Can pigeon eggs survive chilling?

[jak2002003]

My pair of pigeons have been incubating their eggs for over a week.

Today strong wind blew a sheet of plastic over their nest.. so they could not get onto the eggs to keep them warm.

They were on the eggs in the morning... and I guess they eggs could have been left without their parents for about 2 hours.

The weather is very hot.. so they were not cold. However, they were not radiating warmth as they do when the parents have been on them.

Should I throw them away and let the pair start again? Or is there a way to tell if the chicks inside are still alive?

Just having so much bad luck with my birds recently I can't believe this happened!!!!

 

[sourland]

If they were viable to begin with, they should still hatch. I would not throw them away.

 

[biophiliac]

I hope and expect they will be ok too. Maybe you could candle them in a few days to be sure. Best of luck.

 

[jak2002003]

If they were viable to begin with, they should still hatch. I would not throw them away.

OK, I will keep my fingers crossed and see what happens. I just thought they might die from not having a constant temperature, like chicken eggs in an incubator need. Usually the eggs were really warm to the touch, but they got normal air temperature.

I hope and expect they will be ok too. Maybe you could candle them in a few days to be sure. Best of luck.

How can I tell they are alive? Sorry, silly question. I have not done that before.. but can use a flashlight. Will I see the heart beating or something. and if they are big the egg might just look all black inside?

 

[biophiliac]

OK, I will keep my fingers crossed and see what happens. I just thought they might die from not having a constant temperature, like chicken eggs in an incubator need. Usually the eggs were really warm to the touch, but they got normal air temperature.



How can I tell they are alive? Sorry, silly question. I have not done that before.. but can use a flashlight. Will I see the heart beating or something. and if they are big the egg might just look all black inside?

Do it and see what you think.
Here's a link to some images and info for candling pigeon eggs.
https://www.google.com/search?q=can...j69i57j0l2.15503j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Eta - I have no experience with this YET, so update please if you do?

 

[biophiliac]

I have heard that at a certain point the embryo begins to produce some heat of its own thru metabolism so it doesnt cool as quickly as the outer shell.

 

[LamarshFish]

They were on the eggs in the morning... and I guess they eggs could have been left without their parents for about 2 hours.

Just having so much bad luck with my birds recently I can't believe this happened!!!!

First I had thought if the already incubated eggs chill even a few degrees the embryo can die, but I had told that to a fancier who has 400+ birds and is in the pigeon supply business and he said he has taken eggs off nests to do demonstrations for kids and takes them out of the loft for several hours, puts them back and they hatch just fine. But I think it's likely more complicated than that, and depends on how far along the eggs are.

With the temps where you live, my guess is they will hatch.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Should I throw them away and let the pair start again?

I hope and expect they will be ok too. Maybe you could candle them in a few days to be sure. Best of luck.

I have nothing to say that has not already been said.

I suspect they will hatch.

 

[laughingdog]

The metabolism may slow some and hatch a day or so late, but probably won't do harm, as have had pigeon eggs nest get full of cold water in sudden storms, and after drying and putting in new nest with dry materials, they warmed and hatched days later than scheduled, sometimes slightly underdeveloped, but caught up as matured. Under a week eggs tend to do better over all than more developed. Course after couple weeks mine in winter even do not sit tight nestled down on their eggs as they create heat and I've heard people toss eggs when parents stop setting temp (I had a line that did this in summer), but I've candled and still found the embryo dancing around or just slowely moving still if it's cold.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Just having so much bad luck with my birds recently

How are things going has your luck improved any?