# Egg troubles



## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Snowflake laid a egg about 1 week ago and then today McKenzie laid her first on the floor underneath, thinking it was one of snowflake fallen from her nest box picked it up and put it under her, she took it in and is now sitting on 3 eggs. We later realised that the egg was McKenzies but can't take it back since how would we know what one is hers? 
What should we do about it, the egg will hatch at a different time, what should we do if McKenzie lays on the floor again we wouldn't be able to clean if she was on the floor with babies!


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

I don't know about this I am just posting to boost the post up. Sounds like snowflake is going to have her hands full,or rather her wings full


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

OK.

McKenzie will miss a day and then lay a second egg. Can you lock her in a nest box so she has to lay the egg there? That way, she will sit on the egg. In my experience, they sit longer if they have two eggs rather than just the one. I'd pop one of the other eggs under her so she has two, then keep a very close eye on them so that as soon as you see the egg pipping, you get it under the right parents and the later hatch egg under McKenzie. She will not have crop milk ready if the egg under her hatches sooner than expected.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Isnt that a bit risky, what if we miss the egg hatching? I could probably arrange for her to be locked in a nest boxwould I lock her mate in aswell? I'd have to work out which bird it is since she preety much tags along with any cock. My grandad thinks we should wait for the other two to hatch then slip the un-hatched one out and put it under her, my mam thinks we should leave it all together and see what the parents do when one doesn't hatch.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Becca199212 said:


> Snowflake laid a egg about 1 week ago and then today McKenzie laid her first on the floor underneath, thinking it was one of snowflake fallen from her nest box picked it up and put it under her, she took it in and is now sitting on 3 eggs. We later realised that the egg was McKenzies but can't take it back since how would we know what one is hers?
> What should we do about it, the egg will hatch at a different time, what should we do if McKenzie lays on the floor again we wouldn't be able to clean if she was on the floor with babies!


Leave the eggs with Snowflake for now, and put a nest bowl on the floor for McKenzie and perhaps she will lay the second egg in it. Allow Snowflake to hatch her eggs and the one that doesn't hatch put back under its rightful mother, McKenzie. 

You can also candle all three eggs also to see which is underdeveloped, but you have to know what you are looking at, and then there is the chance that it may not be fertile.

Next time you move an egg to another parent, mark it lightly with a pencil if you need to distinguish it from the others.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Thanks Treesa I have done just that, we would never usually move the birds eggs it was just because it was sitting on the floor with no bird so we assumed it had fallen from the nest box. Will McKenzie lay 2 more eggs or just one?


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

If it had fallen from the box it more than likely would have broken, I think the candling idea is the best. Especially if it has only been a few days one egg will be very undeveloped.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Right worked out what egg was McKenzies and put it in her nest bowl but she wouldn't sit on it. I tried forcing her to sit on it but as soon as I let her go she flew off outside and didn't come back so I put a line on the egg and put it back with the other two. I have set up a dog cage ontop of the ground she lay ithe egg on and have put her nest bowl in there, when she comes back inside with her mate I will lock both of them inside until she has layed the second egg and then hopefully when I put the one sonwflake is sitting on under her she will sit on it aswell. Hopfully if all goes well we will have two fantail babys!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Becca,

You can throw these eggs out if there has been little or no incubation. If she has not interest in them, and there is no other couple to take on the duty, it may save a lot of heartache. 

Make sure to settle them in a nice nestbox where they feel safe, and then she will lay eggs and hatch them with no problem. They have to feel secure and happy and they will know where they feel secure.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

We locked her in a cage with the egg, she did not sit on it however another fantail helped its self to the cage and sat on it, we have took it away now. McKenzie still hasn't layed another egg, should she have? Does she have to or if she doesn't want to will she not?


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

She wouldn't sit on the egg because she didn't recognise it as her own.

They _usually_ lay two eggs.

Was this McKenzie's first egg? Sometimes my first-time hens only lay one egg, if they do, I watch them very carefully for a few days to make sure that they are only going to lay one and have not become egg bound.

I don't think that they can choose whether to lay an egg or not but, maybe they can control the time they lay. I moved one of my hens off her first egg (because it was on the floor) into a nestbox. I left her locked in until late evening when I decided that she wasn't going to lay a second egg and would you believe, she went straight to her nest on the floor and laid!


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Clever bird, she must have known you were going to let her out. We don't no how old McKenzie is or if she has had other cluches since we caught her outside a womans house where she had been living through the day but she just appeared there so she didn't know anything about her either. 
She doesn't look nearly as young as our birds who are laying for the first time, it has been a few days now and she hasn't layed, whats egg bound?


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

It's when the egg forms inside the bird but the bird is unable, for some reason, to lay it. Watch her closely for a few days - you'll know if she's not right - she may sit hunched up or go off her food or may not form droppings. You'll need to get back on here for help - then it's out of my experience - the guys who know will give you advice.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

My grandad has been watching her and she has been sitting all hunched up, wich she normally doesn't we thought she was grieving from having her other egg taken away. 
Is she in any pain?
What do we do to get her to lay?
Is it serious?


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Just looked on google and it says there is supposed to be a egg sized lump on her underneath so I got ahold of her and she hasn't got a lump anywhere but she does seem very skinny compaired to the other hen fantail, she doesn't look it since she nearly always sits fluffed up but I'm pleased she hasn't gopt a egg stuck in her somwhere! Phew relief!


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Becca, I think, although not positive, that you won't necessarily feel an egg inside her. Best thing to do is get her to a vet. She shouldn't be sitting hunched up.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Vets are all closed for today and we don't have any that will treat pigeons, do you think her being a fantail might make a difference?


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Well, you won't get a vet till Tuesday earliest now. (Bank Holiday here in UK). You could take a look at this thead on egg binding:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9262

Being a fantail won't make any difference at all.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Right well until then, from that thread, it looks like i'll put her back into the cage- with or without her mate? Put a heat pad into the cage after giving her a warm bath, cod liver oil and calcium? What if she isn't egg bound after all? How do I know that she is just going to lay one egg?


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

You'll have to be the judge on this. I watch my birds and, if they look and act fine for a few days, after the expected second egg, then I know that they were only laying one.

If she _is_ egg bound she will not get better until it's resolved.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Cod liver oil (if you have such a thing) or olive oil down the throat would be my first action. It won't do the bird any harm. Neither will the calcium. You can buy calcium tablets from a pharmacy (they are open at the supermarkets on a bank holiday). Do you have a heating pad? I've never found one in the UK but, you can use a wheat bag or microwave rice in a sock for warmth.

God luck.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

About watching them- I don't live where they are but my Grandad has mentioned that she has been sitting on one leg constantly staring at the wall and will stay like that all night, not moving in the slightest, she would also go outside and lie on the aivary roof for most of the day but she hasn't been for the last few days and when I went in to check her out she just stood there when I went to pick her up. I think she came out for something to eat yeaterday and i'm quite sure I saw her drinking but it could have been another fantail. they all look the same from behinde.

We have tubs and tubs of codliver oil, used to get it off the doctor but never took them. Will go tot he supermarket tomorrow. Yes I do have quite a few heating pads, but they are handwarmers, will they do? I was just thinking of using a old hot water bottle with a blanket wrapped around it.


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

That will do fine and won't do any harm at all if she's not egg bound.


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## Becca199212 (May 10, 2007)

Ok all done for today, she perked up alot after I'd put her in the cage but didn't try to get out wich was strange since they usually do. She was standing ontop of the heat pad when I left her, weather or not she she has layed in 3 days we are goignt o let her out, if she is going to she will of by then. Thanks for your help!


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