# Sophie and egg!



## nbdyuknow (Apr 10, 2007)

Hi,

As many of you know, Sophie was not feeling well and laid a soft egg last time, and at the vet it was determined she had a severe calcium deficiency. She has been on antibiotics and calcium supplements (both orally injected) as well as some powdered supplement on her food.

She has seemd to be doing well, but I have been very worried about what her next egg would bring. On Monday of this week (2 Feb), she came off her psuedo-egg, and has been very amorous toward me. I have been glad to see her so energetic, but also concerned about what would happen when it came time to lay an egg.

She usually follows the same pattern after coming off the eggs: one day of wandering around the house, followed by 2-3 days of refusing to let me out of her sight (literally) and has to be touching me at all times, followed by 1-2 days of "preparing her nest" and then laying an egg. Yesterday and today, she had been sitting in her nest on my desk, "preparing" it, so I have been nervously been expecting something to happen. I had just taken her out of the cat bed for some petting and then decided to take her photo and went to get the camera. I got distracted for a few minutes, but when I returned, there was the proud Mama with her new egg--which seems to be perfect in every way!

After her laying, we have a ritual where I provide her with as many pieces of alfalfa (rabbit bedding) as she will take, so she can "build" her nest. She has taken those and is now rearraging them to suit herself. She had a nice poop after the egg, and I gave her a special handful of safflower seeds which she greedily devoured, so I am going to hesitantly say mother and egg are doing fine!

Thanks, everyone, for all of your wishes, and I will keep you posted. Sophie usually only lays one egg, so it will be interesting to see what happens in two days.

Bill & Sophie

PS. The plan is for us to finish her antibiotics and calcium booster, and then I will start her on a calcium and vitamin supplement (CALCImineral) in her grit, as well as making sure she gets plenty of outdoor time for sunshine.


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## Margarret (May 3, 2007)

OH, that is a lovely egg Sophie! Perfect in every way.

Margaret


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Great job you two!


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

What a happy post and photo! Thanks for sharing with us!

Terry


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

Sophie looks soooo sweet AND very pleased with herself!


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Bill, our beautiful girl looks so pleased with herself - and rightly so?! That is a beautiful, and, thank goodness, perfectly normal looking egg. 

Now, you be sure to help out with the nesting duties...


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

What a lovely girl and egg! You should help her with nest duties if you can as it is a shared duty.  ... it might even keep her interested in brooding longer.


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## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

This is wonderful news Bill!!! Sophie looks so happy and proud... kind of also a look like "did I do good Dad?"  So adorable! Give her a scritch and some safflower seeds from me & Kong


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## nbdyuknow (Apr 10, 2007)

*update!*

Make that TWO perfect eggs!!!


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

nbdyuknow said:


> Make that TWO perfect eggs!!!


Wow, that is terrific. This girl means business this time, Bill. Best get your schedule lined up.


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## Dezirrae (Oct 6, 2007)

Yeah!!! Applauding loudly  

I wonder if she'll build a bigger nest now too??


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## nbdyuknow (Apr 10, 2007)

She is very proud of her two eggs, and I am too!. Sophie always sits on her eggs for at least 21 days, I let her as long as possible to give her as many days in her cycle as I can. She usually only lasts 4 days now after getting off the eggs before laying another one. 

I ALWAYS help her with egg-sitting.  I hand her alfalfa when she is in "building" mode, and then later, she goes on her own expeditions to where we keep the firewood for little bits to bring back herself, which she gives (VERY proudly, I might add) to me, and then, when she jumps back into her nest, I promptly give to her, and she VERY CAREFULLY arranges to just her liking. 

She stayed up late with me last night, so some very heavy pidgey eyelids this morning! 

Thanks, everybody for all your good wishes! 

Bill B. and Sophie


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## wolfwood (Jan 26, 2009)

Too sweet! Congratulations to you both!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Oh my goodness!! TWO EGGS?? That's terrific, Bill!!

Well, I guess I should give the lovely Sophie all the credit for laying them! Looks like the meds and attention are paying off!

Squeaks is absolutely delighted too! Since he is now in daddy mode on his egg, he thinks a lot about the lovely Sophie!!

Looking forward to wonderful updates!! BTW, we _know_ you are a grrrreat surrogate "dad!"

Love, Hugs and Scritches

Shi and Squeaks


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## Monty (Feb 14, 2009)

First time for me and it was great to read that other people are just as besotted as I am. Wonderful picture I too have a pigeon who is expecting an egg, thought it was a little boy and it would appear not. Thought my little girl was a girl and she's not but a little boy so got them both completely wrong! My little boy spends ages arranging twigs for his wife and she grunts each time one is dropped near her - they are so much in love its wonderful to watch.


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