Hello, I’m new here and been searching threads for advice. Everyone is so nice! Thought I’d make a post of my own for more specific help. I had a pair of mourning doves lay 2 eggs in a hanging planter right next to my front door. They hung in there for about a week, but after multiple disturbances from deliveries, a curious neighbor kid, and the gardeners they finally had enough and abandoned the nest. I waited a full 24 hrs but it was clear they weren’t coming back. They had been so diligent before then, never leaving the eggs unattended for more than a few min.
I knew they might not be viable after sitting so long without heat, but a neighbor had an incubator and I wanted to give them a chance. I’ve rescued all sorts of injured and abandoned creatures, they just seem to find me, but never eggs so this is totally new to me!
Something really interesting about these two eggs…. When I brought them in I candled them to see if there was any life. One had a tiny embryo bouncing around and clearly alive. The other had a similarly sized mass in it but absolutely no movement, and what I believe might be a blood ring (?), but my partner convinced me to put it in the incubator anyway.
After 24 hours, the moving egg had progressed and the other looked exactly the same in size and lack of movement. The “ring” was all the way around the shell now. I decided I would take it out that evening, but when I candled it one last time to make sure I was removing the dead egg, I was shocked to find movement and some growth! Another 24 hrs later it has grown some more, still moving. It appears days behind the other embryo in development, so if it hatches it won’t be at the same time.
I’d include photos but my partner is out of town and right now my phone is serving as the flashlight. Will post some tomorrow. What do we think about the “dead” egg coming back to life? I know it was sat on for about a week, did the cold put it into some sort of suspended animation and then it restarted growing? Overnight temps were in the 50s. And the “blood ring” if I have that right- from what I’ve read here that means death but also usually doesn’t seem to be accompanied by movement.
I’m trying to manage my expectations but I’d love to see these 2 make it. Local wildlife rehabs won’t take eggs and seem iffy about hatchlings so I think I’m just going to commit to raising and releasing them when they’re ready. This sort of things happens to me enough that I think I should learn how to handle eggs and hatchlings. I’m hoping this is a place I can get much needed advice and guidance, as I’ve gotten a lot of push back elsewhere and essentially told to just get over it and “let nature take it’s course” because death happens. I’ve never once regretted helping a wounded or orphaned animal (even some lizards and moths) whether they lived or died, and I just think the world is harsh enough so why not put a little more gentleness and love into it?
Thanks for reading if you got this far. I’d love to have some community support for this endeavor, and last night I read a whole thread here about a duck egg with two embryos that had me moved to tears. The poster was named Lucy and shared that she had cancer. The support and love in that post was so beautiful, the opposite of everything you see on social media these days. I think bird people must just be really good people.
I knew they might not be viable after sitting so long without heat, but a neighbor had an incubator and I wanted to give them a chance. I’ve rescued all sorts of injured and abandoned creatures, they just seem to find me, but never eggs so this is totally new to me!
Something really interesting about these two eggs…. When I brought them in I candled them to see if there was any life. One had a tiny embryo bouncing around and clearly alive. The other had a similarly sized mass in it but absolutely no movement, and what I believe might be a blood ring (?), but my partner convinced me to put it in the incubator anyway.
After 24 hours, the moving egg had progressed and the other looked exactly the same in size and lack of movement. The “ring” was all the way around the shell now. I decided I would take it out that evening, but when I candled it one last time to make sure I was removing the dead egg, I was shocked to find movement and some growth! Another 24 hrs later it has grown some more, still moving. It appears days behind the other embryo in development, so if it hatches it won’t be at the same time.
I’d include photos but my partner is out of town and right now my phone is serving as the flashlight. Will post some tomorrow. What do we think about the “dead” egg coming back to life? I know it was sat on for about a week, did the cold put it into some sort of suspended animation and then it restarted growing? Overnight temps were in the 50s. And the “blood ring” if I have that right- from what I’ve read here that means death but also usually doesn’t seem to be accompanied by movement.
I’m trying to manage my expectations but I’d love to see these 2 make it. Local wildlife rehabs won’t take eggs and seem iffy about hatchlings so I think I’m just going to commit to raising and releasing them when they’re ready. This sort of things happens to me enough that I think I should learn how to handle eggs and hatchlings. I’m hoping this is a place I can get much needed advice and guidance, as I’ve gotten a lot of push back elsewhere and essentially told to just get over it and “let nature take it’s course” because death happens. I’ve never once regretted helping a wounded or orphaned animal (even some lizards and moths) whether they lived or died, and I just think the world is harsh enough so why not put a little more gentleness and love into it?
Thanks for reading if you got this far. I’d love to have some community support for this endeavor, and last night I read a whole thread here about a duck egg with two embryos that had me moved to tears. The poster was named Lucy and shared that she had cancer. The support and love in that post was so beautiful, the opposite of everything you see on social media these days. I think bird people must just be really good people.
