Pigeon stays kneeled down

Hello, I really need some advice on my pigeon's behavior:

When I came down to check up on my pigeon, I saw her sitting on the egg she just laid. Since yesterday she has been on a 'kneeled down' position, basically sitting all day. I already took the egg out of the cage by the way. (She also laid one just last month and a few times before and this has never happened)

She isn't showing any signs of not feeling well to me but she does have larger droppings. She eats normally and normal speed but the thing is; if the food isn't near where she is sitting, she doesn't eat. It's like she can't get up! I am concerned because it's the first time I see this....

I don't know whether she is having digestive issues but I don't think so because I see her droppings. Could it be that she is going to lay another one? By the way, is there something that triggers egg laying all of a sudden? I just don't want this beauty to go through all this....Here is a picture of the way she is right now:
(Don't mind the bread)

Hi Pigy,

Pigeons lay eggs in pairs, the second one being laid 2 days after the first. The best thing to do when removing the eggs is to give them plastic/wooden eggs to sit on, otherwise that will trigger another cycle of laying straight away.
When that happens a few times, or when they don't have enough grit or a balanced diet, they will have lack of calcium in their body and become unable to stand. This is because the calcium needed to make the egg shell is being taken out of their muscles. It is a very painful condition, and it can lead to the egg getting stuck inside the hen, a condition called 'egg binding', which can be fatal.

You will need a compound of Calcium+Vitamin D3, specially formulated for birds, like Calcivet. Jedds stock it, I believe. It would be a great idea to get some fake eggs too!
Keep us posted!

Thank you for the reply, that's exactly what happened! There was another egg just yesterday.... Today, I took her outside and let him get some fresh air. Although she has large droppings, she eats and seems fine.
Could "Calcivet" also be available at Petco by any chance? Also what kind of home food can I feed her? Would peas or corn be ok? She almost always eats bread....

pigy wrote:

Thank you for the reply, that's exactly what happened! There was another egg just yesterday.... Today, I took her outside and let him get some fresh air. Although she has large droppings, she eats and seems fine.

Large droppings are normal when a hen is sitting on eggs, as they spend a long time in the nest -- and when they 'go', it's a big one and can be smelly.

Quote :

Could "Calcivet" also be available at Petco by any chance?

I'm not sure about suppliers in the US, but perhaps you could phone them and ask what they have with Calcium+Vitamin D3. Those are the essential ingredients, both of them taken together, but some products are fancier and may include magnesium and other supplements.[/quote]

Quote :

Also what kind of home food can I feed her? Would peas or corn be ok? She almost always eats bread....

Peas and corn are very good for them, so long as they are not canned, as these have chemicals that pigeons don't tolerate well.
I give mine a pigeon seed mix, and once a week they get fresh veg: defrosted frozen peas and sweetcorn, shredded lettuce or spinach, and shredded carrot. If you intend to change her diet, it's best to replace the bread gradually to avoid stomach upsets caused by a sudden change of diet.
Your pigeon will also need red grit and oyster shell. Most pet shops have those -- if they don't have them for pigeons, the chicken ones will do fine. The grit and oyster shell should be offered in a separate dish, not with the food.

Hope that helps.

also remember, and this is from a Pet Pigeon manual I just read recently. It says that a Pigeon laying an egg will appear to be in pain or dying this is completely normal. If you have the spare time I recommend reading Pigeons by Matthew Vriends. It explains this behavior, what to feed them. I found the book to be very informative!

Eeek, looking like dying doesn't seem normal to me!!! We have to monitor some hens carefully when it's egg laying time, especially if they've been egg-bound before, or had a history of previous illness, injuries or problems absorbing calcium.
Although the Vriends & Erskine book is undoubtedly a good one to consult on general issues, the section on illness is quite limited, and the authors aren't as precious about the worth of a pigeon's life as we are here.
Whilst egg laying in itself usually goes on without problems, there is the odd case where immediate intervention by the carer or a vet is needed, especially if we suspect that the hen is egg bound. And there are some first aid procedures that can make the difference between life and death.

Two of my hens were recently in a life-threatening situation because of laying-related problems, and one of them is still very ill. I'm posting the links to those threads.

Piper had trouble laying a badly positioned egg:
http://www.pigeonangels.com/t2934-piper-in-egg-binding-emergency

And Halo had been rescued with unsuspected internal injuries that caused egg retention:
http://www.pigeonangels.com/t2556p75-halo-has-a-broken-leg (you'll need to scroll about 3/4 down the page, to the 24th August post).
Warning: the photos on page 8 are GRAPHIC!