[PrincessGrace]

So, I've found a pigeon egg - I've done a lot of googling this evening and I "candled" the egg and it appears to me as if it is still a viable embryo. I plan on trying to hatch it and raise to release.

I've never done this before. I am an animal lover.

I've set up a kind of make shift home incubation system (luckily I already had a heat lamp from my pygmy hedgehog - she isn't using it right now)

Unfortunately the temp only goes up to 95 degrees - and I know it needs to ideally be 99.5 - will 95 suffice?

I plan on turning the egg every 8 hours (roughly - I will be as close to it as life allows)

The set up is not in direct sunlight.

I'm going to use the next 18+ days to research what to actually do once the bird is hatched - any helpful links would be much appreciated.

I know this is a huge commitment but I have to try. It would plague me if I didn't.

-----I found the egg in my front garden in the moss, my first instinct was to return it to the nest but there isn't a nest in site-------

Thanks in advance! Any advice or tips will be gratefully received!

 

[Jay3]

My advice is to put the egg back to where ever you got it. If it hasn't been incubated, then life hasn't started yet, and if it has, then the pigeons clearly had a nest where you found it. Raising a hatchling from day one is very difficult, and lots can go wrong. Usually the baby doesn't do well and it just suffers and dies anyway. Putting a living creature through all that is unnecessary, and unfair.
Also, even if you were able to raise it, it would then not be a candidate for release, as it never had the benefit of the parents teaching it how to survive in the wild. It would not even know it was a pigeon and would identify with humans. If you released it, it's chances of survival would be very low. Don't do that to an innocent creature. If you really are an animal lover, you will be fair and put it back.

 

[PrincessGrace]

I understand what you're saying - but I honestly thoroughly looked for a nest and there are non to be seen! I will be having a triple check today however.

To just put ut back on the ground is to give it no chance at all - surely it's better to try?

 

[kiddy]

Yes exactly what Jay said, if you candled and see no red veins or signs of developing embryo, you should keep it back. Even experienced people may fail to raise babies from day 1 and you are new. Can you take a pic while candling the egg and post so we can see if there is any development?
He won't be a releasable bird in wild if you hand raise him without parents. Best is to keep it back if there is no life started in there.

 

[PrincessGrace]

Yes exactly what Jay said, if you candled and see no red veins or signs of developing embryo, you should keep him back. Even experienced people may fail to raise babies from day 1 and you are new. Can you take a pic while candling the egg and post so we can see if there is any development?
He won't be a releasable bird in wild if you hand raise him without parents. Best is to keep him back if there is no life started in there.

I will try and take a picture - I can see the yolk and the shadowy circle that (i believe) is the embryo x

 

[kiddy]

Do any of your neighbors have pigeons? May be someone has tossed it to replace with fake egg if they didnt want chicks. Just a possibility...

 

[Skyeking]

My advice is to put the egg back to where ever you got it. If it hasn't been incubated, then life hasn't started yet, and if it has, then the pigeons clearly had a nest where you found it. Raising a hatchling from day one is very difficult, and lots can go wrong. Usually the baby doesn't do well and it just suffers and dies anyway. Putting a living creature through all that is unnecessary, and unfair.
Also, even if you were able to raise it, it would then not be a candidate for release, as it never had the benefit of the parents teaching it how to survive in the wild. It would not even know it was a pigeon and would identify with humans. If you released it, it's chances of survival would be very low. Don't do that to an innocent creature. If you really are an animal lover, you will be fair and put it back.

Yes exactly what Jay said, if you candled and see no red veins or signs of developing embryo, you should keep it back. Even experienced people may fail to raise babies from day 1 and you are new. Can you take a pic while candling the egg and post so we can see if there is any development?
He won't be a releasable bird in wild if you hand raise him without parents. Best is to keep it back if there is no life started in there.

I AGREE WITH THESE RESPONSES ^^^^^.