I have eggs laid... now what

[LamarshFish]

I would not use the cooler in your case and go with the nest warmer. Pigeons will abandon a nest for just cleaning I have experienced. It is also best to due your tampering in full darkness if possible. It is only for a week and by then they should be nearly full fledged and able to combat the cold.

Thanks. I was considering putting the warmer below the nest bowl ASAP, to help with eggs, but thinking about what you said about tampering with the nest, I wonder whether that is a bad idea. They have been sitting on the two eggs constantly, and I don't want to screw up what appears to be a good thing.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I wonder whether that is a bad idea.

I would leave it alone until about a week or so after they hatch. In three days their eyes will open. The parents can keep them warm for over a week. Then as soon as they reach a week old that is the stage when I would put the nest warmer in.

 

[biophiliac]

I would leave it alone until about a week or so after they hatch. In three days their eyes will open. The parents can keep them warm for over a week. Then as soon as they reach a week old that is the stage when I would put the nest warmer in.

I strongly agree not to add any heat while the eggs are incubating .

 

[LamarshFish]

 

[biophiliac]

Beautiful bird! It's the male?

 

[LamarshFish]

Beautiful bird! It's the male?

I figured you'd appreciate those pictures. They are actually two birds. The top picture is the cock bird, #6, his name is Drogo, he's been with me since the very very beginning. In that picture he is on his daytime egg sitting shift. The bottom bird is the hen, #9. I haven't given her a name yet. She is out of the nest bowl because every morning I give her peanuts when I open the loft, so she gets off the eggs just to eat the peanuts, then gets right back on them. The peanuts are her reward for sitting nicely on the eggs all night lol, and when she gets up every morning when she sees me she always stretches her wings like a human would stretch his arms after getting out of bed. She has been looking pretty fat lately lol.

 

[biophiliac]

You may not believe me but I wondered if it was two birds, just didn't check close enough and their markings are similar. The first pic 'screams' cock, but the 2 nd one had me thinking - that head sure looks like a hen.

You know I love the fotos, thanks!
How do you decide who is awarded a name and who remains a number?
And yes she is certainly 'pleasingly plump' as my grandma used to say!

 

[biophiliac]

View attachment 1204687

View attachment 1204686

I just noticed there is an empty next box with bowl adjacent to the one they occupy. Is that ready for the 2nd clutch? That should work just as well as one large nest box with 2 bowls.

 

[purslanegarden]

Let the birds sit if they will. Maybe it takes a few rounds or something, to learn it right? My pigeons sat on several eggs since the spring. The eggs either were not fertile or the birds didn't sit long enough to hatch anything (ie not a good incubation). Every 10-11 days after I noticed the eggs, they would invariably be tossed out of the nest.

However, I continued to let them sit (and maybe learn) and a few days ago, now they have hatched 2 eggs.

 

[LamarshFish]

How do you decide who is awarded a name and who remains a number?

Just if something comes to me and I feel it is fitting. I originally intended on not giving them names, so as not to develop too much of a connection with them because of the risk of losing them, but a few of them have just had names come to them. #13 became Growly just because all she ever does is growl constantly. #6 was my first cock bird that showed clear signs of being a cock bird, and he'd fly onto my arm and puff out his neck and make noises, and I was watching Game of Thrones at the time, and he reminded me of a dragon, so I named him Drogo. He's my favorite.

just noticed there is an empty next box with bowl adjacent to the one they occupy.

There is only one bowl per nest box, I'm not sure what you're referring to? I might add another nest bowl to their box though....

Let the birds sit if they will. Maybe it takes a few rounds or something, to learn it right? My pigeons sat on several eggs since the spring. The eggs either were not fertile or the birds didn't sit long enough to hatch anything (ie not a good incubation). Every 10-11 days after I noticed the eggs, they would invariably be tossed out of the nest.

However, I continued to let them sit (and maybe learn) and a few days ago, now they have hatched 2 eggs.

These two have been sitting constantly, and trading the jobs just how they are supposed to. It has, however, been around 10-20 degrees here for a several days, so my expectations are low. They are due between December 20-23. I have not tried candling the eggs because I'm concerned if I disrupt the nest they will change their already good setting behavior.