hmm. not sure usually a bird will abandon an egg if it gets to cold, there is something wrong with the egg or they think there is, if they think it is unfertile or it starts to smell. sometimes they do it if we mess to much with them or out of jealousy cause they want the attention on them not the egg(kinda a protection thing), there is actualy many reasons but i personally would trust mother nature and think something was wrong with the egg or baby usually that is why.
tiels r a little different though they have nest boxes not actual nests and they need more privacy so i don't mess with them cause they bite and hard,lol. i have had mom's that totally trusted me like my lady bird. she was a pearl pied lutino tiel. she from first hatch always loved to show her babies off to me, she was a spoiled momma's girl who did everything out of her cage with me. she would allow me to check the babies with her on the nest and just smile away but if her mate was close she would chase him out the box shoveing him with her chest and stand guard at the door. she would guard me from him or he'd attack me. i was the only one in the house that could open her nest box at any time and see or touch those babies but anyone else she attacked and i was the only one she guarded him from. mike was allowed to peak in but only if i pened the nest box up and she saw me first or she would hiss and try to bite. so u never know sometimes it depends on each pair as well or how attached they r to their people. breeders i have now they'd rip my hand off just thinking about it, lol. because i'm not their origional breeder or owner so they r not used to me.
with dove's i do not know if human scent matters or not with tiels it depends on the pairs individually, who they trust more than scent. i'm wondering if it is do to u being new owner to them mabe old owner never touched the nest to clean it or perhaps ur hands smelled of some of the other birds ? that is possible too.
i have been wondering this same issue with my pigeons as well. they r takeing turn in nest and also mateing alot. mike says to leave them alone and let them nest but i want to hold them everyday to have them hand tamed. he said to keep the human scent from them and i said well that's fine but whos gonna clean the poop? i heard the poop on the eggs can make them infertile so i'm confused too. i put alfa alfa hay in tonight wth them so they can use it for nesting and i gave them seeds and sand/grit so i hope that helps too and is ok. oh and i heard if they r not fertile for pigeon eggs in a few days they r kinda weird looking and off color. that if they r fertile they stay nice cream color and perfect shappen? i was wondering if that was a better way to tell and we should both leave nests alone??
