I found a Pigeon egg on my lawn and...

[Pinky Gold]

I found a pigeon egg on my lawn, and I think it might have fallen from my roof, but I opened my window and and explored my roof but there wasn't an egg. What should I do, should I hatch it??

[Pinky Gold]

Reply quick please, I want to know what tempature I should keep it in, and the storage, and care for it. I don't want it to be a dud.

[Trees Gray]

Hello and thank you for your interest in this egg.

Here is the link to incubating an egg, but we don't recommend it if the egg isn't incubated by the parents, and it may just be infertile.

You can hold the egg under a flash light, in a dark room. Cup the egg in your hand so back and front are open. Shine flashlight in back of it, and if you see any veins running thru it, or a small sillouette shape, dark area it is fertile, otherwise it is not fertile.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showthread.php?t=4968

It would be better to have pigeons hatch the egg as it is next to near impossible hatching and raising a baby pigeon. The parents have special milk which they feed newborns that we can't copy.

[Reti]

Hi Pinky Gold,

chances are the egg is not fertile. Even if it is it would be it very difficult to have an egg hatch. And it is very difficult for a human to raise a bird baby. We just can't replace the parents.
First, take the egg in a darkened room and hold a flashlight behind it. Watch carefully to see if there is anything in the egg. You can compare with a chicken egg from your fridge.
Let us know what you find and we take it from there.

Reti

[Pinky Gold]

OK thanks, I can see veins runnung all over the inside of the shell. I think it might have fallen from a hidden nest on my roof. Should I place the egg on a Kleenex while I'm busy?(I have classes.)I also collet feathers, will they do something useful to the egg?

[TAWhatley]

Hi Pinky,

You actually need an incubator or a homemade version of one in order to have a chance of successfully hatching the egg. A certain temperature and level of humidity has to be maintained and the egg needs to be turned at regular intervals. With you in school, I don't see anyway that you could manage all the finer points of the incubation let alone being able to hand feed the baby bird every 30 minutes or so in the first days of its life.

Though I know you want to hatch and raise this baby, I would strongly suggest putting the egg back in the nest if you can.

Terry

[Pinky Gold]

Uh Oh... I came back from school and it hatched... It's dead... I am so going to fire the egg nanny. I hired her since I have school and she is very sloppy. Poor little thing...

[Reti]

I am sorry the baby died.

Reti

[Pinky Gold]

So young so innocent.... I'm going to name it Pinky. And how do you find out if its a boy or girl?

[Pinky Gold]

I wanted to give it a proper funeral so I need to find out.

[Reti]

It is impossible to know if it was male or female. Sorry.
Sexing pigeons is done by DNA testing or by watching their behavior. The most certain way to tell besides DNA testing is if she lays an egg.

You can still give her a proper burial. Pinky is a nice name.
Thank you for being so caring.

Reti

[sportsman]

I read an article that said how to sex a very young pigeon. Don't know if it really works.
Here's the link
http://www.tourdesmaritimes.com/Eyes...101/Sexing.htm

[Pinky Gold]

I know I can still give it a proper funeral, but isn't it disrespect to Pinky that I call it a her even if it's a him or the other way around. I thing I will go read things about how to sex a bird.

[BirdDogg10]

I feel your pain.

My Beagle mix died

September 28 2004

sorry to hear about the loss

but who knows there might be other oppertunities

Pigeons do breed in the winter in California

Ya never know