Sad News

I have some very disheartening news regarding the baby pigeon chick.

Yesterday I went out in the afternoon like I always do to feed and water. One of the first stops were the pigeons. I said "Hey Mama and Daddy...how is your baby?"

After sitting and watching for a few minutes she got up to eat, and there was no baby. :(

The other egg was still there, but no baby.

I looked and looked all around their pen. The bars are too close together for any of the chickens to poke their head in and take the baby.

The whole time I am like no no no...because I knew what had happened. I didnt have to see it happen to know.

There was a small space dug out on the side under the bars in the dirt.

The baby somehow must have gotten out of the nest and over towards this space that was dug out on an earlier occasion. My guess being the pigeons dropping seed and the chickens pulling it out from underneath the bars.

That is the bad thing about chickens. They can be very cannaballistic. Just as they eat those mice...I believe they ate the pigeon chick. They had to, it was just....gone.

I have blocked it up all the way around their pen now. No more chicken beaks digging around the outside of their pen. I know it is too late now, but I hope they will try again with success.

Mama was still sitting on the remaining egg. I candled it and it was not fertile, no baby in that one.

I am so sad that this happened. It was preventable and I totally blame myself. I should have thought about this.

It won't ever happen again, that I can promise. I will make sure of it. I am thinking of making them a whole new enclosure, yes, I think that would be wise.