PIgeons & Doves

[turkey]

I know Janine has put her Pigeons and Doves together in a loft and had success. I am building an open loft and would like to put my Dove in with my pigeons.

I was thinking I would like to make a nest box with an opening that only my ring neck can fit into. So he can get away, in case the pigeons harass him when I'm not around.

Does anyone know what the measurement of that opening should be? Or have any ideas if that's even going to work?

Julie

[WhiteWingsCa]

Hi Julie

A ringneck could easily fit through a hole 4 x 4". A pigeon would really have to squeeze to get through that.

My "mix" are still all doing fine. It's too funny to see the tiny doves sitting next to the larger pigeons on the roosts.

[turkey]

Janine, do your Doves use a nest box? Someone told me Doves do not like to be in the boxes, they prefer open perches.

I was thinking of using a lattice type nest box, that allows air in the box instead of one that only allows air through the door's opening since we live in sunny hot Florida. My neighbor uses them. Do your Doves like to use a nest box?

Julie

[WhiteWingsCa]

Julie, in our experience, the doves do not like boxes. In fact, they are really crummy nest builders! LOL

We put containers in their cages (before they went into the loft) for nests. Most times, the hen would lay somewhere else. LOL Have one, in fact, that insisted on laying her eggs outside in the aviary. Of course, none of them ever hatched, because she'd laid them on the wire bottom, with no nesting material at all!

When she didn't lay in the aviary, she'd lay on the 2x4 we had in the cage for a roost. Of course, those eggs always rolled off and broke!

[Scuiry]

I would be cautious about putting doves in with pigeons. I think it depends on the size of your loft and whether they can have some privacy and distance from the pigeons. Generally it is not recommended to keep them together but perhaps in a large enough environment they would not be harassed by the pigeons.

I think you use bowls for doves instead of nest boxes.

Daniel

[turkey]

Thanks for the heads up Daniel. A lot of people said don't do it. It's working for Janine but I'm sure her situation is unique. Hopefully mine will be unique too. Dovey loves the pigeons, and he loves watching outdoors. So, I think he'd be happiest out in the aviary.

We'll see how it goes. He's just lonely right now.

Julie