When pigeons start mating, the hen usually lays her first egg eight days later and the second egg two days after the first egg. The first time they lay, it is normal for young hens to lay smaller than average eggs or only one egg in her first clutch.

Pigeons usually lay two purely white eggs in confinement, but never more than two, unless, from the absence of a sufficient number of male birds, two hens pair, make a nest, and lay four eggs, which of course are sterile. Unfertilized eggs, after being sat upon for the usual period are deserted.

The first egg is usually laid in the evening between 5 P.M. and 7 P.M. Because one of the hen’s ovaries never develops, hens can only produce one egg at a time. It takes about two days for the second egg to develop in the ovary after the first is laid and has cleared the oviduct. The second egg is usually laid in the afternoon between 2 P.M. and 3 P.M.

It is suggested that the breeders should take the first laid egg away from the parents and not let them start the incubation process until the second egg is laid. Otherwise, the first laid egg will hatch 36-48 hours earlier than the second. This will cause the first baby to be nearly twice the size of the newly hatched second chick. The parents may choose to neglect the second chick as they may think the survival chance of the first and bigger chick is greater than the younger and weaker chick.

I do not remove the first egg so that both chicks can hatch at the same time. I give my breeders more than enough food to feed their offspring, and I never had any problems with this. I also try not to handle the eggs or disturb the parents during their incubation. The developing embryo is very fragile and just a little shaking can cause its death.