# Ron's Eggs in NM



## docbjb (Apr 14, 2007)

I have babies! Of the three eggs in the nest, two have hatched!!

When I got home from work today, the father was on the nest and I found an eggshell at some remove. I checked and there was one egg and one baby in the nest.

But I had three eggs! Checking, I found that there was another baby who appeared to have been thrown out of the nest? It is smaller than the other, and was lying on the seed tray. I thought it was dead, and then it moved! I put it back in the nest using rubber gloves (mom and dad flew off but are now back).

Have they left this baby for dead? Do they throw babies out of the nest?

Here is a pic of the two (the little reject is on the right). 

I am so excited! I feel so blessed!


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Congratulations on the babies.

Pigeons only lay two eggs, that has been my experience with my birds, the third egg may have been dropped in the nest. 

You need to make sure this tiny baby is fed, as it is much smaller then the other, and the competition for him to get food with the bigger baby will be hard, as well as he will weaken and not be able to lift his head to be fed by mom and dad. 

Do you have any other parents with a baby this age? Perhaps you can give the bigger baby to surrogate parents, as this little one needs one on one attention for a few days. Why is the wing in such an odd display?

Please keep a close eye on the tiny baby and make sure it is being fed.


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## docbjb (Apr 14, 2007)

Thank you, Treesa...I have NO experience with pigeons, having just found a nest on my balcony and becoming determined to fight for my birds against the neighborhood Avitrol threat. I feel very helpless. There have been three eggs in the nest for some time, and these first two hatched today. I don't know anything other than I found this baby a way away from the nest and the shell from this baby thrown to the edge of the balcony. I don't know what to think. I put the smaller baby back in the nest and the mother has returned and is now sitting on both babies. 

How can I help this smaller one to survive? I will do what I can. I am dealing with the two parent pigeons and two babies, plus one unhatched egg. Most of the other pigeons in the area have succumbed to the Avitrol...mine didn't because I kept them fairly confined and fed and watered them. I don't know what to do to help this baby. I am in MN and I can't find another pigeon person or surrogate parents, so I feel as if I am pretty much on my own.

Could the smaller baby have been thrown aside because the parents do not feel it is viable?


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

docbjb said:


> Could the smaller baby have been thrown aside because the parents do not feel it is viable?



They do that and if that is the case there is nothing you can do anything about it, since the baby is so small and you have no vets in the area.
As Treesa mentioned, keep an eye on him and make sure he is being fed.

BTW, congratulations on the babies. It is a blessing to watch them grow.

Reti


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## docbjb (Apr 14, 2007)

The University of MN has a wildlife rehabilitation center I could take the baby to if I need to. Please tell me how I can make certain baby is being fed...is there any way to tell?

I am thinking the baby will be lucky to survive the night, and if s/he does, I will take him/her to the rehab clinic tomorrow if necessary. Should I leave the little one with the mother tonight and check on it tomorrow morning, or should I do something yet this evening?

Any ideas why the egg shell would be so far from the nest? Could a crow have gotten after it?

The third egg, if it hatches, should do so soon. I know it is rare for a pigeon to have three eggs in the nest, but there are definitely three...or *were* definitely three there. 

Thank you for your help. Please send prayers for my little bird!


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## MellissaG (Apr 18, 2007)

When my baby pigeons were born, one was much smaller than its sibling as well. It didnt get thrown out of the nest, as they were inside a box on its side for the most part -- no where to be 'thrown'.. it stayed significantly smaller compared to its sibling for almost two weeks, until the feathers started developing..now it's pretty much caught up, but I can still tell them apart by size... maybe some are just runts, I guess 


Im no bird expert, but I have rescued lost babies before... finches, usually, and I always used a syringe of some sort to feed them -- but I found this last night,( urbanwildlifesociety.org/WLR/BabyPij&DuvFeedg.htm ) which I tried while bringing in my baby pigeons from the rain -- and it worked really well! My suggestion would be to keep this on hand with some baby bird formula, and while the parents are out .. go try and give him a slurp. I'd agree with 'keeping an eye' on him to make sure the parents are feeding him, but with a new born I cant imagine him going too long without being fed..before you notice...before it's too late, ya know? I cant see it hurting anything, giving him a snack here and there ....?

The runt might be a smaller size because it hatched last, as the older one probably already begun feednig and such -- it will be the same situation with the 3rd egg when it does hatch, as it will have TWO (when it is usually one) older siblings to fight for food with, .. so you will probably have to use the method on the link I gave you to intervene to keep all 3 of them healthy, regardless. 

id wait a couple of days with this before taking to a rehab center, though.....


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

*Congratulations!!!*

I'm so excited for you and the little family.  

I'll keep my fingers crossed as well for both babies and mom and dad. Now more than ever, make sure you keep that good seed available for the little family. I can't help you on any baby stuff but there are lots of people on this forum that can offer some excellent advice. You can private message some of the experts for additional help. I've made a few requests this way and they are always willing to help.

Oh, I am so pleased. 

PS. I'm hoping the avitrol campaign is over up there.


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## docbjb (Apr 14, 2007)

I just went out and checked the situation. The mother would not get off the nest long enough for me to take a picture, but the smaller baby is definitely much smaller and looks much less developed than the other bird. He can wiggle his wings, which I was worried about, though in the pic above it does look, as Treesa mentioned, that his wing was in an odd display. The wings look much more normal now. Perhaps he was just in shock...or just hatched...when I found him and returned him to his nest, and now he's a little more alive?At least mother is sitting on both of them right now, and the smaller baby is at least warm and snuggling with its sibling.

I don't know if this one will pull through...and what about the mysterious third egg??

Oh, what to do?


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## MellissaG (Apr 18, 2007)

It's night now where you are, so she wont be off until morning. With my babies, there was never a moment for the first week that a parent was not sitting on them. It seemed as if the other would be out looking for food, come back, and then relieve the other parent.. feed them, then sit for the next shift. 

Around 2 weeks, they stopped switching shifts like that (WAITING for the other to come back).. and rather, when they got sick of sitting.. would just leave, so there was sometimes a 30 min to 2 hour span without them being watched by a parent. Not much you can do, id say.. unless you see the baby thrown out for a 2nd time, then begin the steps for looking after him. I wouldnt worry too much now.. if shes sitting on them both, even after the one was thrown (who knows, maybe it just fell by accident...nothing to do with the parents at all.) then so far so good. Just cross fingers till morning, no sense worrying now  

Maybe if a walmart or something is open near by, you can pick up some baby bird formula for the morning just in case... (if you see the babies doing fine you can always go get a refund for an unopened bag)


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## ronhoward (Mar 16, 2007)

*One of my males isn't...*

I got home this afternoon and one of my for certain male pigeons had laid an egg. What a surprise. I doubt its fertile, but I'd like to be ready just in case. There was a trace of blood on the egg and that usually marks a first time mom. I checked her vent and there was no blood showing, but it was still enlarged, so perhaps the egg was only minutes old. I placed the egg into a cardboard box cut in half (about 4" wide, 7" long and 3" deep. Then I placed a paper towel at the bottom and several pieces of kleenex on top of the towel. I then placed the egg in the middle. I covered her cage except for about a 4" peep hole at one corner so she'll have a bit of privacy. Mom doesn't seem to be interested in sitting on the egg, but past tiel experience has taught me that is not an unusual avian trait for the first day. Since it is unlikely there was any mating between her and a male, the egg is unlikely to be fertile, but perhaps something went on that I wasn't aware of. I read the message giving information for a chick, but tiels like fully closed boxes for their incubation...does that apply to a pigeon (it seems they like more of any open nest)?? If the egg hatches (and/or is joined by another egg) would she accept any other available male to help raise the baby(s)?? Curiosity overwhelmns me. Anything else I should know?? I know how to hand feed, should the occasional arise. Ron


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## docbjb (Apr 14, 2007)

I'm not sure what advice you're giving me...please clarify???

I am very worried about this baby.....


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

docbjb said:


> I'm not sure what advice you're giving me...please clarify???
> 
> I am very worried about this baby.....


I think that Ron probably posted in the wrong place and wasn't really giving you any instructions. Like some said, it's dark there now so leaving everything be until day light is all you can do. If it's warm there, you need to check the babies in the morning. If Mom gets off the nest, she won't go far and will return once you leave the area. I hope that the baby was just hatched and will be fine. I suspect, even if it is warm there, the baby, being out of the nest may have gotten chilled a little but with Mom's warmth will begin to wiggle around and "ask" for food. 
Please let us know what happens in the morning.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

ronhoward said:


> I got home this afternoon and one of my for certain male pigeons had laid an egg. What a surprise. I doubt its fertile, but I'd like to be ready just in case. There was a trace of blood on the egg and that usually marks a first time mom. I checked her vent and there was no blood showing, but it was still enlarged, so perhaps the egg was only minutes old. I placed the egg into a cardboard box cut in half (about 4" wide, 7" long and 3" deep. Then I placed a paper towel at the bottom and several pieces of kleenex on top of the towel. I then placed the egg in the middle. I covered her cage except for about a 4" peep hole at one corner so she'll have a bit of privacy. Mom doesn't seem to be interested in sitting on the egg, but past tiel experience has taught me that is not an unusual avian trait for the first day. Since it is unlikely there was any mating between her and a male, the egg is unlikely to be fertile, but perhaps something went on that I wasn't aware of. I read the message giving information for a chick, but tiels like fully closed boxes for their incubation...does that apply to a pigeon (it seems they like more of any open nest)?? If the egg hatches (and/or is joined by another egg) would she accept any other available male to help raise the baby(s)?? Curiosity overwhelmns me. Anything else I should know?? I know how to hand feed, should the occasional arise. Ron


Ron, the moderators probably need to move this thread into it's own place so we don't all get confused. I can't do that, but hopefully they'll see this and move it. 
Pigeons don't usually sit on the first egg. They wait until they lay the second one and then sit on them. If this bird doesn't have a mate, then you're right, the eggs won't be fertile. If she does have mate, he should take his turn on the nest every day. As far as another male "helping" her out. No. That won't work. If this hen doesn't have a mate, most likely, she won't sit on the eggs for very long. A few days at the most. They sit on their eggs, 24/7, for 19 days. Both parents share in that duty, so without help, she'll loose interest and just walk away. Hope this helps some. OH, and the second egg should be laid on Thursday afternoon.


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