From Egg to Bird

2 days old	6 days old	11 days old (ice pigeon)

Pigeons begin to hatch at around the eighteenth day. The timing varies according to such conditions as much the egg was incubated.

You should NOT help a baby out of an egg. The baby develops the muscles in his neck, legs, and body as he pushes out of the egg. This may take 24-36 hours or longer from the initial pip until the baby is out. If you interfere with the egg, you will most likely cause the baby to bleed to death. There are many tiny blood vessels lining the egg. Breaking these will kill the bird. If you allow the bird enough time, the blood vessels will dry and the bird can hatch. The baby depends on nutrients available from the yolk; these are absorbed into the baby's belly.

It's important to not move the egg during the few days before the bird hatches. The baby will orient himself inside the egg so that his head is at the larger end of the egg near the air sac. The baby pips his way through the shell using the edge of his beak. Once a hole is made, the baby needs to rest for several hours and acclimate his lungs to the outside air. The baby should not be disturbed during these critical phases.

The baby will turn inside the egg and continue to struggle until he's out of the shell. He will be wet and exhausted and will usually lie still. After some time he will begin to perk up.

It's crucial that the mother keep him warm for the next couple of weeks. She will provide crop milk for him. In ideal conditions, both parents participate in feeding and caring for the babies. The parents' bodies produce crop milk of the right consistency timed to coincide with the birth of the hatchlings. After about a week, seed is regurgitated along with the crop milk. It's important that both parents have access to nutritious food, plenty of fresh water, and grit to aid in digestion. Below, Samson, the proud father, keeps his two-day-old baby warm.

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