breeding pigeon eggs

Question
QUESTION: We have eight pair of breeders.  We found a damaged egg in three different nests.   In one case, the damaged egg was the only egg.  The other two nests, each had two eggs, with one damaged.  The egg looked as if it had been squashed, or partially smashed.  It looked caved in.  We removed those from the nest.  Additionally, we have another next with an egg that appears to have a pin sized hole in the end.  Otherwise, it looks normal.  We left that in the nest.  Why and what causes the damage to the eggs?  Should we have removed them?  Is this normal.  We are just beginning to build our racing pigeon loft.
Thank you.

ANSWER: It's hard to say for sure, but my first guess is that your loft is too crowded and they are fighting too much.  If they spend all of their time defending the nest, it's too crowded.  This leads to brawls within the nest and broken eggs.

Dave

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Each pair is in their own standard nesting box purchased from bird company.  They are about 24+14+14 inches.  Do mated pairs fight?

Answer
No, the mated pairs won't fight, but the cock birds spend a LOT of time fighting over territory.  Depending on your setup, ie, nest boxes too close together, they will take the fight inside the nest boxes.

It also depends on the breed you have.  Modenas for example are notorious for fighting non-stop.