# Prue's first eggs!



## Pigeonpuff (Sep 5, 2013)

I have two pigeons, a male satinette and a roller whose gender I didn't know until recently. When I first got them in September Mikey (the satinette) would always chase and bully Prue (the roller). After a while, though, the pecking order was reversed and Prue became the one in charge. Soon after THAT Mikey gave up all efforts of fighting back. About a month ago I noticed Mikey and Prue fight and then directly after that preen each other. Sometimes one would reach for the other's beak and the other one would turn their head away, as if slightly annoyed.

Yesterday I saw Prue all fluffed up and sitting in the bedding at the bottom of the coop. Prue, being the more timid one, always stands up alertly when I open the coop. But that particular time Prue did nothing and stayed fluffy. I took their water bowl to refill and when I returned Prue was in the same position. I reached for her, thinking that she may be sick but this only caused Prue's fluff to retreat, revealing an egg!!! I got help and moved a heating pad from the shelf above Prue and while I held her and her egg up the pad was slipped underneath. Where I am in New York it is freezing cold and I didn't want the embryo, if the was one, to die. Next we packed bedding around her and some pieces of wood to create a nest box.

What I would like to know is if I did the right thing in moving the heating pad because Prue does not seem very interested in sitting on her egg. I have heard they don't sit on the egg until the second is laid, and as I said I really didn't want it to die if it was a fertilized egg.(I had been begging for more pigeons for my 12th birthday but was denied it. So Prue laid me one the day before !). The only other source of heat in their coop it a reptile night heat bulb. The coop is very small but drafty. My dad and I have been working on an aviary, but the snow has prevented it from being finished. We bought the coop as a kit but it turned out to be very badly made. I hope to build a bigger, better one when the weather is warm because I have access to tools and a lot of spare wood. For now my pigeons are not allowed inside (my dad's rules ) unless there is truly lots of snow and they may abandon their nest if it is relocated.

I'm worried about the egg and i can bring it inside if I am sure they will not care for it. Well, at least I am sure Prue is a girl and if this one does not work I will give them the proper materials so they can try again.



I wrote this earlier, and here is an update:
Prue laid her second egg within the last few hours. Devastatingly, the first egg go crushed . I know one egg is nothing to a person who has many pigeons where this happens all the time, but this egg was Prue's first with me, maybe first ever. Luckily, though, she decided to sleep on the nest with the remaining egg. Mikey sat just outside of the nest area, guarding his mate! I did not know he was so involved in Prue's eggs although he's probably the father anyway. 

I would greatly appreciate ANY information from someone who has had experience with this. I'm worried and I would like to know what to expect. Thanks for reading all of this!!


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## Woodnative (Jul 4, 2010)

Do they actually have a nest now?? If they don't have a good spot to nest eggs etc. are sometime laid on the floor. If they are moved they don't usually sit on them, and if they don't have a nest they may not sit on them anyway. If she is sitting the night on her second egg you are probably fine. In the future give them a nest box and/or nest bowl and supply them with dry straw, small twigs, longleaf pine needles etc. so they can build thier nest. The male will usually bring this material for the hen to arrange under her. 
Both parents will sit on the eggs.....the hen the night and the cock generally from about midmorning to evening give or take. One may relieve the others for short periods. When the babies hatch both parents will continue to sit (at first) and both feed the young........first with a special pigeon "milk" they secrete in their crop and later with grain/food. When the baby is 3 weeks old or so the hen may lay another clutch of eggs while the father continues to feed this baby. 
IF something goes wrong with this egg or it is infertile, they will lay again sooner than later. Make sure they both have grit with extra calcium along with good food and fresh water. Rollers and Satinettes are both usually pretty good parents. BTW the babies will be cute and make nice pets but they will be mixed breeds and may not be worth much if you go to sell them so don't let them overbreed. I know you can't wait for babies but she will probably lay at pretty regular intervals from now on. Get some fake pigeon eggs for the future as you will not want them to hatch ALL those eggs. I would also consider banding the babies, even if mixed, as it identifies them and shows they are domestic birds if they every get lost. Enjoy!!


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## Pigeonpuff (Sep 5, 2013)

Thank you so much!!
Yesterday I went and got a nest bowl and some straw for them. Another egg has been layed and and another crushed by a bowl of grit  . Mikey and Prue both have been incubating. I crushed oyster shells and egg shells for Prue, but will she eat them? I hope that the extra calcium will help to make sure no more eggs are lost.
The nest bowl I gave them was lined with straw which was spread all around the coop today and many strands are in their makeshift nest. I think they like it there because it is surrounded by wood which keeps the eggs in. Do you think that they will choose the nestbowl for the next round of eggs?
Also, you talked about banding the babies. I know a pigeon store where I think I could get them but is there any particular type I should look for? What type do you use for your pigeons?

Again, thank you SO MUCH for your reply. I feel a lot more confident now.


P.S.- I can see evidence that Mikey and Prue have been kissing: Prue had pigeon milk on her chin! :


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