Alan Bliven
123 posts
May 02, 2005
5:42 PM
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I have had a problem with some babies dying while they are trying to peck out of the egg.
Any ideas?
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Alan
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rollerpigeon
Site Moderator
277 posts
May 02, 2005
10:23 PM
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Hey Alan, e-coli might be one problem with youngsters dying in the egg. This is fairly common and is easily controlled by adding a small amount of apple cider vinegar to the water a few times a week. It will change the ph level just slightly so that it creates a difficult environment for the bateria to live in the pigeon as well as the droppings.
Anyone have any other ideas to help Alan? FLY ON! Tony Chavarria
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Alan Bliven
125 posts
May 02, 2005
11:23 PM
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All my birds get a constant supply of ACV (the good one with the mother) They all get at least 1/8-1/4 of a cup per gallon.
They die while trying to peck out.
When I was a kid, we believed the birds had to have a lot of baths while sitting on the eggs or the shell would be too hard and the babies would have a hard time pecking out. The idea is, the watery feathers of the adults would get the eggs damp and soften the shell. But who knows, it may not be true.
But I wonder if the shells could be too hard for some reason? The wrong kind of grit? The humidity is too low? I don't know. They eat a lot of Oyster shell for grit. They eat that like candy and leave the pigeon grit... but I don't know?
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Alan
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Leo
Member
12 posts
May 03, 2005
6:44 AM
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Allen, the shells are too hard and are THICKER than they should be, It is caused from the Oyster shell, I didnt seem to say this in my answer...LEO
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Alan Bliven
126 posts
May 03, 2005
10:45 AM
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Thanks Doc!
By the way, my stud German Shepherd is named Leo. It's short for Law Enforcement Officer.
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Alan
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fhtfire
121 posts
May 03, 2005
8:21 PM
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Alan,
I had a hen that laid hard eggs too. I tried everything. I swear you could hit them with a hammer and they would not break. Nothing I did worked. The same thing that is happing to you happened to me. Here is what I would do to help out. When the start pecking out and have at least three big dents or peck marks. I will take my nail and gently make a crack line all the way around the shell to weaken it. I would even open it up a little bit and let them push there way out. It worked every time. I know you are not supposed to help but I had to. Try it...what do you have to lose.
rock and ROLL
Paul Fullerton
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Ally Mac
45 posts
May 04, 2005
2:13 PM
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I had a similar problem a month or so back, the advice I got was just to rub some spit on the eggs 2 or 3 days before they are due, or to let the birds have a bath towards the end.
Al.
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Alan Bliven
127 posts
May 04, 2005
3:38 PM
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Yeah, I had to help one out yesterday. He would have died if I didn't.
I'm going to cut back on the Oyster shell and give them more baths.
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Alan
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