# Pigeon fertility



## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

Hello,
I was wondering is there anyway to make Beautiful (hen) and Whiteflight (cock) more fertile. Beautiful is a Mookee pigeon and Whiteflight is a tame feral.

Beautiful is 3yrs old, but has only laid eggs for 2 years. At that she only ever lays one egg and it was not rutinely.... She has tried several times to get a mate, but never had any luck.

Whiteflight just hooked up with Beautiful this summer. Whiteflight is about 1 yr old. They mated once and she laid one egg. They both did so good at taking turns. After 20 days, they gave up.....it was a no go.

They allowed me to check the egg, 1 week after it was laid. I didn't see anything, but allowed them to keep it.

I'm not saying, that I want them to have a ton of babies because I don't. I just want the option to be there for them....

3 real Questions:
Both were handraised....would they know by instinct on how to feed a baby?

Is the first set with an actually pair always fertile, or is this something really to not worry about? I guess, I'm not sure on how to ask the question.

Could her only being able to lay one egg be the problem???

I offer plenty of calcium, I think.....fresh dark greens, hi cal grit, a special light that gives off the same thing the sun is suppose to. I learned about then light from when I saved a few starlings...figured it couldn't hurt the pigeons. They also sun bath on heated sand stone (heats naturally from the sun-near a window). They also have vitemins...

Any imput on this would be awsome...
The reason, I'm asking the question now, is because they are actively mating again . I'm just curiuous..... for any input I guess. I do have fake eggs....


-Hilly


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

she may not be the one with the fertility problemo, the male may be. the one egg is her part even though it is only one. so it not being fertile is his part. so I would say perhaps give some vitamin e, I only say this because I have read about it not that I have used it, some pigeon supply sites have it to boost fertility. I would say also the sunshine is important for indoor pigeons, if you can get them out in direct sun not through a window as window glass has some protection agains the light rays. now that said, some breeds have fertility problems like jacobins. like I have, sometimes a male can go a full year without filling eggs and then boom one day he fills one, so it may be a hit and miss for a long time and then one day a fertile egg. so I would let them sit and take care of all her eggs, and one day you never know it may be fertile.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Hilly...coccidia can cause fertility problems and while I don't know that's the problem in this case, it could be.
If they hatch some eggs, I would think that instinct will kick in and they will know how to take care of them.


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

Why don’t you try giving them hemp seed and switch food to breeding mix. It may be that your hen has some oviduct problem if she lays only one egg at the time. Do you have some other birds with eggs? Maybe you should switch and give her some fertile egg.


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2009)

I think I read somewhere that wheatgerm helps sometimes too ..mmm I think ?


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

Thank you all for the replies.

Charis, in July, I also thought possible coccidia, but the tests results in August came back negative. I've been taken them in for tests every 2 months since December 08. It'll be done again October.... We do a fecal test, a sample for the crop, and blood work (hasn't been done for about 6 months).

Spirit wings: I'll try the V-E it can't hurt.

Plamenh: When she first laid an egg at 1 yr old, I was concerned. I know that some members on here have the same problem. Poor Beautiful has had so many tests..... The vet said that, it was her normal egg production. He kept her for a whole week one time doing tests.... I don't remember him finding a problem....

Of course I am open to adopting other birds, after the loft is finished. For now I only have 3 pigeons.

Is it possible that anti-biotics could miss with this? At the last part of last year they were on some strong anti-bitics for a bacterial infection... I was kinda wondering about that today. 

Beautiful laid an egg in June, but before that...she hadn't laid an egg in over 6months. She might not lay one this time, but with them being active....I was curious to see what you all think. They tried so hard with the last egg...

I'll try the stuff that has been recommended and look into the wheatgerm. Any other information is always very welcome!

-Hilly


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Use Wheat Germ Oil on their feed and supply Oyster Shell Grit. The wheat GermOil 3x a week, oyster shell every day fresh. Vitamin E in any form will also help.Give this time to work. * GEORGE


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## Guest (Sep 6, 2009)

Hillybean said:


> Thank you all for the replies.
> 
> Charis, in July, I also thought possible coccidia, but the tests results in August came back negative. I've been taken them in for tests every 2 months since December 08. It'll be done again October.... We do a fecal test, a sample for the crop, and blood work (hasn't been done for about 6 months).
> 
> ...


here was a whole thread on fertility from an earlier time (2006) 
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f6/fertility-problem-18475.html


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## plamenh (Aug 11, 2006)

By the way wheat germ oil is rich on vitamin E, so you don't need to look at both and use both.


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## Hillybean (Oct 30, 2005)

Thank you all so very much. I'll make the changes and see how it goes!

-Hilly!


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