Pigeon eggs not hatching is not an uncommon occurrence, it is said that 10–15 percent of nests contain eggs that will never hatch. This is a normal occurrence in the bird kingdom. If you own pigeons and you’re concerned about why this is happening then this article will help you figure that out.

A pigeon’s egg will not hatch if it is unfertilized, an unfertilized egg will never hatch. In this case, there is nothing you can do but allow the male and female to reproduce and create fertilized eggs in future. In addition, eggs may not be hatching because they are dead

Pigeon egg not hatching, why and what to do

Sometimes, a pigeon egg doesn’t hatch, and you wonder why. The reason something of that nature happens is mostly that the egg wasn’t fertilized in the first place.

An unfertilized egg will never hatch, even if it is incubated at the right temperature.

When a female pigeon reaches adulthood and is set to lay eggs, she searches for an adult male pigeon.

If she can’t find one, she makes a nest and lays the eggs. She warms the eggs by sitting on them for the required number of days, but the eggs never hatch. Seeing that the eggs aren’t hatching, she abandons them.

So if the pigeon eggs you found aren’t hatching, it might be that the eggs are dead or unfertilized. There really is nothing you can do to fix things in such a situation.

How do you know if a bird egg is going to hatch?

Bird eggs will only hatch if they are alive or fertile. There are a couple of ways to determine if a bird’s egg will hatch – you can use the candle test.

To perform this test, you have to move into a dark room and hold the egg close to the light – this allows you to see inside the egg.

Check for blood vessels, a dark form, or movements within the egg. If you notice any or all of the mentioned, the egg is alive and will hatch in due time.

You can also feel the egg for warmth – a dead or unfertile egg is usually cold.

What happens if eggs don’t hatch in 21 days?

Bird eggs are supposed to hatch in 21 days. If an egg doesn’t hatch in three weeks, you should give it a few more days before calling it a no-hatch and getting rid of it.

There have been reported cases of eggs hatching on the 25th day, so it’s OK to still keep your hopes up after day 21. If after the 25th day the egg doesn’t hatch, it is likely dead and never going to hatch.

How do you tell if an egg has died?

You can’t know for sure if a bird’s egg is dead or alive by merely looking at it. To find out if an egg still has life in it, you will need to candle it. A flashlight or candle will help you get the job done.

When you candle an egg, it allows you to see how the embryo is developing. The signs that indicate life within an egg are blood vessels, movements, and a dark mass. If you can’t find any of these signs, the egg is dead.

Why do pigeons abandon their eggs?

A mother pigeon knows how long it should take before she starts hearing pipping and movements within her eggs. If she doesn’t hear any, she totally abandons the eggs, as she knows they aren’t going to hatch.

This is the reason why experts always advise that you check for signs of life before placing a pigeon’s egg you found in an incubator.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, eggs may not hatch and will ever hatch because the female chicken did not reproduce with the male chicken before laying the egg. Because of this, the egg she will lay will be unfertilized, alternatively, the egg will not hatch because the egg has died.

A bird egg will definitely hatch if it is alive, you will know if the egg is alive if it’s warm and if it passes the candle test. In the case of the mother, she knows if the egg is dead by listening for any pipping and feeling for movements in the egg.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other pigeon related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Why do pigeons kill their babies? Pigeon not sitting on egg, why and what to do? How long can pigeon eggs survive without incubation? Do pigeons grieve?