# Information about egg laying please



## Podgy's Mum (Nov 21, 2010)

Hi all, imagine the excitement in my house today when my daughter found that Penny had laid an egg! Very cool!

I did a search here but couldn't find the answers to my questions, I am sure they are here somewhere but in the meantime......

How often do they lay? She left the egg all day - i guess that means it isn't fertile? (Pretty sure her & Podgy haven't yet done 'the deed'  Do I leave the eggs for a couple of weeks so that she doesn't lay again straight away? Anything else I should know for her care & well being?

Thanks 
Dana


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## tjc1 (Aug 22, 2012)

If they havent done the deed it is not fertile. But do you watch them all day. They may have mated without peering eyes.LOL. I suspect if you know for sure they are probably in separate cages. Some people boil the egg let it cool and put it back. I use fake eggs you can get on line or a pet store may have them. If they may have done it behind closed curtains and you want a little one leave it and see. For a pigeon incubation is 18 days after the second egg is laid. They usually lay in pairs.


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

The second egg is usually laid two days later, but earlier in the day. They often don't sit very tightly on the eggs until after the second one is laid. Do you want baby pigeons? If not, follow the advice listed above.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Podgy's Mum said:


> Hi all, imagine the excitement in my house today when my daughter found that Penny had laid an egg! Very cool!
> 
> I did a search here but couldn't find the answers to my questions, I am sure they are here somewhere but in the meantime......
> 
> ...


They usually lay again after sitting the two eggs (sometimes only one), for 15 to 20 days, depending on the bird...when they don't hatch the hen will lay again. If a pair does hatch babies, the hen will may lay again when the babies are about three weeks of age..the cock takes over the feeding usually then and they wean at about 4 to 6 weeks of age.. fake eggs are the way to go if your hen is laying and sitting eggs. you would trade out the real for the fake after the second is layed.


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## Podgy's Mum (Nov 21, 2010)

Oh the stench, the pong, the SMELL  when a hen gets off her nest & does that first poop!! The first time was such a surprise - Penny flew to our bookcase & sent her load shooting from the top!  The stink was amazing!! LOL Today I was ready for her - as soon as she flew from the cage to her favorite high spot (as above) I raced over with newspaper! Phew, managed to get there just in time.  Anyone else got a story to share??
Too funny (she says with a peg attached to her nose haha)


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## ClaireinTX (Sep 1, 2009)

Just a warning: I really did not think it was possible that Adrian's eggs could be fertile because she is a fantail and Rocky is incredibly clumsy.  Also, over the gestation of the eggs that turned into Baby Huey, Rocky and Adrian would spend several hours/day off their nest and outside in the flight pen. And, when they were outside, I was putting the eggs in the fridge to make sure they wouldn't hatch. Conclusion: refrigerator method = chick.

I'm telling you this because chick avoidance appears to be harder than I imagined. We had really hoped to be able to provide a home for 4-6 rescue birds. Baby Huey is taking up space that could be occupied by a bird in need. This has been a lovely experience, but I'm sad it reduces our capacity to take in more. 

As for the big plop: one thing that has really helped is that I taught Rocky "do your business" a couple of years ago. He always flies to me when I first open the door to his cage. I hold a tray (plastic shoebox lid) lined with newspaper underneath him and say the command. He usually has to do a couple of turns and then he actually aims for the tray. This doesn't take care of everything but it has really saved us a lot of mess. Adrian is newer and we haven't worked on it much, but she seems to be getting the idea, too. At least we have warning when to hold our breath.


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