Pigeon egg incubating.

[lightchick]

Quote: Thanks for the info! I know what I'm getting into. I do hope I never have to do this again just because it's extra work and I do believe that they would do best with their parents but I don't like throwing away good eggs. Could I half hand raise them? I mean like keep them with the parents until the WOE eggs hatch and then take them away or would that mess everything up?
In that link I posted here one person said that he fed a pair with three babies chick starter and that helped the parents take care of the babies better. Last year I had only one WOE baby hatch (the same pair actually) and that baby actually got so fat it couldn't stand. I had to stop feeding the parents so much.
I will probably put the eggs under the WOE pair.
I hope I'm not asking too many dumb questions!

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

I was in the same situation this year, my BR's abandoned their nest, so i put the eggs in the incubator asap. Well They didnt get back around to nesting for quite a while, by the tome they started the clutch, the pigeons were ready to hatch. So I promptly put them under the BR pair and they gladly accepted all four, both new babies hatched but one passed away (Im assuming because they couldnt handle all the commotion) But they chick that lived is almost 2 weeks old and doing great! They other eggs should be hatching soon, so we will see how well they do with 3 squabs, one being alot larger. On that note, i could really use a Pros advice, should I take the big squab out before the others hatch so I dont endanger the babies? Would it be easier hand feeding at this age? If so what formula should I buy

 

[lightchick]

I was in the same situation this year, my BR's abandoned their nest, so i put the eggs in the incubator asap. Well They didnt get back around to nesting for quite a while, by the tome they started the clutch, the pigeons were ready to hatch. So I promptly put them under the BR pair and they gladly accepted all four, both new babies hatched but one passed away (Im assuming because they couldnt handle all the commotion) But they chick that lived is almost 2 weeks old and doing great! They other eggs should be hatching soon, so we will see how well they do with 3 squabs, one being alot larger. On that note, i could really use a Pros advice, should I take the big squab out before the others hatch so I dont endanger the babies? Would it be easier hand feeding at this age? If so what formula should I buy

Thank you so much for the info!
I think that you probably should take the old squab out when the younger squabs hatch because it'll steal all the food and it might crush them. It'd definitely be easier hand feeding now that the squab is older.
I've read that Kaytee Exact is the best to use. I am planning on using a modified syringe to feed them.

 

[Hokum Coco]

On that note, i could really use a Pros advice, should I take the big squab out before the others hatch so I dont endanger the babies?
I have two nest boxes for each breeding pair. I would remove the large squb and if possible have it near by. The male will take over feeding while the female does most of the incubating.. Worst case scenario you would maybe have to feed a large squab that in all purposes should survive with not much trouble. At that age I usually just stir up chicken layer pellets with warm water. Works for me.

 

[lightchick]

Looks like one of my other WOE pairs might lay an egg today! So maybe I'll give one extra egg to each.

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

The way that my situation is set up, thw 2 nest box for the pair wont work, I think ill just hand feed the big one when the new ones pip

 

[Hokum Coco]

The way that my situation is set up, thw 2 nest box for the pair wont work, I think ill just hand feed the big one when the new ones pip

In a perfect world the male should still feed the large squab if given the opportunity.

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

In a perfect world the male should still feed the large squab if given the opportunity.

Will the bigger squab crush the little ones though? I am worried about their safety. I am not opposed to hand feeding or leaving with parents, just worried

 

[Hokum Coco]

Will the bigger squab crush the little ones though? That could happen when they first pip not to mention the larger squab would dominate the nest site..

Most pigeon fanciers will often provide their mated pairs with nest boxes in which to build their nests. Because pigeons are quite territorial about their nesting area pigeons co-exist much more harmoniously when each mated pair has two nest boxes of its own. In a perfect world you would just have to let nature follow it's course.

 

[lightchick]

Well the second egg has not been laid yet. And when I candled one of the pigeon eggs I'm attempting to incubate and I think I saw a blood ring. And the other eggs isn't very easy to figure out.
I guess all I can do is put them under the pigeons after the second WOE egg is laid and see what happens.