Pigeon Egg

[Julie8481]

So we bought a Homer Pigeon yesterday at our State Fair. When we purchased the bird I asked the guy if it was a boy or a girl. He said it was a boy. Last night when we got him home and went to put him in his cage, to our surprise our 'boy' bird had laid an egg. Is there anything we're supposed to be doing with this egg and the mom?? I've found eggs with no mom but never had a bird actually lay an egg for us. Any suggestions? Do I need to 'build' the bird a nest? Right now she's on a fluffy towel. Do we need to put a heater under the cage? Do they lay eggs just to lay eggs or do we have a baby coming in a few weeks?

Help! I have no idea where to start!

Thank you!!
Julie

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by Julie8481

So we bought a Homer Pigeon yesterday at our State Fair. When we purchased the bird I asked the guy if it was a boy or a girl. He said it was a boy. Last night when we got him home and went to put him in his cage, to our surprise our 'boy' bird had laid an egg. Is there anything we're supposed to be doing with this egg and the mom?? I've found eggs with no mom but never had a bird actually lay an egg for us. Any suggestions? Do I need to 'build' the bird a nest? Right now she's on a fluffy towel. Do we need to put a heater under the cage? Do they lay eggs just to lay eggs or do we have a baby coming in a few weeks?

Help! I have no idea where to start!

Thank you!!
Julie

Well, first of all, you need to make the decision of whether you WANT a baby or not.
Hens will mate with hens, but of course, I guess you don't have any way of knowing whether she was with a male pigeon and apparently the previous owner didn't have a clue either.
IF she was with a male, then the egg could be fertile. The only way to know that is to let it develope and see what it looks like in 5 to 7 days. That's IF she will continue to sit on it.
Pigeons share nesting duties and raising their babies. Obviously she would be doing all of this on her own and with her being in a new home, it's possible that she wouldn't see the whole incubation period through.
I personally would take the egg, boil it, let it cool and give it back to her and allow her to sit on it as long as she will. I would think the towel is a good enough "nest" as long as the egg can't roll off of it.
IF the egg is good and IF she stays with it, then there's the baby that she would have to raise alone and it's possible that you would have to help feed it.
Depends on how you want to handle the situation.

[spirit wings]

also if this is the first egg there maybe a second on the way, then they will sit them or she may sit them after the second is layed, I would keep an eye on her as she could be stressed from the move give her lots of good feed and probios and vitamins and minerals and red grit, if she does lay a second and you want her to hatch it I would only let her do one as she does not have the male to help her. you can candle the egg in 5 days and see if it is fertile, or boil one and let her sit it untill she gives up....let us know and we love pictures also!

[Julie8481]

She solved my problem on her own. She kept rolling the egg around the cage so I'm guessing theres no babies in there. We would've kept the baby but thats one less thing we have to worry about now.

thanks for your help!!!

[little bird]

Originally Posted by Julie8481

She solved my problem on her own. She kept rolling the egg around the cage so I'm guessing theres no babies in there. We would've kept the baby but thats one less thing we have to worry about now.

thanks for your help!!!

NOT NECESSARILY. She laid the first egg yesterday and the second egg is due 44 hours later. So if she lays the 2nd one, then she will start incubating them and you will know 5/7 days later if they are fertile if you candle them. I would put a nest bowl in for her and line it with some nesting materials and put her 1st egg in the nest and wait until tomorrow to see what will be.