# Is there any way my hen stops laying eggs?



## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

Hi guys! So my story is: I found a feral pigeon attacked by cat one year ago. Got her well and healthy but she still had a hanging wing so I was afraid of releasing her back into the wild. So she has been living with us in our apartment without any loft or cage or anything. 

About one month ago she laid her first (infertile) egg. She didn't have any intention of sitting on it and just cracked it with her beak.

2 days ago she laid a second egg and today the 3rd.

Question: is there anything I can do? is there anyway she stops laying eggs?
- they are infertile anyway
- she just cracks them instead of sitting on them


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Thank you for your care and kindness shown to this bird.

Unfortunately we all have hens that can lay all to frequent, due to them becoming pets. They do fall in love with their rehabbers/caretakers and will lay eggs in response. 

But it is normal for them to lay 2 eggs, one day apart. They usually do not lay again for almost another month, when their first chicks hatch and are raised.

Here is what you can do when she lays :

1. When she DOES lay an egg/s replace with dummy eggs and see how long she will sit/incubate them. Give her a nice nesting bowl, and give her food and water nearby. The longer she sits on those eggs the longer between her laying them, and the less calcium she depletes.

2. Make sure she has a good source of calcium to enable laying of good strong eggs when she does lay, and give her access to sunshine for vitamin D.

To keep her from laying:

3. Reduce the amount of protein in her diet as that increases the sex drive.

4. Do not pet her on the back as that can stimulate egg production. You can pet her under the chin.

5. There are also certain seeds you can give her that will diss-able or lessen the sex drive.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

If the eggs are just taken away from her, she may lay again sooner, which wouldn't be good for her. If given fake eggs (wooden or plastic), she may sit on them for about 18 days or so, and it will cause her not to lay as soon as if you just take them away. Don't know why she is breaking them. And no, you won't be able to stop her from laying. You should be sure that she is receiving a high calcium grit, and oyster shells in a separate dish that she can take as needed. You don't want her to deplete her system of calcium.

Edit: Guess we were posting at the same time.


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## mistergugu (Jul 8, 2009)

Thank you so much for your replies.

- she shows no interest whatsoever in sitting on them. she either just leaves it there and goes away, or beats it until it leaks

- I didn't know this about under the chin better than on the back, so I will be careful from now on

- how can I reduce the amount of protein? I feed her pigeon seed mix.


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Is this a regular pigeon mix? What is the protein content?

Give her a nice nesting bowl to lay her eggs in(if you haven't), as that may encourage her to sit on them. She may not feel secure where the eggs are beeing layed.


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