Question:
I have had a male white ringneck dove for a year. Two
months ago I acquired a white female. She has laid several eggs since
we've had her. The two she laid a week and a half ago are fertile and the
two she laid about 5 days ago seem to be fertile also. (I see veins in
the eggs while looking against a light). Is it ok to leave all four eggs
to hatch all at once? Or should I remove the most recent two? We keep the
two in separate cages most of the time, but we let them out for several
hours during the day for exercise.
The male can be very harsh to her sometimes (that's why I keep them
separate) but they managed to mate several times (obviously). I don't know
what kind of parent he would be so I don't think he would help her with
the babies.
Replies:
We do not have thisexpertise. However, you should not expect all the eggs
to survive. I would trust the female' instincts with hatching and
rearing. There are pamphlets on this subject, and I have seen them in our
local pet shop.
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.
