Too many eggs

[nxd10]

I have three young, unrelated white racing pigeons (hatched mid-January) - two females and a male. Two have a stronger mating bond, although the male is definitely going after the other female (both aggression and also mating).

Right now the paired female is sitting on FOUR eggs. I knew she had more than one and assumed it was the typical two. I didn't want to bother her but saw a week into incubation and there was at least three. Now she's at 14 days since the first one was laid and there are definitely four eggs (I finally disturbed her). Because I did not check well, I don't know if she did two and another two or if they were always there OR if the other female I have came in, laid, and she's just been stuck with them

As background, this is her second clutch. Her first got damp and died, but she stubbornly sat it for 23 days before abandoning the nest.

Any thoughts other than wait and see?

Also, I would be very happy to have up to six birds, but I do not want more than that. I also don't want inbreeding. After this round is (hopefully) successfully hatched, what is the best way to prevent future hatchings? Is it better to take both eggs at the same time, substitute false or addled eggs, or is there something else I should do? I don't want to exhaust my females by having them produce too many eggs.

Alternatively, I could certainly eat eggs or squab (what age do you do it?) or sell them off.

Any advice welcome.

 

[Towman72gmc]

2 of the eggs belong to the other hen. They may be fertile. Hold them up to the light and see if there something in them. Fertile ones will show a solid mass with a little empty area. Infertile one will look clear.
You could replace the eggs with fake eggs when you don't want any more or just seperate the cock from the hens. Or you could just sell off any unwanted birds. It shouldn't be hard to find homes for white racing homers.

 

[ThiefPouter06]

Squab are eaten after weaning. Or if you fry them the country way any time. If you throw away a hens ages she will lay again as early as 7-10 days. It depends on how much the male drives her. If you do this alot she will run out of eggs in about 2 years. I had a few roller hens that I didnt want to raise from so I just pitched the eggs. After two years they didnt lay again. But they didnt ever act the same.