[pmasonsmith]

Hello I have been on here quite often and joined recently, I have two rescue ferals, a 5 month old female and a 4 month old male.
The female has laid an egg, cleaned them out in the morning and was out for the day, but it has been raining so I went to replace the newspaper which I line their bedroom area with. The female was just sitting fluffed and hunched up in a corner and started growling and pecking me so I knew something was wrong, I moved her and she was sitting on an egg>
The egg shell is very thin and has cracked away over the pointy end, the membrane is still intact so hasnt leaked everywhere yet, I have put in a shallow bowl with aspern bedding (fine wood chip which is my pet snakes bedding) as a nest and put the egg in.
I have ordered calcium, fake eggs and proper pigeon grit, but haven't been able to go out and buy some as my brothers in hospital so my parents have been busy driving him about.
Should I have put a nest in, or should I have removed the egg? They are half heartedly trying to incubate it, I know its infertile too.
Any advice and help appreciated

 

[kiddy]

Don't remove the egg until you don't have fake egg to replace it. If you remove it just like that she will lay again and that depletes their calcium storage. So if you know it is infertile, let her sit on that but be sure you have to give her calcium +D3 supplement asap. Usually they lay 2 eggs but since she is quite young, may be she lays only one this time, but not sure. I am worried as you said it has a very thin egg shell so in case she lays the second egg, she may develop egg bound. They need calcium +D3 coz it takes lot of calcium in making egg shell so you should provide her with calcium +D3 supplement before she lays the second egg, usually after 2 days they lay again so it should be supplied within that time period.
When your order is going to be delivered? Till then at least supply her with boiled and crushed chicken egg shells and try to keep her in sunshine for 2 hours so she can synthesize D3 in her body, that will help her absorb calcium from egg shells.

 

[pmasonsmith]

ok thats worrying as it says 5-7 days for delivery, there isn't anywhere in my county that sells pigeon calcium, I've checked online and in person when I first got them.
Is there anything that I could give her, crushed boiled chicken egg shell or something?
The grit they had until two days ago, cos they pooped in it had oystershell in but I never saw them eating it? Theres chalk deposits where I live, its calcium carbonate, could I grind some up or something?

 

[pmasonsmith]

I have put crushed boiled chicken eggshell in a dish and she is cautiously eating some of it, I dont think she quite knows what it is, but knows that she needs it.
Thank you for advice!

 

[kiddy]

I think pet stores have calcium+D3 there ?
No, not that calcium carbonate deposits, that can carry parasites too so not healthy.
Just boil some eggs and crush their egg shells and supply, also if you have oyster shell grit. Do keep her in sunshine for sure until you don't have D3.

If you are on Facebook, I suggest you join the Pigeon Rescue group which is a network of rescuers and some rescue centres in the UK:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/PigeonProtection/

Tho that is a rescuers group but people may help you in getting calcium +D3 in your area as it is U. K based group. So ask for their help for the same.

 

[kiddy]

I have put crushed boiled chicken eggshell in a dish and she is cautiously eating some of it, I dont think she quite knows what it is, but knows that she needs it.
Thank you for advice!

Great!! They know what they need. If you can keep her in sunshine in some cage, flying pen or aviary, that will be of great help.

 

[pmasonsmith]

I've only found one pet shop near by which sells pigeon food, other shops sell basic bird wormers, antibiotics and mite killer, but no calcium. Unfortunatly no sunshine, I was going to shut her in the outdoor bit of their house but its started to rain, and they crushed the egg cos they were both sitting their on their purch all sticky, replaced egg with a pale pebble, she sitting on it so I assume shes accepted it....

 

[kiddy]

Good if she has accepted that, sometimes they accept small round white balls too but sometimes they don't accept even fake eggs, some hens are quite wise. So great if yours accepted the pebble. Now keep her feeding crushed egg shells and oyster shell grit and whenever you get sunshine when it's not raining, try to keep her out. They should get direct sunshine like in cage and not through the glass window etc.( if they don't get D3)
Let's hope and pray she lays just one this time, coz young hens do lay one too.

 

[pmasonsmith]

Parents came home, not allowed to order stuff online as the pigeons accenpted the pebble they see no reason why she would need fake eggs, and as we can get bird grit in pet shops dont need to buy it online. But they phoned a shop several miles away which does the calcium and D3 but hadn't been showing it on their website.
At least will get stuff sooner than if I had ordered it online.
Thank you for all the help, its much appreciated!

 

[pmasonsmith]

Shes laid her second egg! I feel so guilty cos I had shut her out of the bed area so she was in the sun and she laid the egg off the perch because it was cracked on the ground! She is ok the egg had a thin shell again, have given her another pebbel. It just...she was trying to brood it, like it was all broken and she was still trying to roll it towards her with her beak...

 

[kiddy]

Thank God, at least she layed without any problems.
Be careful for the next time. She shouldn't be calcium deficient.