Help please! Dove eggs & no idea what I'm doing!

[MrsN05]

Hello all! I just joined.
About a week ago my husband and I took some abandoned dove eggs in and bought a little incubator just to give them a chance.

( before it comes up, we are positive they were abandoned, we called the local wildlife rescue they will not take them unless they hatch, I do believe in the circle of life but if I can help I will.) if you can't tell I've gotten some negative feedback lol

Any way they are in the incubator we turn them at least every 4 hours. We've candles them and there is is *something* in both that are getting bigger and sometimes move


What in the world do I do if by some miracle they do hatch?!

Do I leave them in the incubator? Do I move them to a small place with a heat lamp?
This was totally unexpected and we're trying to do our best. We assumed there was no chance but something is happening.

Thank you in advance

 

[QueenMisha]

So, if the wildlife rescue is willing to take them when they hatch, that's the best thing you can do, unless have a lot of time on your hands and you're willing to put a lot of learning into this.

Doves and pigeons are not like poultry and other gallinaceous birds - these species are ideal for raising in captivity because they can walk, run, and feed themselves within a day of hatch. Pigeons and doves are a whole different type of animal; they hatch naked, blind, unable to feed themselves. They require hand feeding of formulas every several hours for several weeks. They should ideally be kept in an enclosed ICU/incubator/brooder unit for the first several weeks. It's not an easy process to raise these sorts of species. Beyond that you have the issue of what to do with them once they are raised; it's difficult to release hand raised birds into the wild. If you can't release them, you'd need to check and see if you can legally harbor these species in captivity. If you can or can get a permit for it, you would need to build a loft, aviary, etc. So raising the yourself would be a big lifelong commitment.

 

[MrsN05]

We def do not want pet doves. We have a houseful as it is we are just suckers.


So if they do pop out immediately take them to the wildlife center in the incubator? I guess that is my main concern. I don't know what to do if they hatched.

 

[QueenMisha]

We def do not want pet doves. We have a houseful as it is we are just suckers.


So if they do pop out immediately take them to the wildlife center in the incubator? I guess that is my main concern. I don't know what to do if they hatched.

They'll be wet when they come out. I'd give them 5-10 hours in the incubator to dry and then take them in.

 

[MrsN05]

So little update, one egg got a little yellow dot on it and then tonight the other did, any ideas or advice or ideas appreciated

 

[jak2002003]

Dove and Pigeon squabs need pigeon milk from their parents.. without that they usually die.. or if they survive are stunted and lack immunity to common diseases.. so usually die after a few months.

You would be advised to just leave the eggs alone or throw them away.

I am sorry but its 99.9 percent certain the squabs you hatch out will die.. and its going to be a slow and suffering death from lack of nutrition and disease.

I know you were trying to be kind.. but these are eggs not abandoned nestlings.

 

[MrsN05]

Oh gee, the wildlife center never mentioned that :-(

 

[Arklady]

I have had doves for many years, I normally just pull eggs when I don't want new babies. Mostly because one they are prolific breeders and I don't have that much space. I love my doves and if "I" get distracted I get too many birds because they don't take long for them to hatch and then they are on their own. So I have to do 1, feed the young till they are old enough to butcher usually about 6 mo. to a year. Or 2 put them down. I have put birds down before.

Doves are sold on the market as squab, which included many of the smaller birds from Pigeons and other smaller birds. So squab is a thriving business in the market place but many places buy their birds wholesale. I personally wouldn't want to butcher thousands of birds so I just do them for my own.

At this point in time I have four new baby dove pairs alive in the nest and 3 awaiting butcher. I think though after all this time I would rather deal with pigeons because they mature much faster and eat what is called trash seed. Doves require a finer seed including Safflower seed for building up fat reserves for winter. So if anyone in the Wichita Ks are is interested in doves let me know. I have several proven breeders ready to sell (bring a cage.)

Doves can live to the age of 20 years, so I don't need many pairs to keep me in squab, since I let this get out of hand I am ready to sell the pairs rather than butcher. Let me know if interested, I don't ship birds.

Arklady