# Something Is Eating My Pigeons Eggs



## jbud 43 (Jul 29, 2008)

Hoping someone can help me, something is eating my pigeons eggs. I find most in the coop, but have found some up to 30 feet on the outside of the coop. The eggs shells ate intact, except for half inch to three quaret inch hole in the side. 

Checked for rodents, I don't see any signs (no dropping or tunnels}. I lived in the country in Illinois and have a lot of cats running around. One of them maybe. I been rasing pigeons on and off for forty years and have never seen this before.

Put a live trap out but no luck so far. Anyone had any ideas

Note; It doesn't eat them every day, but when it does it will eat every egg in the coop.


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## Noisy_minor (Jun 20, 2008)

Is it possible for another type of bird to get in? Rats normally take egg shells back home (they are great collectors). Wouldnt think a cat would leave them intact, obviosly not a snake, my only guess is another species of bird is pinching the eggs. ????


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

is there a place you feel that a critter could get in?....I would fix that and see what happens. it is getting in somehow and that woud fix the prob... would like to know though what it is..


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

If it were not that the eggs were mostly still in the coop I'd suspect Crows - but how would they get in? WHat kind of anti predator defenses do you have?

John


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## jbud 43 (Jul 29, 2008)

*something eating eggs*

I have them in a 20 by 20 coop with a enclosurer on one end and wire around the rest. Opening in one top corner for them to go in and out and one on top of coop, making it easier for them to get in. I have a lot of black birds and starling on the place, but hadn't seen any other birds in the coop.
(that was my first thought since starling like to raid bird nests, but wouldn,t think they would eat them all at once.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

I would suspect that the wire must have some pretty big openings, if whatever is doing this is able to get the egg back out of the wire without breaking it. 
Something with holes that big, you're lucky that lots of animals aren't getting in the coop. 
I've thought about your post off and on all day, and I really have no idea what would be doing this. 
Got me stumped.


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## cindyv11 (Jul 26, 2008)

It sounds like an experience I had last year in my back yard. I watched a starling fly into my back yard and use his beak like a jack to lift up pigeons that were sitting in a way that might indicate the were sitting on eggs. He pried their rear ends up and twisted his head to look under them. When he found one sitting on eggs, he lowered her, punctured both eggs and sucked the eggs dry. He then moved on to look under the next pigeon. The pigeons all slapped at the starling, but it did not stop him from getting his meal. After he left the pigeons stood up and inspected the eggs, rolled them around a bit and then settled back down to keep them warm. The next day the nest site was empty and cracked shells were all that remained. Later that afternoon the starling was back doing the same thing again!


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## ND Cooper (Mar 4, 2008)

Well, it's all very interesting, BUT,
#1 Secure your Pigeons
All I've read on Pigeon Talk is: Use only 1/4" hardware cloth, or smaller!
(I don't even do that!  )
What I would do is, Watch my pigeons, very closely, for starters, then I would confine them, for a little while, but still watch the loft+ pigeons for any changes in behavior, inside the loft, AND out. (at different times of day/night)
You just might find one hungry egg sucker, trying to get in to feed.
Then make sure to take pictures, so everyone can see the culpret! 
Hopefully, it's not your own dog! 
Or, you would'nt have an overcrowding proplem, would you? COOP?


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## jbud 43 (Jul 29, 2008)

*what was eating the eggs*

Got him, it was a cat, caught him in the live trap last night


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## little bird (Aug 11, 2006)

Keep putting the trap out for a few more nights, at least, in case this one isn't the only one. Congrats on number one.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I agree that you should continue to put the trap out, but get the coop fixed though, as cats are a real threat to the birds. There still may be something else getting inside, as cats will do more damage then just take eggs.

I have had a squirrel getting into the aviary and inside my coop when the doors are open in the day time, and I fixed every hole.


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