# Do they ever stop laying?



## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Fiona, the pigeon we rescued from the local shelter a year ago, just laid eggs thirteen and fourteen. She is very healthy, according to the vet, but I am worried she will get worn out. I give her calcium in her water and vitamins and probiotics on her food. She is an only pigeon right now although I am quarantining another female to get her eventual friend. Is there any way to discourage her from laying more eggs short of deslorelin? Do they ever stop laying at least in the winter? I am careful,not to pet her and try to never leave lights on near her and I move her dishes and toys around and feed her twice per day. I have given her newspapers but they may have to go if they are stimulating reproduction.


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

cwebster said:


> Fiona, the pigeon we rescued from the local shelter a year ago, just laid eggs thirteen and fourteen. She is very healthy, according to the vet, but I am worried she will get worn out. I give her calcium in her water and vitamins and probiotics on her food. She is an only pigeon right now although I am quarantining another female to get her eventual friend. Is there any way to discourage her from laying more eggs short of deslorelin? Do they ever stop laying at least in the winter? I am careful,not to pet her and try to never leave lights on near her and I move her dishes and toys around and feed her twice per day. I have given her newspapers but they may have to go if they are stimulating reproduction.


She does sound healthy and normal. So I'm not sure why you would want to change that. If she is provided with all she needs I don't see the problem. They can slow down when the days get shorter but inside lights are on.if she was in a room that only uses natural daylight from sunup to sundown, she probably will slow down for the winter and pick back up after a few months of the days getting longer. That's what they do naturally if they are in a loft setting without artificial lighting.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

I have sometimes had egg-laying issues with single female birds (both doves and non-pigeon type birds). I find it best to leave the eggs in the cage and let them sit on them as long as they want. Then they will eventually give up and may transition out of breeding mode. The worst thing you can do is remove the eggs, as they are laid, because then they just will lay and lay. But maybe you are already doing that?

*I see you are already giving your bird calcium supplements - but for other readers....* Make sure your female pigeons / doves get plenty of calcium, especially if they are laying (but even if they aren't). Egg laying depletes their bodies. You can buy calcium supplements for birds that go on the food or in the water - or, you can give them finely crushed eggshell - along with the stuff like grit and crushed oyster shells (also available in pet stores). These mineral supplements are best supplied in a separate bowl from the food.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Thanks to?those who replied. Fiona is happily sitting on her eggs. She gets calcium and vitamins. I just leave the eggs in and eventually replace them with fake eggs. She is such a good mom, I feel bad they aren't fertile. She is so gentle with her eggs.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

One time I slipped a fertilized egg under my single female Dove so she'd get the chance to raise a baby. She did a great job but once they baby was grown, she was disinterested so I sold the baby to the place that gave me the egg!


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

One squab may be doable for a lone parent bird, but it takes allot out of them ESP to keep producing and feeding the crop milk for the first week, both do this job and IMO I think it is unfair to put that job on one pigeon unless it was absolutely necessary . One thing I do know is the world already has an extremely great number of pigeons, feral and domestic. I'm not against breeding I just think it should be for a really good reason.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

I only let my dove hatch an egg (alone) once in her ~20 year lifespan! I don't think it was that stressful on her. 

She had a genetic condition whereby she was flightless and so I didn't want to pair her with a male - only when she was very old did I discover that her condition is actually a breed of Ringnecks, called 'Silky', which are flightless. But she was worse-looking than most Silkies - she was partly bald most of her life.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I think it was nice of you to let her hatch one. It wouldn't really be any more stressful for 1 bird to feed 1 baby, than for 2 parents to feed 2 babies. The only difficult part for her would be having to sit on the egg and baby without a mate to help her do that. At least she got to raise a baby which is important to them.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Fiona would probably love to,raise a baby.


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

Lefty07 said:


> I only let my dove hatch an egg (alone) once in her ~20 year lifespan! I don't think it was that stressful on her.
> 
> She had a genetic condition whereby she was flightless and so I didn't want to pair her with a male - only when she was very old did I discover that her condition is actually a breed of Ringnecks, called 'Silky', which are flightless. But she was worse-looking than most Silkies - she was partly bald most of her life.


I get ya, I Was not aware or thinking of just one time in 20 years! Lol... I suppose I'm used to misinformed people who keep many pigeons and do this without regard. The fact is it is stressful to make one of the parent birds do the job of the raising. They both have their rolls and usually the cock takes over the care before weaning while the hen is laying again. So yes they should have two parent birds even if they can try on their own. It is just putting the birds first. I'm sure no disaster became of making a pet do this herself one time ? So everybody would need to use their own judgment. I just stated MY opinion of what I would do or not do. I have seen lone parent birds abandon after a week or two only to orphan the squab and be dependant on a human which is not ideal and involves risk to the young squab.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Whytpigeon said:


> I get ya, I Was not aware or thinking of just one time in 20 years! Lol... *I suppose I'm used to misinformed people who keep many pigeons and do this without regard.*
> 
> Good thing you have someone to blame for your quick opinion.
> 
> ...


 This is not at all the same thing. This is allowing a bird to do something it was meant to do and that it wanted to do. Because this is what they do.
Nothing wrong with that.


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

Jay3 said:


> This is not at all the same thing. This is allowing a bird to do something it was meant to do and that it wanted to do. Because this is what they do.
> Nothing wrong with that.


I'm not interested in being badgered about my opinion. Take it up in a pm instead of ruining another thread with you're push it down your throat tactics. Just let my opinion be. It's not a bad one.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Whytpigeon said:


> I'm not interested in being badgered about my opinion. Take it up in a pm instead of ruining another thread with you're push it down your throat tactics. Just let my opinion be. It's not a bad one.


Think you should read some of your own posts. You may be surprised.


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## Whytpigeon (Sep 14, 2015)

Jay3 said:


> Think you should read some of your own posts. You may be surprised.


I'm surprised you even bother to poke others as you do. There has to be more important things. I'm not going to play. You have a need to win something I don't understand.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

Not to add any fuel to the fire but my motivation to let my single female dove raise a baby was 100% for her benefit. I felt bad that she sat on eggs for years and nothing happened... I think she enjoyed (or rather, was somehow "fulfilled") in raising a baby to adulthood finally. And she did live to be older than 20 years so I doubt there was any harm done.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

What you did was a good thing, and it was a caring thing to do. If that isn't seen by someone else, doesn't matter. Most will see it.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Agree with Jay3.


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## wiggles and puddles (Sep 3, 2015)

Whytpigeon said:


> I'm not interested in being badgered about my opinion. Take it up in a pm instead of ruining another thread with you're push it down your throat tactics. Just let my opinion be. It's not a bad one.


Funny you say that Jay3 pushes opinions down your throat, as you seem to do the same thing with anyone who disagrees with you, or questions what you believe. I in fact, recall you doing the same thing to me. Jay3, however, stated an opinion without becoming combative. Interesting.


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## wiggles and puddles (Sep 3, 2015)

I think you did a nice thing for your bird. How long after did she become disinterested in the baby?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Agree you did a nice thing for the bird. Will consider at some point letting Fiona raise a live egg. I just so worry now about exposing either Fiona or Lucy to circovirus.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

It's normal for them to distance themselves from the babies, as they want them to wean and become independent. Otherwise the little one would never stop hounding them to be fed. Even when they learn how to pick up seed and eat on their own, they will still bother the heck out of the parent birds to feed them. Even hand raised babies sometimes do that. They refuse to give up their position as "baby", and the person raising them will come on here asking how to get them to eat on their own, as they are over 2 months old and still requiring feedings 3 times a day. LOL. Pigeons are smart, even at that age. Why eat on your own when you can get attention and be fed? LOL.
Anyway, it's like tough love, and this is what they do. 

In my loft, the parents do still recognize their babies as being theirs though. I have pairs that defend their boxes aggressively from other birds, but when their youngsters of several months old are being harassed, they come running home to the safe nest box of their parents, and they let them in. They do know who they are.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

cwebster said:


> Agree you did a nice thing for the bird. Will consider at some point letting Fiona raise a live egg. I just so worry now about exposing either Fiona or Lucy to circovirus.


Too bad you don't personally know someone with a small loft, where you know it would be safe to take one of their eggs. If you were closer, I would be happy to give you an egg. Gee, you could pick from my different pairs who you wanted it from. Nice if you could find someone like that whose birds don't mix with others. Take your time and look around.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Jay3, will look around for someone with a closed lift and eggs. Poor Fiona really is so tender with her eggs, it makes me sad...I know she wants them to,hatch and would be a great mom. It's interesting how you say parents know their offspring and let them back in the nest.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

We have rescues and use fake eggs for hatch control, but every now and then we miss one and wind up with an oops baby. I always feel mean pulling the eggs, but you have to or you'd have so many in such a short time. A friend once said to make me feel better............."They're only parents for a month." Then you have more birds. She's right of course, and that helps, but I still feel bad. I just think about the fact that they are better off, as crowding is bad.

If for some reason the baby needs to be pulled and hand raised, then of course they don't recognize him as being theirs.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

wiggles and puddles said:


> I think you did a nice thing for your bird. How long after did she become disinterested in the baby?


Once the baby was full grown and self-feeding, my female seemed disinterested. But there was no aggression or anything. I got rid of the baby pretty quick because it was cute and I started playing with it and really didn't have the room for it.

Ringneck Doves are "big" birds so, unless you have an outside space for them (and I didn't then), and extra bird or two can be too many real fast. But the babies are so cute and easy to tame. When I bred my current doves a few years ago, I started playing with the babies and they would fly right to me... but I didn't have the cage space, so I sold them... but was heartbroken to do so! To stop the breeding, I also sold their mother, who was from an aviary and not very tame. But she left a couple eggs behind (after I'd removed the nest). One was cracked and the other wasn't. So, I put the "good" egg under an unmated female and she hatched and raised it.

Feeling guilty about selling the others, I did keep the last baby. I accidentally put his band on his left leg (I always did the right leg). So, I named him "Lefty" and he was born in 2007 (hence, my handle: "Lefty07"). Here he is as a tame and newly-flighted baby!


And here is Lefty (on left) next to his father, Pecker.


And here are the 2 babies from the earlier clutch, that would fly to me when I called them... and I was heartbroken to sell them! But I knew I didn't have room...


And this is Tricksy (formerly owned by a magician!) - the single female who hatched Lefty (his surrogate mom). It's complicated...


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Very cute babies. Would be very hard to get rid of them. 
The lights you have toward the back of your cages. Are they UV lights?


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Lefty and Trickster are beautiful!


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## wiggles and puddles (Sep 3, 2015)

Jay3, my two were hand fed and I thought I might end up feeding them forever! They were nearly 2 1/2 months old before they would eat exclusively on their own. This was, of course, before I came on here and found PT. My vet said it would not hurt them to help them along, as long as they were learning how to eat on their own, and they were, but as soon as they would see or hear me come their way they would wiggle, hence Wiggles name, and squeak and open their mouths and make me feel terrible if I didn't give them a little of their baby food. Ha, the little guilt trippers, wish I would have known that then! 
I have fake eggs at the ready, as I suspect I will have eggs laid soon. As my two are house birds, and even if they weren't I can only handle two. 
Lefty07, I really enjoyed your pictures. Your birds are quite beautiful, and I am sure they are most happy, especially with that sun room!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

wiggles and puddles said:


> Jay3, my two were hand fed and I thought I might end up feeding them forever! They were nearly 2 1/2 months old before they would eat exclusively on their own. This was, of course, before I came on here and found PT. My vet said it would not hurt them to help them along, as long as they were learning how to eat on their own, and they were, but as soon as they would see or hear me come their way they would wiggle, hence Wiggles name, and squeak and open their mouths and make me feel terrible if I didn't give them a little of their baby food. Ha, the little guilt trippers, wish I would have known that then!
> I have fake eggs at the ready, as I suspect I will have eggs laid soon. As my two are house birds, and even if they weren't I can only handle two.
> Lefty07, I really enjoyed your pictures. Your birds are quite beautiful, and I am sure they are most happy, especially with that sun room!


That's funny. LOL. They are very smart little characters.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

Jay3 said:


> Very cute babies. Would be very hard to get rid of them.
> The lights you have toward the back of your cages. Are they UV lights?


Yes - my birds in the back of the room (away from the windows) all have UV lights on timers.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I like those lights. Nice set up.
Even the birds near the windows do need calcium and D3, as the UV rays they need don't pass through window glass.
If I were a bird, I would want to live in that room.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

Yes, I should probably set up some lights for the doves too - their cages are near the windows - but maybe I can just set up a sun lamp for them wherever they like to hang out? (they are out of their cages most of the time).


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

That would actually be a great idea. But I have to say that just living in that room, with the plants and all the light they get has to make them happy and feel good, as opposed to being in a darker environment. I love the set up. And it really is very pretty. Just that they do need the sunlight without windows or screen to get vitamin d3 to be able to utilize calcium. I would just give them a calcium supplement like CalciBoost a couple of times weekly in their drinking water. It does contain the calcium and vitamin D3 they need.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

cwebster said:


> Jay3, will look around for someone with a closed lift and eggs. Poor Fiona really is so tender with her eggs, it makes me sad...I know she wants them to,hatch and would be a great mom. It's interesting how you say parents know their offspring and let them back in the nest.


Think I can ship one from here, just afraid of being seen it an omelette there.


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## kiddy (Feb 5, 2015)

Lefty07, just beautiful birds and set up. Thanks to share.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Fiona just got really quiet and she laid another egg! I can't believe how many she has laid since we got her.


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## wiggles and puddles (Sep 3, 2015)

cwebster said:


> Fiona just got really quiet and she laid another egg! I can't believe how many she has laid since we got her.


Puddles just laid her first ever set of eggs. I replaced them with the fake eggs and she does not seem to notice the difference. Wiggles has been rather adorable helping her sit on the eggs so she could have a break. He has the day shift, she has the night shift.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

The fake eggs are handy, but some of mine do know the difference. Smart little characters.


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