[anaka06]

My 7 year old pigeon One-Eyed Jill laid a single unusually large egg a few days ago. Until this morning she acted very normal, spending about 90% of her time on the nest asleep (she likes to sit on the eggs, her mate Griffin does not). However this morning she has spent more time off the egg (which I swapped for a fake one,) and sitting on one off the two ledges in the cage. She's puffed up and standing with her head held close to her body, similar to how she likes to lay while on the nest. Occasionally Griffin does decide he wants to sit on the nest and to prevent him from throwing a fit (Griffin is very dramatic and tends to get his way) Jill lets him, when this happens he may sit on it all day. I have seen her eat and drink today. Jill is always a very laidback and lazy pigeon but tends to only fluff up like that while on the nest. She's always laid two eggs in the past. It may just be that Griffin wanted on the nest and Jill let him but was still in the mood to sleep like she does on the nest, but with her age and having only laid one egg and egg binding being serious I want to see what others think.

 

[Marina B]

Is her back haunched with the wings hanging low? Do you notice if she is straining to lay an egg? Won't hurt to keep her warm and give extra calcium.

 

[Colombina]

Hi, how is she doing? As other said have you noticed something strange? Bad breath? Difficulty in pooping or a strange yellowish/whitish liquid?

If you suspect egg binding you could put her in a basin (or in the sink, etc) with warm water (the water must cover her bell/abdomen and cloaca). You can do that in the dim light. Gently keep her inside the water for about 10/15 minutes. Of course, you must handle her really carefully because the egg could get broken (if she is egg bound, of course). You could also try steam baths (you could put her into a small box or carrier then put it in the shower. Put a basin full of hot water next to it, close the curtain shower and the bathroom door. Let her there for about 15 minutes).

If you can find paraffin oil (here you can buy it in pharmacy) you can apply it with a cotton bud on her cloaca after the warm bath (try to apply it even inside the "opening"). My vet told me that it's also possible to give a few drops orally but I have never done it.

After the bath and oil put her back in her nest. My pigeon Londo could not lay her second egg (when she had a cloacal prolapse), she laid it thanks to the bath and paraffin oil.

Do you regularly give to your birds a complete vitamin supplement and calcium? Do they regular get vit D3? I would give her extra calcium.

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