LATE TERM DEAD EMBRYOS!!!! 😭

[Mz Luv]

I raise ringneck doves. They are extremely healthy and eat the best food along with vitamins calcium etc. They love LOVE to breed ..build nests and raise babies. I periodically put wooden eggs in their nests to give them a break. The dove pairs i have are very good at laying fertile eggs. But some pairs have alot of problems with an embryo that dies just a couple days before it is to hatch. Ive read everything i can on this problem and talked to bird breeders and the 2 main causes seem to be..
* bacteria getting into the egg and
* pairs not breeding enough.
What ive noticed is one pair i have almost always produces healthy chick but they breed 5 or more times a day. He wants the hen to have eggs that are fertile. Plus they keep their nest clean.
The other pairs dont breed near as often. In fact the male will try to breed again and again but the hen wants to go straight into egg laying.
The second problem i see is the hen will lay pn the eggs at night and the male will sit on the edge of the nest and poop all night in the nest! Im doing everything to get this to stop but im wondering if the dirty nest is causing the eggs to become comtinated with bacteria and kill the embryo right before its ready to hatch.
Other than those 2 readons i cant find any thing else that would kill the embryos. Is that true?. Or is there some other reason? Thank you

 

[chelseachook]

I raise ringneck doves. They are extremely healthy and eat the best food along with vitamins calcium etc. They love LOVE to breed ..build nests and raise babies. I periodically put wooden eggs in their nests to give them a break. The dove pairs i have are very good at laying fertile eggs. But some pairs have alot of problems with an embryo that dies just a couple days before it is to hatch. Ive read everything i can on this problem and talked to bird breeders and the 2 main causes seem to be..
* bacteria getting into the egg and
* pairs not breeding enough.
What ive noticed is one pair i have almost always produces healthy chick but they breed 5 or more times a day. He wants the hen to have eggs that are fertile. Plus they keep their nest clean.
The other pairs dont breed near as often. In fact the male will try to breed again and again but the hen wants to go straight into egg laying.
The second problem i see is the hen will lay pn the eggs at night and the male will sit on the edge of the nest and poop all night in the nest! Im doing everything to get this to stop but im wondering if the dirty nest is causing the eggs to become comtinated with bacteria and kill the embryo right before its ready to hatch.
Other than those 2 readons i cant find any thing else that would kill the embryos. Is that true?. Or is there some other reason? Thank you

https://www.melbournebirdvet.com/dead-in-shell-youngsters/
I don't know much about doves, but I found this article. Maybe post this on the pigeons and doves forum for better results. Good luck - I hope you find answers!

 

[Mz Luv]

https://www.melbournebirdvet.com/dead-in-shell-youngsters/
I don't know much about doves, but I found this article. Maybe post this on the pigeons and doves forum for better results. Good luck - I hope you find answers!

This article was SO helpful! I cant thank you enough. It described EXACTLY what i experienced. The chicks were dehydrated and exhausted. I suspected at the start the new mother wasnt moistening the chicks as they were trying to break out of the shell. I didnt know that i could give the chicks a drop of water to help it or spritz the eggs. I do feel relieved in that i did notice that the hen was not keeping the chicks moist. That concerned me. Now i know this problem is life threatening. Thank you again.

 

[chelseachook]

This article was SO helpful! I cant thank you enough. It described EXACTLY what i experienced. The chicks were dehydrated and exhausted. I suspected at the start the new mother wasnt moistening the chicks as they were trying to break out of the shell. I didnt know that i could give the chicks a drop of water to help it or spritz the eggs. I do feel relieved in that i did notice that the hen was not keeping the chicks moist. That concerned me. Now i know this problem is life threatening. Thank you again.

Good luck with your next hatches!