So this morning I noticed that the dove parents, or one of them, ate one of the eggs. Yesterday there were 2 at the cage and now there´s only one, smeared in yolk. Neither parent is sitting on the remaining egg anymore, so I´m afraid it will die too.
They ate it for sure cuz there was no shell or anything.
This is the second time this has happened. Last time I thought the egg had broken because I did find some remaining shell, but now there was nothing, so they ate it.
I really wanted a grandchick, but I guess it ain´t happening...
Bummer.:dry:
Why would the dove parents do this?
G
Could be because they were infertile to begin with perhaps? But G., NOW is the time to move the cage and clean it and get those bugs out and away. So, in their next round of egg-laying you won't have that problem anymore
lucky you though,,i have 4 in the garden,,so put up a massive dove cote,,its empty:angry: they come to feed,drink,then go off to the leylandi next door!!i am desperate to have them,,kept pigeons for years and they never ate eggs!
Infertile... hummm... So since this is the second time this has happened, does this mean I need dovie viagra or something?
Actually I´m kinda releived cuz I wouldn´t know what to do with more doves. Yet on the other hand I do want grandchicks.
The new cage arrives today, so yeah, I will do the moving. There is one more egg there, but they haven´t laid on it for a day and a half, so I´m pretty sure it´s dead by now.
Hi Janey. I have 4 doves right now. 2 in one cage and 2 in another. I have them separate cuz a couple is mating and they are really agressive but they keep breaking and eating their own eggs. I dunno if doves do things different from pidgeons. I don´t raise them, I rescued them, so I´m not a "pro".
I caught all the birds when they were babies that fell off the nest. I dohave 4 doves that come to feed to the house and they nest at my garden´s trees. Food is the key. Be patient.
Welcome to the group. This is a good place to be.
G
Sure thing. I´ll do an old cage vs. new cage thingy.
By they way, a day later the doves ate the second egg. I know they are fertile because when they dropped it off the nest and it fell, it was yolk and blood, so it WAS gonna be a chick. The shell had beak marks all over it, so they tried to eat it.
So now I´m adding pulverized chicken egg shells to their food. Here we have tortilla flour, and we make a dough out of it which birds love (it has a puree consistency), and I´m adding a bit of pulverized egg shell to it.
I feed raw to my dogs and the pulverized egg shell is used for calcium. The doves are not liking the taste or smell of the liquid I bought, so this might work. Or at least I hope so.
I´ll upload the pics in a sec.
G<br><br>Post edited by: Rivera, at: 2008/06/14 20:24
Old cage was very heavy (about 20 pounds) and had to be carried by 2 people. New cage is still very heavy, but has a base with wheels, so it can be moved around by one person.
Old cage was too wide to fit through a door, and in case of a hurricane it was hell to keep doves safe. New cage fits through a door.
Old cage did not have a door big enough for ME to fit, so I had to make one and it was so so. New cage already has it and now it´s easier to catch the doves when they need to be checked or handled.
Old cage did not have wire above the cleaning tray, new cage does, so doves feet are cleaner... though for now the doves still don´t like the holes on the floor and they have to get used to it.
So with time and experience I hope I´ve designed a better and more practical cage.
G<br><br>Post edited by: Rivera, at: 2008/06/14 20:47
UPDATE: The 2 doves are happy as a clam in their new cage. They are mating like crazy. So now I have the theory that they are just very... well... they really like mating a lot, and if they have kids, things won´t be the same, so they just get rid of them to get on with the "lovin" again, and again, and again.
I know it´s ridiculous... but why the heck are they breaking the eggs and mating like crazy over and over?
It´s like the Playbird mansion there!
The male is really agressive... AGAIN... so odds are that within a week they will have eggs again... and break them again... and start with the mating all over...
Will I ever get a grandchick?
What do I have to do? Sit on the egg myself and wait for it to hatch before those 2 break it???
When will the darned parent instinct kick in??? :S
G
G. :laugh: "Playbird"? :laugh: Hahahaha.... you are so funny!
I like the new cage a lot. Thank you for placing those photos. It is easier when one can visualize it. I think your old cage was sort of a learning cage on where to watch for in a new one. Very nicely done!
I think perhaps you can incubate them yourself in a place with the right heath and humidity? I wouldn't do that though, but I think it might be possible...
Perhaps the parenting instinct kicks in when they get bored of the "Playbird" games and want some variation in their daily lives :P
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