How long will doves sit on unhatched eggs?

[chocolatefroglet]

Hi! I recently got a lovely pair of ringneck doves, my first doves in around ten years, and they laid two eggs for me almost right away. They were laid exactly as expected based off of the mating dates, and the parents were super diligent and attentive right from the start. Unfortunately only one was fertile, and it quit very early, so I swapped out with fake eggs once I was sure they weren't viable. The hatch date has come and gone, and they're still as attentive as ever. (Though they seem a little anxious? I might be projecting, but they seem to sit up to check them a lot more than I ever saw them doing before).

I was just wondering how long it usually takes them to give up and try again? Will there ever come a point where I need to intervene and remove the eggs before they're ready, or is it safe to let them sit as long as they like?

Thank you so much in advance!
-CF

 

[Daisythechicken]

2 weeks.

 

[sourland]

It will vary from pair to pair. You can hasten the nesting process by removing the fake eggs now.

 

[chocolatefroglet]

Thank you both for your responses!

As a bit of a quick update I had heard them both pecking at the plastic fakes one morning so I figured it was about time to pull them out. They fell back into breeding behaviors right away, but ending up laying much sooner than I was expecting. I'm guessing I just missed them doing it before I removed the fake eggs... Is it common for them to mate while still waiting for eggs to hatch? I think if I had left the fakes longer they would have ended up sitting on the two fakes and the two new ones!

I'm going to candle these two on Friday and I'm hoping for better results than last time! If all goes well we're expecting hatching around May 9th. Crossing my fingers!
-CF

 

[biophiliac]

Thank you both for your responses!

As a bit of a quick update I had heard them both pecking at the plastic fakes one morning so I figured it was about time to pull them out. They fell back into breeding behaviors right away, but ending up laying much sooner than I was expecting. I'm guessing I just missed them doing it before I removed the fake eggs... Is it common for them to mate while still waiting for eggs to hatch? I think if I had left the fakes longer they would have ended up sitting on the two fakes and the two new ones!

I'm going to candle these two on Friday and I'm hoping for better results than last time! If all goes well we're expecting hatching around May 9th. Crossing my fingers!
-CF

Yes, I have had the next clutch of two eggs laid right alongside the two fakes. Be careful not to get them mixed up and damage the viable eggs by mistake since you want babies.

Edit added. That's pretty funny about them pecking at the fake eggs! Pigeons are always surprising with their intelligent behaviors.

 

[JKH]

Thank you both for your responses!

As a bit of a quick update I had heard them both pecking at the plastic fakes one morning so I figured it was about time to pull them out. They fell back into breeding behaviors right away, but ending up laying much sooner than I was expecting. I'm guessing I just missed them doing it before I removed the fake eggs... Is it common for them to mate while still waiting for eggs to hatch? I think if I had left the fakes longer they would have ended up sitting on the two fakes and the two new ones!

I'm going to candle these two on Friday and I'm hoping for better results than last time! If all goes well we're expecting hatching around May 9th. Crossing my fingers!
-CF

Hi there, I am also a new ring-necked dove owner. I have had similar adventures with my pair. They laid eggs quickly (which I replaced with infertile eggs) and then sat on them for quite a while; I would say 3.5 - 4 weeks. (Research says they will give up after a few days, but mine stuck with it much longer.) I let the eggs just stay there (because I didn't want them starting from scratch again); eventually they began setting up another nest and laying again. Something else I noticed: When they give up the nest, it is not black and white; there seems to be a gray period in which for a few days they will sit a little bit and then go off the nest. The female especially, will return to the eggs at night even if they have been uncovered during the day. But eventually this part-time sitting stops, too. Hope that helps. Good luck!