# What in the world??



## nicole (Mar 27, 2006)

Just a quick post as I dash out the door.. 
Some of you may have read my post about moving eggs and parents during a home renovation project.. Well, today was the day, and as a scooped up papa bird from the nest, my husband and I could not believe our eyes.. FOUR eggs laid in a row!! How in the world could this have happened? I've seen the pair mate, so my assumption is Lexie is the male, Domino the female. These four eggs were discovered a month after Domino laid her first two, which she quickly abandoned. 
I have two other pijs in the room with them, but I doubt they are responsible for the extra two.. Rocky just barely left squeakerhood, and Greaser is shy and never goes near where the eggs are. Is it possible Domi laid all four?


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Sounds pretty unlikely, though they have occasionally been heard of laying three. 

Is it possible that the pair is actually two hens? Hens do pair up in the absence of a suitable male sometimes.

Is Greaser a hen?

John


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

nicole said:


> Just a quick post as I dash out the door..
> Some of you may have read my post about moving eggs and parents during a home renovation project.. Well, today was the day, and as a scooped up papa bird from the nest, my husband and I could not believe our eyes.. FOUR eggs laid in a row!! How in the world could this have happened? I've seen the pair mate, so my assumption is Lexie is the male, Domino the female. These four eggs were discovered a month after Domino laid her first two, which she quickly abandoned.
> I have two other pijs in the room with them, but I doubt they are responsible for the extra two.. Rocky just barely left squeakerhood, and Greaser is shy and never goes near where the eggs are. Is it possible Domi laid all four?


You've got 2 hens. Two hens will mate together just like a male and female. One takes on the role of the male and one takes the role of the female.


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## Grim (Jul 28, 2007)

2 hens, like Lovebirds said, they will even mount taking the role.


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## TheSnipes (Apr 9, 2007)

Grim said:


> 2 hens, like Lovebirds said, they will even mount taking the role.


I have several hen pairs like this and they do go through all of the motions 

However...there are some mated cock birds in the loft, and I have 1 'oops' baby that came from a pair of hens. So you can't tell if you'll have fertile eggs until they give up on them or they hatch!  If you have other birds present, that is...and there is some hanky-panky going on!


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Grim said:


> 2 hens, like Lovebirds said, they will even mount taking the role.


Don't know if this is true or not, but I heard once that a guy used to fly what was called "lesbian hens"..........I was told that he kept only hens, let them mate and bond to each other and that if this was allowed to go on long enough, that one of the hens would stop laying eggs and completely take on the role of the cock bird.


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## nicole (Mar 27, 2006)

Well, so much for having chicks!  

From what I know of pigeons (admittedly limited), Lexie definitely fits the male role. S/he sits on the eggs during the day, mounts Domino, brings hay, pine needles to the nest.. The last go around, s/he didn't lay eggs. She is the one who's most interested in nesting. 
They paired up before the two other pijs joined them. 
I doubt it was Greaser, simply because I picked him up a couple of weeks ago (covered in veggie oil) and I have never seen him venture near the nest. Lexie wouldn't allow it, I'm sure. 
Can squeakers on the cusp of becoming adults lay eggs?


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

nicole said:


> Can squeakers on the cusp of becoming adults lay eggs?


Yes. I've had YB's as young as 4 months old lay eggs. They shouldn't be allowed to raise babies at that age, IMO......but if THEY think they are old enough to lay eggs, not much you can do to stop them.


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