# My little Snow turned out to be a girl!



## Snowbie (Oct 16, 2010)

I've had my white dove for a little over a year now and thought all the while that he was a boy because he never laid any egg. But tonight, when I checked on him, I saw an egg!!!  She's not sitting on it yet, never saw her come near it either, but I read that she'll only sit on it after the second egg has arrived? I don't think those eggs are fertile because she is my one and only dove, but I'm really happy and excited to see that egg!

Anyway, my questions are:
1. I read that oyster shells are better for calcium than chicken eggshells. I have some old oyster shells that I've washed and cleaned. I'm thinking of crushing them and giving them to Snow. Is this OK? How small should the crushed pieces be?

2. Is it true that after she gives up on this first set of eggs she will lay another set? I am hoping there will be a way to make her lay her eggs farther apart due to health concerns (hers).

3. I'm really new to all this so if there are any other things I should know, I'd really appreciate those tips.

Thanks!
Faith


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## ValencianFigs (Jul 10, 2010)

Hello,

I don't know much about the first question. They both could have the same amount of calcium. But I do feed some of my doves egg shells crushed.

2. Yes she will lay another one soon after she gives them up. The best way to stop that is to put fake eggs under her.


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## Kiko&Kalani (Aug 10, 2010)

Hi Faith,
I ran across this post in the PT arcive that might help about the calcium question
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f5/recycling-egg-shell-42096.html

I also read that as far as oyster calcium goes it might depend on the type of oyster (a solubility issue caused by the shell composition and how quickly it digests). The one that kept coming up as best was the Pacific Pearl Oyster. Of course, that might be all marketing hipe. 


As for eggs, they can lay eggs as often as every 8 days if they do not sit on the eggs (real or dummy). Once the second egg is laid they sit on them for about 18 days (some a little longer) before they are to hatch. I had Kalani sit on dummy eggs in her first batch and on the 18th day she started to give up and by day 19 she left the nest for good. She just came off them Nov 24, so I am waiting to see if she lays another batch as early as the end of this week. 

Even though Kalani has a mate, she still did most of the work sitting on them and she got a little skinny. I have started feeding her scrambled eggs with the egg shell cruched and mixed in for added protein and calcium. They both seem to like it!

Good Luck!
Beth


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

Hi Faith,
Make sure Snow is getting enough calcium. I use Kaytee High Calcium Pigeon Grit and I also add crushed chicken eggs to the grit. I first clean out the inside of the chicken egg shells under water...then microwave them for 4 mins. to sterilize them and make them more brittle for crushing.

You can give Snow fake eggs to set on...or even a round rock or large marble. This will slow her down a little from laying. But...since her eggs are not fertile...I would just leave her eggs with her until she get tired of sitting on them and lays new ones. Don't worry...they won't rot or smell if you leave them under her for a few weeks. 

Dawn


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## Snowbie (Oct 16, 2010)

Thanks very much for the helpful information! I don't think I understand about the fake eggs though. Since her real eggs are not fertile, I'll just wait till she gives up on them. As soon as she tires of them I should replace the real eggs with the fake ones so she won't lay the 2nd set too soon? Did I understand correctly?

Also, how long do you think I should let Snow exercise now that she spends most of her time sitting on her eggs?

Does anyone notice any change in their doves' attitudes the moment they become mothers? Just curious because I (just kind of) noticed that Snow bites harder than she used to  . And she seems to hold her poop when inside her playground. Then when I let her out for a break, she'll let out a gigantic one! 

My little momma dove just laid her second egg earlier tonight, by the way, and it's so cute to see her moving her eggs under her chest!

Thanks for all the help 

Best,
Faith


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## Kiko&Kalani (Aug 10, 2010)

The dummy eggs are used mostly in place of any possible fertile egg to prevent increasing the population in your loft (in my case apartment). If you choose to use the real egg (in your case, no chance of fertility) you would not use dummy eggs. Once the hen gives up on the eggs she is done until she lays new ones (just throw out the old eggs), which I just found out could be as quickly as 4 days! So in Kalani's case she laid her first egg of batch 1 on Nov 3 and the first egg of batch 2 on Nov 28 (total of 25 days from batch 1 to batch 2). 

Kalani takes about 4 to 5 hours off her eggs a day and that seems to be enough for her, although she has lost weight despite my efforts to keep her from getting too skinny. 

As for personality change, Kalani is more aggressive around her nest than before she laid eggs, but the same when she is away from the nest. Her poopies are massive when she comes off her eggs after so long. 

Any pics?
Beth


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## ValencianFigs (Jul 10, 2010)

My doves got really feisty, one of the things that you might experience is pecking and wing slapping, and they will puff up. Pigeons will do the same or they will peck the heck out of you. They do get moody when they lay eggs. It is just their way to protect their eggs.


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## Jeannine (Sep 10, 2010)

My Edel is the sweetest thing, very friendly, always wanting to hop on your hand....but when she became a 'mom' and there were eggs around I saw a different side of her! I was rudely wing slapped one day - ouch! I quickly learned I could only check on the eggs/hatchlings when the daddy was on the nest. - lol

P.S. A dove peck is nothing compared to a pigeons!!! I swear my homer wanted to rip the flesh from my hand the other day. Once you are holding her s/he is fine, but the process of getting her is bloody murder!!!


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## Kiko&Kalani (Aug 10, 2010)

Jeannine said:


> My Edel is the sweetest thing, very friendly, always wanting to hop on your hand....but when she became a 'mom' and there were eggs around I saw a different side of her! I was rudely wing slapped one day - ouch! I quickly learned I could only check on the eggs/hatchlings when the daddy was on the nest. - lol
> 
> P.S. A dove peck is nothing compared to a pigeons!!! I swear my homer wanted to rip the flesh from my hand the other day. Once you are holding her s/he is fine, but the process of getting her is bloody murder!!!


 I know what you mean. My male pigeon has figured out that if he twists while pecking it hurts his victim more and he is right! Ouch!!! I may be weird, but I kindoff like the wing slaps. Sounds like we all have very devoted and over protective mamas


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## ValencianFigs (Jul 10, 2010)

Kiko&Kalani said:


> I know what you mean. My male pigeon has figured out that if he twists while pecking it hurts his victim more and he is right! Ouch!!! I may be weird, but I kindoff like the wing slaps. Sounds like we all have very devoted and over protective mamas



OMG! My male pigeon does the same he pecks you and then bite and twist! And you are not weird I think that the wing slaps are kind of funny too! But they get really ticked off when you get into their "business" and eggs. The female only bites me when the male goes to get some hay other than that she lets the male do all of the biting.


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## Kiko&Kalani (Aug 10, 2010)

ValencianFigs said:


> OMG! My male pigeon does the same he pecks you and then bite and twist! And you are not weird I think that the wing slaps are kind of funny too! But they get really ticked off when you get into their "business" and eggs. The female only bites me when the male goes to get some hay other than that she lets the male do all of the biting.


Yeah, Kalani is pretty passive until you get too close for too long to her eggs. What's funny though is that if I do get too close and Kiko is attacking me to get me to back off, Kalani will come out of her nest and start attacking Kiko (not me). Funny.


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## ValencianFigs (Jul 10, 2010)

Kiko&Kalani said:


> Yeah, Kalani is pretty passive until you get too close for too long to her eggs. What's funny though is that if I do get too close and Kiko is attacking me to get me to back off, Kalani will come out of her nest and start attacking Kiko (not me). Funny.


Lol that is funny, it is really a new experience when they are breeding.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Snowbie said:


> Thanks very much for the helpful information! I don't think I understand about the fake eggs though. Since her real eggs are not fertile, I'll just wait till she gives up on them. As soon as she tires of them I should replace the real eggs with the fake ones so she won't lay the 2nd set too soon? Did I understand correctly?
> 
> Also, how long do you think I should let Snow exercise now that she spends most of her time sitting on her eggs?
> 
> ...



because her eggs are not fertile she can sit on those, giving her a break from the sitting the egg is a good idea so she can expell the big nest poop.. and eat and drink and stretch.. she should sit the egg/s for how ever long she feels she needs.. if it goes over 20 days I would take the eggs up.. because she is a dove I would buy the kaytee hi-cal grit for cockatiels at the pet store.. it is a smaller granual and is just for birds.. she would benefit from direct sunlight when you can as sun lets them process vit D which makes it possible to even use the calcium for the body.. pics would be great if you would like to share..


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