# Pigeons Ate Their Own Eggs?!?



## big2bees (Jul 10, 2009)

Hi everyone, I'm a newbie in this site. I need help regarding my problem with a pair of my birds that ate one of the eggs that they were incubating. I've no idea what cause them to do so. I hope someone can help.  

Thanks in advance.


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Hi

I have never heard of a pigeon eating an egg. Sometimes an egg may get broken, usually by inexperienced parents - or birds who have been disturbed - trampling them. or may roll out if not too safely situated (and seemingly disappear). Pigeons will often remove the shell after an egg hatches, and I have read of them eating bits of eggshell (probably for the calcium) so I guess it's possible they may do so if an egg gets smashed.

John


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Did you actually see them eating the eggs?
Are you providing them with oyster shell?


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## big2bees (Jul 10, 2009)

John_D said:


> Hi
> 
> I have never heard of a pigeon eating an egg. Sometimes an egg may get broken, usually by inexperienced parents - or birds who have been disturbed - trampling them. or may roll out if not too safely situated (and seemingly disappear). Pigeons will often remove the shell after an egg hatches, and I have read of them eating bits of eggshell (probably for the calcium) so I guess it's possible they may do so if an egg gets smashed.
> 
> John


thanks for the reply, sir. 

I have thought that it was just an accident, maybe just trampled but the egg was not smashed, it has a hole as if poked by a bird's beak.
In fact, this incident happened twice. The first one happened the other day. What I did is I put in another newly laid egg from different hen from another cage for replacement to keep them incubating. Then this afternoon I saw another egg with a hole on the shell, this is not the replacement egg since there's already a small baby bird in it. Now both of their original eggs that they were incubating for almost 10 days are wasted, Im planning to put another replacement egg since the parents of these two eggs are newly acquired and not settled yet, maybe that's why they don't seem to bother with their eggs. I'll just give it a try..or at least give them something to eat. 
*
@ Charis*, it's been weeks since I gave them grits. I only feed them with grains nowadays, no oyster shells. 
No, I haven't seen them actually eating the eggs, I just suspect it since egg-eating is common with white leghorns (utility chickens).... Was it due to lack of calcium in their body?

Thanks.


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## Guest (Jul 11, 2009)

big2bees said:


> @ Charis[/B], it's been weeks since I gave them grits. I only feed them with grains nowadays, no oyster shells.
> No, I haven't seen them actually eating the eggs, I just suspect it since egg-eating is common with white leghorns (utility chickens).... Was it due to lack of calcium in their body?
> 
> Thanks.


pigeons are nothing like chickens and I have to say I have never heard of them eating their own eggs ...my guess would be they are either inexperianced birds, meaning young and crushed their own eggs or maybe just weak shelled eggs or they were broken in a fight over their nest with other birds  
plus you cant keep replacing their eggs an expect them to sit til they are hatched out as they will stop sitting on them around 20 days from when their orignal eggs are layed and these new eggs will be lost too :s


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## mookeeman (Dec 11, 2008)

pigeons need the grit to help digest the food and for calcium


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

If you aren't giving them grit and oyster shell, I Think there is a possibility they are eating their own eggs. The hens MUST have Oyster Shell to produce hard shells and healthy babies. The act of laying eggs is very hard on the hens and she needs a LOT of CALCIUM which she can get from the Oyster Shell. The Pigeon grit has minerals the Pigeons need. If the hen doesn't have CALCIUM the eggs can break inside of her causing an infection which is nearly always fatal without intervention. Because Pigeons mask illness until they are so sick they can't pretend any longer, most folks don't notice until it's too late.
You NEED to get that Oyster Shell and Pigeon Grit ASAP...like today.


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## big2bees (Jul 10, 2009)

Thanks, Charis.


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## ozarkbill (Aug 17, 2008)

young pigeons will peck holes in their eggs some times. I had 2 nests where this happened. In the next nesting they settled down and got it right.


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## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

well,here is a new one for everyone./.if the egg is not fertilized,somehow they know,,therefore it is time to start again/over,..i had this experience,,also a young mother that opened-prematurely-an egg with squab which did eventually hatch,mature normally,fly./.much to my amazement,..sincerely james waller


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

This is what I have observed. When I have broken eggs, sometimes the birds eat some of the egg shell. I suppose it is free calcium to them.


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## russ973 (Apr 15, 2012)

can you tell me way my cock pigeons 2 of them peck there eggs untill they have broken them , ??? 1 egg is breaken so i have swopped them for plastic egg,s for now , and the 
cock 
still peck,s them ???? they are in breeding pens with 1 pair per pen ?? they have good clean nest,s good bedding, good feed , shell grit ,ect ect 
[email protected]


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## tipllers rule (Aug 2, 2010)

if i give my birds grit does that cover oyster shell to if not where can i get oyster shell


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