Ask Lafeber

When is it too late to remove diamond dove eggs?

I have two diamond doves; a male and a female. I don’t want more of them to preserve the ideal conditions they already have, but I am worried about taking eggs away. I have read that it can take only twelve days for these to hatch, so when would it be ethically okay to take the eggs away and chill them? I don’t want to kill a feeling creature and wonder when the egg is simply undeveloped cells, and what day it starts to be sentient?

Hi,

It takes at least 48 hours for the egg to even begin any development, and this is only if the egg is fertile and if it has been kept warm, around the clock, for 48 hours. If you don’t want them to breed, they should not have a nest. Any eggs should be discarded as soon as you fine them. Without a proper nest, the eggs can’t be kept warm enough. If the eggs are on a wire cage floor, no amount of sitting will keep them warm enough to grow because air flows from underneath the eggs.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda