# No more eggs?!



## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

Wow! It's been a while since I've come around here. I've been ever busy with school and animals, as usual.

I have a question regarding my pigeon Georgia. She is almost a year and a half now, and still has the attitude she had as a youngster. It's amazing how fast she's grown up! 

Georgia used to lay a new clutch of eggs every three weeks. She would be 'mommy-ish' for about three days and then lose interest, abandoning the eggs in her cage. However, for the past four months, Georgia has not laid any eggs. 

What is confusing to me is that she seems to 'prepare' to lay eggs, developing all the usual signs of being in egg-laying mode: a hunched abdomen, staying close to her cage, losing some more feathers than usual. But she only stays this way for a couple of days, and then seems to decide that she's not going to lay eggs, and appears perfectly normal and healthy for another week!

I've been constantly worried the she is sick, or something in her body is not working right. 

My mum suggested that perhaps, since Georgia has been in captivity since she was two weeks old, she has simply stopped laying eggs, because there's no need for her to do so.

If that assumption is correct, then why does she show the signs of preparing to lay eggs every other week?

Any advice/comments would be _greatly_ appreciated.

Thanks,

Laura


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Hi Rialize,

What is Georgia's diet like and what does she get for additional vitamin/mineral
supplements?

fp


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

Georgia gets three tablespoons of the Kaytee Dove Feed per day (I add sunflower and safflower seeds to the mix), with one tablespoon of crushed oyster shells mixed in. She usually always eats it all.

I also put a liquid vitamin supplement in her water - I only use spring water for my birds.

Laura


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Is she an indoor or outdoor bird?

fp


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

Georgia is an indoor bird.

She loves to fly around my room with her cockatiel buddy!


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Is she getting vitamin D3 and Magnesium in her diet?

fp


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

The liquid water supplement includes calcium, sodium zinc, manganese, copper, and iodine. Kaytee Dove Mix inclues white millet, milo wheat, canadian field peas, red millet, canary grass seed, popcorn, safflower, oats, ground yellow corn, ground wheat, corn gluten meal, wheat middlings, dehulled soybean meal, beet pulp, and soy oil. The oyster shells give extra calcium, and are fortified with other minerals.

I suppose that this diet gives Georgia everything she needs (like the D3 and magnesium you mentioned). I have never changed or altered her diet in any way.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Indoor birds need D3 to absorb calcium and for their body to be able to use it. If your supplements don't actually and specifically say D3, I would get another supplement. The products in the online pigeon supply houses specifically state whether or not the product contains D3. 

Here's a link to the supply houses from the Resource Section:

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=9455

Jedd's carries a product called Cal Sure that is a liquid Calcium & mineral supplement which contains C3 & Magnesium which you might get for her
calcium needs. In terms of a regular vitamin/mineral supplement, Winsmore
is a good one and many folks swear by Red Cell.

How is this bird's demeanor other wise? Are her poops normal in appearance and odor?

fp


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

Georgia is acting as usual, and her poops are perfectly normal. There have been no other troubles.

Do you think that she just doesn't have enough calcium to lay eggs?


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

You can get cod liver oil caps, as they have the D3 and more in its natural form, but just a little bit once in two weeks.

Make sure she has access to calcium grit and pick cake (oyset shell). It should be in a seperate bowl so she can take it whenever she feels the need, and just before they lay my hens live around the calcium grit.

She may have run out of her quota of eggs, or she is lacking in vital minerals and Vitamin D3, an xray might be something to consider in the future if she shows any symptoms.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

rialize, it is great to hear from you.

We have had two pet pigeons that did what Georgia is doing although both of ours live in the aviary. They each laid a few eggs when they were about 2 to 3 years old and then stopped. One of them (Simon) has since died (not related at all to this) but our other one (******) still goes through the mommy motions but has not laid an egg for several years. Sometimes I think they just get confused and stop laying. Although ****** does have a mate she is still very bonded to us.


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

Thank you very much for all of your advice!

*Lady Tarheel*, you've given me much relief! It's good to know that my pidgey isn't the only one who's stopped laying eggs.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

I have one that has stopped as well, but the other issue is still a relevant one
as the indoor birds need D3 so for those of us who have the indoor birds, we need to make sure they are getting this in thier supplements. 

fp


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

Why dose indoor birds need D3? Would you still have to give it to them if you let them out ever few days?


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

vegeta2802 said:


> Why dose indoor birds need D3? Would you still have to give it to them if you let them out ever few days?



If they get natural sunlight several times a week, they don't need additional vitamin D3 as it is meatabolized in their skin by exposure to sunlight.
If they don't get any direct sunlight then they do need it added to their diet.

Reti


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## rialize (Dec 28, 2005)

My mum has agreed to let me purchase the 4 oz. bag of Winsmore vitamins from Foy's Pigeon Supply.

Hopefully this will help my pidgey out.

Thanks again for the advice!


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