pigeon lays first egg right after mate dies...?

[sydney13]

Hi, so up until two days ago I had a pair of white homers who had just started mating with each other. Then two days ago unfortunately the male got eaten by a hawk so now I only have the hen. I was just about to buy a new male for her (along with a few fancy types of pigeons) when today I went out and found she laid an egg. Im guessing its fertilized because right up until two days ago they had been mating but hadnt yet laid an egg. The hen seems very anxious without her mate and has just been sitting on the roof. She doesnt seem to be sitting on the egg but maybe its too early to know because she only just laid it today.
So my question is, do you think she will hatch the egg without her mate here?
Also what would happen if I went ahead and bought her a new mate? Would that cause her to forget about the egg? In which case im thinkng it would be best to not introduce the new bird with her until I know if she is going to hatch the egg or not
Thanks for any answers

 

[sourland]

I have had solo parents (due to the death of their mate) who continued to feed and raise squabs - even cocks who would brood the squabs during the night, but most solo parents will stop incubating eggs in my experience. Do you have another pair with eggs of the same age that you can foster the egg to?

 

[Hokum Coco]

I had miss fortune today also. One squab that was killed by a ring neck pheasant (my stupidity again). I attracted the pigeons in the loft with peanuts to load in the carrier and one of my lesbian pair left the squabs to take advantage and the pheasants killed one of the abandon squabs.

On another note one of my breeding pair had a pair of eggs that were infertile and failed to hatch. They abandoned the nest today.

 

[laughingdog]

she probly wont sit on the nest firm until the second egg is laid. she can raise them alone if you keep her cooped up and she isnt out looking for her mate after the second egg is laid, and you know days to week after second is laid if one or both are fertile. female pigeons can be fertile for months ive heard after seperated from a male, but only had mine lay fertile eggs usually a week after no male around and maybe laid one batch before, but seen and had some lay eggs that were fertile for up to a month after they were seperated and females just laid and incubated right on small grated wire.

on a funny note, i think i found why one of my white racer pairs wouldnt nest.. i seperated what was told and thought were th males and females, only to find one i knew was lead male of my group, courting mating bonding and nesting now in corner, with one i thought after watching was also a young cock probly.. so two hens to one cock in each pen seems to be working out a lot better, but kinda reminds me now of when i had chickens. lol poligidating is seeming to work, now just must resist temptation to not let them keep and hatch chicks i currently cannot keep since getting ready to move again, hopefully to place i can keep a lot more birds better.