# An ethical dilema I'm having...



## bedazzled (Nov 16, 2007)

Hello,
I am having an problem with ethics, and my morals.
I was given two stray white doves (at separate times). It turned out one was male, the other female, and they feel deeply in love. Happy ending? No, not for me anyway.
I know doves and pigeons mate for life, and I don't want to separate them. But, being together they continue to have baby doves. So far they have had 7 babies. I gave one to a good friend. They are in a huge cage and are well cared for. My dilema is...they will continue to have more babies.
I don't want to separate them, and someone told me to just shake the eggs or crack them. To me this would be like doing an abortion, because if I leave it alone, it would of course grow to be a healthy bird.
I am afraid to sell them as I would worry about them.
Is there any humane way to handle this situation?
Any input will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


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## italianbird101 (Sep 12, 2007)

Put some fake eggs in their nest, that will slow them down some.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Bedazzled and welcome!

All you need to do is wait for both eggs to be laid and then replace them both with fake eggs or hard boil the real eggs, allow them to cool, and put them back in the nest. You don't want to just remove the eggs as that will cause the female to produce two more eggs almost immediately, and this will eventually result in her becoming calcium deficient to the point of it being potentially lethal to her.

If you need to find homes for the babies, please post them in the Adoption Forum here.

Where are you located? Some of us may know of a good home or two for the babies.

Truly, you do need to start with the birth control right away. As long as you get the eggs right away, there is no embryo .. just an egg .. you aren't killing anything, and the doves will not become stressed or unhappy. Just let them sit on the hard boiled or fake eggs until they decide the eggs aren't going to hatch. They will start over again shortly after that.

Terry


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

FYI: Just because the egg may be or may not be fertile, doesn't mean there is life in a dove or a pigeon egg. Cell division doesn't even start until incubation, so you are NOT killing any living creature inside the egg. It is important to remove the eggs after they are laid and replace with dummy eggs.


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

Trees Gray said:


> FYI: Just because the egg may be or may not be fertile, doesn't mean there is life in a dove or a pigeon egg. Cell division doesn't even start until incubation, so you are NOT killing any living creature inside the egg. It is important to remove the eggs after they are laid and replace with dummy eggs.


I would have to agree, go to the hobby store or craft store for some wooden ones right away, and paint them to match the real eggs. And I have a nice big forever home for doves with room for 1 more female (I have a frustrated lonely male dove). Too bad I'm in Arizona. You don't want to let the young you have mate, that's incest. They will do that if kept together, won't they? 
Maybe you could buy this one tent I saw in a closout store, that said it "helped keep out pesky incests". lol, I love mispells on products.


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## Guest (Nov 16, 2007)

IF you go to this link and look at the third item down, you will see that they carry fake eggs for doves:

http://www.fakebirdeggs.com/


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