Old age in Ring-Neck Doves

[Corrin]

Im back with another puzzling question. This is a bit of a long one. Ive had my female for a while now (less than a year though), i got her from a breeder who said she was around 2 years old. She was previously with a different male and has experienced with raising squabs. She has already had a successful clutch with my male, but ever sense then she has been laying eggs that are caved in. She gets lot of calcium, egg food, and vitamins in the water. Shes sitting on two right now, one caved in and one not. I had someone walk me through an egg repair but thats a different subject. Anyways, i posted it on a fb dove group and someone said they have seen this in senior hens. It got me thinking, she makes a lot of whining noises. When she is preening, pooping, and egg laying she makes these whining noises. She also poops very large, much larger than my male. Im trying to figure out if i was given a senior female and was told she was young. Could anyone with extensive dove experience help me out?

 

[expressmailtome]

@Birdbabe may be able to help you.

 

[Zara]

@Sodapop&Co. @fashionfobie

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

That is very strange. I'm sorry, I've never heard of anything like this before. Might be best to check with a vet. Could you share some pictures maybe? I'm very curious as to what a caved in egg would look like.

 

[fashionfobie]

I agree that a vet visit will be required. Larger than normal poops are always something to take seriously...especially if she is also laying malformed eggs. It can be a sign of trauma in her reproductive tract. Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[Birdbabe]

She could be " senior".. caved eggs are a calcium deficiency,,no matter the age of the hen, liquid calcium, cuttlebone, calcium rich foods are good, but will not guarantee the eggs be nicely formed and have a good shell. When the hen is calcium deficient, no matter what you do, the body will take it from the bones, creating a " popcorn " or " sponge " look to the bones, seen through an X Ray, best get looked at by your vet..and maybe some form of birth control?, mate, or not,,females, especially in a warm safe home environment will lay eggs..My old 16 years, Dove, make little whining noises when she preens,, that's just her.. and hens will make those noises when in labor and passing an egg,,as for the poo, they dont dirty theyre" nest",,like pigeons,,which are doves,,they hold it all night and that morning " bomb" will be huge..I would definitely talk to your vet and see if theres any better educated advice..

 

[Corrin]

That is very strange. I'm sorry, I've never heard of anything like this before. Might be best to check with a vet. Could you share some pictures maybe? I'm very curious as to what a caved in egg would look like.

I can totally share a picture of the egg. Ill post it as an attachment.

 

[Corrin]

This is the caved in egg

 

[Corrin]

She could be " senior".. caved eggs are a calcium deficiency,,no matter the age of the hen, liquid calcium, cuttlebone, calcium rich foods are good, but will not guarantee the eggs be nicely formed and have a good shell. When the hen is calcium deficient, no matter what you do, the body will take it from the bones, creating a " popcorn " or " sponge " look to the bones, seen through an X Ray, best get looked at by your vet..and maybe some form of birth control?, mate, or not,,females, especially in a warm safe home environment will lay eggs..My old 16 years, Dove, make little whining noises when she preens,, that's just her.. and hens will make those noises when in labor and passing an egg,,as for the poo, they dont dirty theyre" nest",,like pigeons,,which are doves,,they hold it all night and that morning " bomb" will be huge..I would definitely talk to your vet and see if theres any better educated advice..

i dont feel as if she needs any birth control. She has laid a normal amount of eggs in the time she has been with me. The best way to give them a break from laying is to breed. After breeding hens dont lay eggs until the squabs are 5 weeks old. Thats an almost 7 week break compared to the ever two weeks that she would get with swapping eggs for fake ones. The amount of eggs she lays is normal, its the way the eggs look that aren't. What i am confused by is that i give her lots of calcium and this is still happening.

 

[Corrin]

She could be " senior".. caved eggs are a calcium deficiency,,no matter the age of the hen, liquid calcium, cuttlebone, calcium rich foods are good, but will not guarantee the eggs be nicely formed and have a good shell. When the hen is calcium deficient, no matter what you do, the body will take it from the bones, creating a " popcorn " or " sponge " look to the bones, seen through an X Ray, best get looked at by your vet..and maybe some form of birth control?, mate, or not,,females, especially in a warm safe home environment will lay eggs..My old 16 years, Dove, make little whining noises when she preens,, that's just her.. and hens will make those noises when in labor and passing an egg,,as for the poo, they dont dirty theyre" nest",,like pigeons,,which are doves,,they hold it all night and that morning " bomb" will be huge..I would definitely talk to your vet and see if theres any better educated advice..

also, I understand that they dont poop on the nest, but this is happening regardless if she is on the nest or not. It's something i noticed as soon as i got her. Her pooping is abnormally large. I also consulted a gentleman who has been breeding ring-neck doves for 30 years. He says he has never seen his doves poop that large and he says he has never heard those kinds if noises when pooping or preening in his birds, male or female.