Are you wondering why pigeons abandon their eggs? If you have pigeons, you must have seen this behavior or you might see this at some point. I finally found an answer to why pigeons abandon eggs, which I’ll share with you in the blog post.
You may be worried about why they’re doing it or you might be thinking something is wrong with your pigeons. Well, first of all, it’s quite common among pigeons. At some point, almost every pigeon pair leave their eggs and move on. I have been seeing this problem for almost two decades. Turns out, at some point, a pair goes through this issue, but you must pay close attention to why it’s happening.
I talked to my Uncle who is a pigeon breeder and expert, and he explained to me that there are a few reasons why the pigeon pair would abandon their eggs. However, he also agreed that reason #1 is the most common among pigeons.
Let’s find out what’s happening to your pigeons.
Here are the reasons why pigeons would abandon their eggs:
1. The Eggs Got Rotten
The most common reason for abandoning their eggs is that eggs get rotten, especially in the summer season. Pigeons know how long it takes to hatch the egg or how long the incubation period is, so if they don’t see any activity after a certain period, the pair would abandon their eggs. Don’t worry if pigeons have abandoned their eggs or you found eggs out of their nest. They’d lay more eggs after a week or so.
2. Pigeons are Sick
One of the reasons why pigeons abandon their eggs could be that pigeons are sick. Healthy pigeons don’t abandon their eggs unless there is something wrong with their eggs, for example, they get spoiled for some reason. When pigeons get sick, they hardly seem interested in feeding themselves let alone sitting on the eggs or mating with the partner.
3. Pair is Careless
In rare cases, the pigeon pair isn’t efficient enough to take care of their eggs or feeding their babies. Such pigeon pair often end up abandoning their eggs or getting their baby pigeons killed for being careless. Most pigeons don’t leave their babies or eggs alone in the nest; if the mother is out of the nest for feeding, the father pigeon would take care of the eggs or babies.
Should You Worry about Pigeons Abandoning their Eggs?
Well, not at first, but if a pair keeps on doing it, then you should dig deeper into the reasons why this is happening. Maybe, you could check out their nest or examine the cage. What if the pigeon pair isn’t the problem?
Examine the weather conditions because sometimes thunderstorms can destroy the nests and push the eggs away, especially in the pigeons’ cages that aren’t covered properly.
Similarly, heaving raining could also ruin the eggs. You got to be smart with your pigeon cage; it must be covered properly, especially in the winter season. Although, pigeons need fresh air, sunlight, and water. They would even spread their feathers in the sunlight, especially in winter, and sunbathe for a few minutes.
The point is that if everything is okay at your place and there is nothing wrong with the conditions, then you should move to the next phase to sort this out.
If you’re breeding and want to have baby pigeons from that pair, but they keep on abandoning their eggs, you can pair up them with other pigeons. I’ve seen my Uncle and other pigeon breeders do this, and it turns out very well.
