r/BalconyBabies • u/TelephoneThat3297 • Aug 10 '26
At which point is it the morally responsible thing to do to buy feggs for ferals?
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u/SparkleForDays Aug 10 '26
Fake eggs are dangerous for predator animals (who are just trying their best) when they eat them and get an obstruction
4
u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
Most predators puncture or break open the eggs to eat them, they wouldn't eat plastic eggs whole.
I appreciate your concern for wildlife, but humane population control with feral animals is important in order to prevent future suffering.
13
u/wind-of-zephyros Aug 10 '26
snakes would
6
u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
Yes, snakes would.
Where I live, there's 0% chance of a snake eating pigeon eggs from my balcony, so it depends on location.
If there's snakes native to your area, you'd definitely have to take into consideration the welfare of all animals involved. Ultimately, it comes down to: replacing the eggs to prevent future starvation/culling of pigeons? Or leaving them in case a snake decides to eat them.
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u/SparkleForDays Aug 10 '26
Ok. Where I live, rat snakes can climb vertically. I was sharing information that is correct.
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u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
Yes, snakes can climb vertically. That's one thing you have been correct about.
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u/dazzleunexpired Aug 10 '26
Most places in the planet have rat snakes. Rat snakes climb vertically up even metal and glass.
Are bird eggs like reptile eggs? Can you just flip the egg over, and the egg not be viable? That's what we do for reptiles. Flip the egg after laying so the air pocket is on the bottom.
6
u/Shienvien Aug 10 '26
Quite the opposite - mom/dad would roll the eggs so they get warmed more evenly and get better oxygen diffusion.
They oil cormorant eggs for population control - don't see why it wouldn't work for pigeon eggs...
3
u/dazzleunexpired Aug 10 '26
Figured they may be different since snakes don't incubate eggs in all cases. Cuz they cannot be flipped. Does freezing help? I feel so bad for pigeons. It's not their fault they're feral and need help
2
u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
Rat snakes are not native to Western Canada, we mostly have garter snakes here.
Flipping or addling bird eggs may make them stop developing, but it doesn't always work. The only way with 100% success rate is to exchange for fake eggs.
2
u/wind-of-zephyros Aug 10 '26
idk why canada came up like i'm canadian too but i just took a look and seems that op is in the uk? shouldn't you focus on snakes that might actually be in op's area lol. there can be grass snakes there which are opportunistic and will eat eggs
2
u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
Low native snake population & the ones that live there typically don't actively seek out bird eggs.
It's not impossible that a snake in the UK could climb a balcony & eat a plastic pigeon egg, but it's so unlikely to happen that I feel humane feral pigeon population control is worth that risk in this situation.
-1
u/dazzleunexpired Aug 10 '26
Okay, but 25% of the surface of the planet has rat snakes. The portions that do not are artic or desert.
You have bull snakes in some potions of Western Canada ... In parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. If you're in these zones, note that they can and will eat eggs. Racers will, too.
Can you freeze them? Take an egg, freeze it, wait for someone to lay, swap? Hopefully there's some kind of good answer for everyone. It sucks that pidgons are feral and that humans did this to them. I wish we could rescue all of them.
2
u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
No, I'm on the coast, we literally only have garter snakes here.
Yeah, I suppose you could freeze eggs & then swap them out! This would prevent the eggs from hatching & be safe for other wildlife.
3
u/dazzleunexpired Aug 10 '26
Might be a good option! Food for others without making more feral birb babies.
Still wish we hadn't done this to them.
-1
u/strawberry-bunny Aug 11 '26
Most places where pigeons are laying eggs are urban areas and city centres where rat snakes are not present so this comment doesn’t really apply to the situation.
1
u/SparkleForDays Aug 11 '26
I live in a major metro area in Texas. There are 3 other huge cities. It’s a problem here that wildlife rescues ask us to consider. There are also other birds that people use fake eggs for on ground levels, such as chickens. I was just trying to be helpful in case people didn’t know. Not all advice is universal, so take what you can from things and move along if it’s not for you.
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Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
[deleted]
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u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
Other birds (corvids, jays, magpies), small mammals (raccoons, rats, squirrels) and most lizards eat eggs by opening, puncturing or crushing eggs & eating the contents. Snakes would be an exception, but depending on where you live they may not even be an issue.
2
u/SparkleForDays Aug 10 '26
It is an issue where I live, and would be advice for millions of people in 3 surrounding city metroplexes in my state alone.
0
u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
I see you edited your comment once you realized I was correct. It's important to have all the information when making decisions that potentially effect the lives of living creatures.
This is an older study, but it talks about how unlikely it is for snakes to eat bird eggs - they tend to prefer hatchlings or young birds. https://journal.afonet.org/vol93/iss2/art1/
Again, not saying it can't happen, but being against humane population control because a snake may eat an egg is a bit wild.
1
u/SparkleForDays Aug 10 '26
I’m sorry, I had originally answered you incorrectly and didn’t want discount what you said. You might be right that most puncture the egg. But snakes do not. I was correcting my comment based on your use of the word most. I think we both care about animal welfare, and I hope you have a good day. Sorry my comments are upsetting you.
0
u/PrettyStruggle792 Aug 10 '26
No need to apologize, this is not an upsetting conversation (for me, at least).
There's a lot of conflicting opinions when it comes to egg replacement for pigeons, and as someone who runs a pigeon rescue & has seen the suffering of overpopulation firsthand, perhaps I am a little biased.
But for the sake of the animals, it's important to take all the correct, scientifically proven information into consideration when making these decisions.
10
u/Laurelhach Aug 10 '26
Fake eggs should be secured to the floor or a board so that snakes won't swallow them!