had the crop milk and went on like it all had occured naturally.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

That is good to know, thank you for sharing, Renee.


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## TerriB (Nov 16, 2003)

Trees Gray said:


> ... I'm not sure about the egg being actually reabsorbed...


I'm not sure. My goal is to catch that narrow time window after the hen is thinking about laying an egg but before the ovum is released. My observation is that once the ovum has been released to start down the egg canal, it will be laid.

It doesn't always work, but if it works half the time, that's 50% fewer eggs laid.


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

Right, the EGG doesn't get reabsorbed, but if you catch it in that window, the ovum does and prevents the egg. Maybe it doesn't even get released.
In chickens, this is called "internal laying". They release ovums but never fully form to eggs and just reabsorb them because otherwise nothing comes out and the hen would be eggbound.


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## CHRISTIN RN (Sep 2, 2007)

Great idea, Terri! 
I hope I can get the hang of it with my hen pals, Coco & Hoppy!
Poor things seem to be spending their lives sitting on eggs as they are at the moment. After they leave this basket and start hanging around the other basket, I'll try your technique! Funny how they alternate baskets....I'm glad I set-up 2 for them, though not intentional, seems to work out for them!
Thanks again! I'll let you know know how it goes!

Thanks also everyong for the added info.....I'm forever learning more and more about these sweet little birdies!


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