# pigeons won't lay eggs



## kellym (Aug 2, 2008)

I have had my loft for almost 2 years now. When I first built it and got birds I had 2 hens lay eggs and hatch chicks. Since that time I have NEVER had another egg. I don't have a way to separate sexes. I have added new birds and still no eggs. I have changed food with no luck. I have given supplements and still no luck. Can somebody please tell me what to do? I would really like to raise some chicks. I just bought a new pair. I have one bird that will fight with the cock and run the pair out of any nest box they go into. So the new pair is now hanging out in the loft on perches. Will the ever just take an empty nesting box?


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

To me this seems to be a very unusual problem and I would like to ask a few questions about your pigeons.. How many do you have and what kind are they and how old are some of them and what sex are they...now get you...even if they were the same sex there should be eggs--might not be fertile but you would still get eggs and how many nest boxes do your have??? c.hert


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## kellym (Aug 2, 2008)

Until just recently I had 12 birds in the loft. I had a hawk get in the loft kill one bird and traumatize the rest. The next time I flew them only 5 returned. I was down to 5 birds left until this past week when I added 2YB just off the nest and a new pair. I have 2 birds that are always in a nest box together so can only assume this is a pair. I am not sure of the sexes of the other birds. As I stated when I first got the loft I had 2 pair to produce chicks. but no eggs since. I have 10 next boxes in the loft. They are racing homers that came from a respected racer in the area.


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

The two young ones just off the nest might be too young at this time and the others could be traumatized by the hawk--it takes a lot out of them---and those other birds could have lost their mates that never came back and those two in the nest box will eventually pick a nesting area even with that cock and maybe he is fighting for the female of the nesting pair. I would just give it more time at this time and we are getting into the spring now maybe things will be better and did that hawk follow your birds back to the loft when you let them out or was there another way in that you might have left open and is your loft secure from other predators??? skunks, snakes, rat *****, weasels, etc etc...? c.hert


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## kellym (Aug 2, 2008)

I know the 2 YB are two young to lay. I just put them in this past week. As for the hawk issue the birds have been in the loft for well over a year before the Hawk followed them in. Everyone says the same thing thats its a very unusual problem. I have been very patient and running out of ideas. I am picking up another pair this weekend.


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## c.hert (Jan 15, 2010)

I don't know what state you are in but we just went through a winter and if you have a severe type of weather birds don't really like to have young at that time although it does happen--be patient ---and yes get another pair if you deem it necessary --then take a look at the situation again when you know its warm enough and no traumatizing from the predators for this is the best that I can figure out at this time...c.hert


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

Out of your current stock you will need to identify the cocks and hens first. Then check whether there is a cock - hen pair. Once you identify the sexes and the pairs you are more streamlined for solving the issue.

I dont think the pigeons are still in the hang over from the hawk attack.

Spend some time identifying the sexes and pairs and please let us know


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

Is there any way to get the bully out of the loft for a week or so and let the other pair take a nest they will fight over?
Dave


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## bcr1 (Jun 9, 2009)

How big is your loft? They might not want to breed if it is too crowded for them.


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## kellym (Aug 2, 2008)

hey thanks for the responses. I have no clue how to indentify the sexes of these birds. I could lock the bully in a nest box. 

A bit of an update I found 2 eggs just outside the nestbowl of one of my old birds. I also found two eggs that in other boxes (1 in each of the 2 boxes). I put the 2 in the bowl and they have been sitting on them for a few days now. The others were left unattended so I took them out.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

kellym said:


> hey thanks for the responses. I have no clue how to indentify the sexes of these birds. I could lock the bully in a nest box.
> 
> A bit of an update I found 2 eggs just outside the nestbowl of one of my old birds. I also found two eggs that in other boxes (1 in each of the 2 boxes). I put the 2 in the bowl and they have been sitting on them for a few days now. The others were left unattended so I took them out.


so you went from no eggs to 4, in two days..?. they lay the second around 40 to 48 hour later, and do not sit the first egg, let them lay the second before you take them out, they will not pay attention to the first one most times, untill the second is layed. They may of took awhile to lay because of the hawk attack and did not see the loft as a safe place to have a family. are these homers? if so you have to get young birds to settle them to your loft, and homers are not mature to get a mate nest and lay till 6 months old or so....


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## soymi69 (Nov 12, 2007)

Kelly, you need to have a pair in 1 box, if you have an empty box it need to be close, what happen is the bully bird, will try to own as much nest box as he can. Is your loft lighted? Maybe its still dark in your loft and the birds still think its winter. Give them light for more than 10 hours and put some nesting material for them to work with. This might motivate them that its spring time and its time to breed. But do not let any of your birds occupy more than 1 nest box. You need to have control of them or there will be no harmony in your loft. How often do you feed your birds? Some people also change the diet to motivate the birds to start breeding, there are a lot of things you can do but adding light is one good way to motivate the birds to start breeding.


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