Dead In The Shell.

[Elvan Willgrass]

I have pair of birds that have problems hatching their eggs even when I float them. Some times one hatches and I find the other one perfectly formed but dead in the shell. As far as fitness both are winners this year at the distance one over 600 miles. Other birds in the loft are no problem in this respect. Can anyone please give me some advice.

[Guest IB]

As you have no similar problems with your other pairs I think it's down to pure genetics - 'something' at genetic level is coming together to cause death in the shell. I'd advise splitting them & trying each with different partners.

[DJWa]

I have pair of birds that have problems hatching their eggs even when I float them. Some times one hatches and I find the other one perfectly formed but dead in the shell. As far as fitness both are winners this year at the distance one over 600 miles. Other birds in the loft are no problem in this respect. Can anyone please give me some advice.

 

i would of said samonella but if its been going on far a long time

and your birds are flying well

then it might be that the pair are not suited to each other

[andy Burgess]

As you have no similar problems with your other pairs I think it's down to pure genetics - 'something' at genetic level is coming together to cause death in the shell. I'd advise splitting them & trying each with different partners.

looks like the way to go considering you have floated the eggs and the same occured.you have some young off them ,maybe put the half brother sisters together to try and re-produce ?? jmho.

[Elvan Willgrass]

Thanks for the replies, I realised the potential of these two birds last year as when the got past 400 miles like cream they came to the top so I decided to pair them up this year. The first round one hatched but I did not examine the dud egg as it was the first round this is not unusual. The second round both hatched and then the birds went on round about until the end of the season with performances that exceeded all my expectations so I paired them up to breed late breds and floated the first round with one egg hatching, the second round was also floated and again one hatching the third round the pair sitting them selves and not due to hatch yet so I will have to wait and see. The two birds in question are not in any way related and the cock is 2009 and the hen 2007.

[Guest Owen]

It is possible that both these pigeons carry a negative gene in a recessive form which results in young that are infected by what ever it is. It is not always the case that this only happens where the parents are related. It can happen purely because both parents have inherited something and it is a coincidence that they have been paired together. In cases like this it is usual for a percentage of the young to inherit the bad gene but not all. A normal result would be 50% show the problem, 25% carry the problem and 25% are free of the problem. This kind of thing happens to people as well as animals. If I were you I would split the pair and out-cross with them in future because the last thing you need is to have a problem like that passed on through the generations in a recessive form waiting to show up when you least expect it. I certainly would not inbreed because that could a waste of good birds.

[Guest bigda]

this could be one of 4 things me thinks, 1 your birds are cankered up

2 the shells are to high in calcium and the birds cant hatch.

3 your birds are para carriers.

4 there nest is getting too hot. no air getting about.

[Guest KING BILLY]

THIS PAIR ARE NOT SUITED FOR EACH OTHER BREEDING WEEK YOUNG BIRDS THAT CANT GET OUT THARE SHELL I WOULD SPLIT THE PAIR IT DOSENT ALWAYS WORK POUTING 2 GRAIT DOOS TOGETHER KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE YOUNG BIRDS YOU HAVE BREED OF THEM AND SEE HOW THAY GET ON BEFORE BREEDING OF THEM JUST INCASE YOU END UP WITH MORE PAIRS THE SAME

[just ask me]

are they close to the ground if you have rodents they will move off the eggs too

[terry mccarthy]

split them if 1 of them do it again then i would get rid of would say para carrier or similar

[Elvan Willgrass]

I run a no treatment program and have now for five seasons but if need be I will treat for worms and young bird sickness. I also have a microscope with camera that I have had for fifteen years that I can check them with and I find they always have a low count of both the CC's but I never treat . It was tough at first as the birds did not perform and I would have lost some through it but it was worth it as now treatment is a thing of the past but I still use my microscope on regular basis so it cant be canker as they only have small counts. Rats, I have none in the loft but I do have poison outside and traps inside and outside the lofts plus the lofts have top to bottom open fronts and vented rears. I think as it has been suggested it could be genetic so I will see what happens to the next pair of eggs due to hatch on Thursday and the make up my mind but these two birds really are something.