# experience? length of time sitting on dummy eggs



## Yonah (Feb 11, 2017)

Wondering what experience others have had with dummy eggs. 

My pair of ringneck doves promptly had 2 back-to-back clutches (is that the right term?). 

When they laid a 3rd set of eggs, I replaced them with dummy eggs. They have been sitting on the eggs for 18 days now. 

The second set of babies is still in the same cage with the parents and the parents have not shown any indication of chasing them off (as they did with the first pair).

How long may the parents continue to sit on the dummy eggs? 

I intended to remove the nest once they abandon the eggs. (I assume I should not remove the nest until they have abandoned it.)


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## FredaH (Apr 5, 2016)

I would think they'll abandon the dummy eggs soon and it's great they're still sitting on them. I have three pairs of pigeons and two of the pairs are in sync with each other, mate at the same time, lay eggs at the same time and discard them at 15-17 days. I don't remove the dummy eggs until they start their beaking process when I know they will still go into their nest but the eggs are pushed aside.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

They are all different. Some will try longer, but eventually they should give up.
I actually have had males that even after she has laid more eggs, he would still keep trying on the old ones. She would be on the new eggs, and he would be in the box with her, buy on the fake eggs that had been there awhile. Some just hate to give up hope.


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## Yonah (Feb 11, 2017)

23 days now and counting...

The two are faithfully taking turns sitting on those dummy eggs.


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## chayi (May 1, 2010)

Soon they will punch it to the side and work on there own egg


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would keep checking, as they will lay 2 new eggs right beside the fake ones. They will do that a lot. So make sure they aren't sitting on 4. LOL.


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## Yonah (Feb 11, 2017)

Oh my. That_ would_ be a surprise. I checked, and thankfully there are just the 2 dummy eggs. 

I'll be sure to keep an eye out for any future eggs.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I learned the hard way. LOL.


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## Yonah (Feb 11, 2017)

Yup. Just yesterday I found 2 new eggs beside the dummy eggs!

It has been 4 weeks now since they've been sitting on those dummy eggs. (and 4 weeks since she last laid eggs)


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Okay. Now you can remove the new ones. Sometimes they do catch on though. A couple of my hens could not be tricked, so I tried to switch when the male was on the nest, but after a while they still figured it out. Then they will lay again right away anyway.


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## Yonah (Feb 11, 2017)

I removed the new ones right away yesterday. But I've saved the (now) 2 pairs of eggs that I removed. If she gets too smart, I may switch out the dummy eggs (which I think are a little large) and put in her own old eggs to use as dummy eggs. (someone on here suggested that)

Guess we'll see what happens next. They are such characters!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Some people boil them, let them cool, then put them back.
I have bought pigeon eggs that were a bit larger, and finally ordered some that came in smaller like I wanted. I use those for most of my birds, but some do have larger eggs, and for them I use those. The problem is that you never really know for sure what you are getting. I got some a couple of times that were even a better shade of white then the bright white you usually get, but when I ordered them again from the same place, I got really cheap ones that didn't look real and I don't even use.

You can buy actual dove eggs, rather than pigeon eggs, which are a lot smaller.


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## Yonah (Feb 11, 2017)

Is there any harm in removing the nest altogether from the cage? I vaguely remember hearing that if they don't have a nest, then they won't try to lay eggs (doves). The original pair of doves has been sitting on these dummy eggs faithfully for 5 weeks now.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yonah said:


> Is there any harm in removing the nest altogether from the cage? I vaguely remember hearing that if they don't have a nest, then they won't try to lay eggs (doves). The original pair of doves has been sitting on these dummy eggs faithfully for 5 weeks now.


Why remove it if they want to sit on them? That's baloney. They will lay eggs on the floor if they want to lay them. If they want to sit on the eggs, what is the harm?


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## Yonah (Feb 11, 2017)

It seemed to me that it might be stressful for them to constantly be sitting on eggs. That they are sitting on the eggs only out of instinct and not because "they want" to.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

I think it is best to let them sit on the eggs as long as they wish. They are all different. Sitting on the old eggs slows them down from laying new eggs which is healthier. And the "instinct" is hard wired into them for a reason.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Agree with cwebster. I think sometimes we interfere too much. Let them do what they want to do. We don't need to control everything they do. Let them decide.


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