Banded Pigeon Found - Assistance Please

[3bird]

Thank

I bought a bag of crushed oyster shells for chickens and at first I thought it was too large so I crushed it a bit more. Then I got lazy, having noticed there was much variation is size of the pieces... I thought - Let them pick thru and find the right size. Well, they use it just fine. Even the big pieces disappear.
So the ans is yes, no, no, doesn't matter.

Thanks you! Do you give your pidges any other supplements? We feed Hagen Pigeon & Dove Staple VME Seeds, which says it "Provides Balanced Dietary Nutrition To Wild Or Captive Pigeons And Doves" and contains "Enriched With Vitamins And Minerals." (Listed Ingredients: White millet, red milo, red millet, whole wheat, canary grass seed, feed oats, cracked corn, oat groats, green split peas, safflower seed, calcium carbonate, orange oil, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulphate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate)

 

[biophiliac]

Thank

Thanks you! Do you give your pidges any other supplements? We feed Hagen Pigeon & Dove Staple VME Seeds, which says it "Provides Balanced Dietary Nutrition To Wild Or Captive Pigeons And Doves" and contains "Enriched With Vitamins And Minerals." (Listed Ingredients: White millet, red milo, red millet, whole wheat, canary grass seed, feed oats, cracked corn, oat groats, green split peas, safflower seed, calcium carbonate, orange oil, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulphate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate)

Sorry, I forgot to answer about supplements. I don't really use much except I do add ACV to the water to make it less hospitable to microbes and bio flims. I change the water every day. Garlic in water is supposed to be good but mine don't drink it with garlic so I gave that up.

I think the feed mix you are using is fine. It's slightly different than the mix I get in 40lbs bags. Mine has more(3) different kinds of peas but the ingredients you listed are commonly found in pidge mixes. The canary grass seed I haven't heard of before though. I use whole corn instead of cracked because I feel its less susceptible to moisture or mold damage, however I assume you buy in small quantities for only two birds so that shouldn't be a problem. I did give some cracked corn during a cold spell but made sure to use it up while fresh.

I also give them some romaine lettuce a couple times a week and in summer they graze on weeds.

 

[WVduckchick]

Shine a flashlight into the egg and look for red blood vessels beginning to form. If they look clear/white/yellow throughout the egg, they probably aren’t fertile and I would also suspect 2 females.

Females usually cover the eggs overnight, males take a shift for a few hours during the middle of the day to give the female a break, so that may also be an indication for you to check.

 

[3bird]

Sorry, I forgot to answer about supplements. I don't really use much except I do add ACV to the water to make it less hospitable to microbes and bio flims. I change the water every day. Garlic in water is supposed to be good but mine don't drink it with garlic so I gave that up.

I think the feed mix you are using is fine. It's slightly different than the mix I get in 40lbs bags. Mine has more(3) different kinds of peas but the ingredients you listed are commonly found in pidge mixes. The canary grass seed I haven't heard of before though. I use whole corn instead of cracked because I feel its less susceptible to moisture or mold damage, however I assume you buy in small quantities for only two birds so that shouldn't be a problem. I did give some cracked corn during a cold spell but made sure to use it up while fresh.

I also give them some romaine lettuce a couple times a week and in summer they graze on weeds.

Thanks so much!

 

[3bird]

Shine a flashlight into the egg and look for red blood vessels beginning to form. If they look clear/white/yellow throughout the egg, they probably aren’t fertile and I would also suspect 2 females.

Females usually cover the eggs overnight, males take a shift for a few hours during the middle of the day to give the female a break, so that may also be an indication for you to check.

Thanks!

 

[3bird]

We now have a fourth egg!!!

 

[biophiliac]

Well 2 hens is ideal if you want to keep your numbers down.

 

[3bird]

Okay folks. We now have a 5th egg two weeks after the first egg was laid. We're concerned. Thoughts?

 

[WVduckchick]

Did you leave the other eggs in the nest?

 

[WVduckchick]

@Hokum Coco @sourland
5 eggs in 2 weeks from 2 birds?