Why not take the mother bird? (Deuteronomy 22:6–7)--6“If a bird’s nest happens to be before you along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, with the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; 7you shall surely let the mother go, and take the young for yourself, that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.
Deuteronomy 22:6 - 7
ESV - 6 If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. 7 You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long.
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The way that I read the passage, it was not permissible to take eggs that the mother was incubating, but only chicks (that is, "the young") that had already hatched. In my opinion, the restriction against taking the mother in this verse was for the purpose of allowing her to continue to incubate the remaining eggs, and also to be able to continue to breed, whereas the chicks could be taken for whatever purpose or use the finder could make of them.
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