Doves?

[Fever]

I wanted to buy some pigeons, but the lady said that I should get some doves instead, because they are better housepets. I looked through some classifieds in my area and found someone selling three doves, but no matter how much I bombard them with questions, they don't want to answer them. I don't think they know very much about them at all. What I'd like to know is, do they make good pets? Are they friendly, easy to handle, and quiet at night? I've been reading about them all day, and I have the facts and the care instructions, but I need some heart information from people who've raised them.

I also have a strange situation where my house is pretty much coated in feral pigeons (because I feed them). I guess if anyone can tell me if the doves would be alarmed or stressed by pigeons peeking in the windows, and if there are potential diseases I should worry about, it would be very helpful. I want to make sure I am getting the right pets. From the sounds of it, the original owner made the mistake of buying them without a clue what they were getting into. I don't want the poor guys to go through that again...

[mr squeaks]

Hi Fever,

We DO have members with Doves. From what I have read, Doves make great house pets.

However, I'm sure those knowledgeable will be along soon to give you their input and insights.

THANKS for doing your homework!

BEST of EVERYTHING!

Shi

[vegeta2802]

I have doves and pigeons in my room and i would have to say pigeon are quiter at night most of the time. The doves are not that bad tho. Both pigeons and dove are about the same win it comes to careing for them. They are both good pet well i think they are.

[TAWhatley]

Doves make very lovely pets. They are much smaller than pigeons and typically much more docile. I don't think you would go wrong with taking in a couple of doves as house pets. Doves usually cannot live in a same enclosure with pigeons as they are that much smaller and likely to be bullied and pecked. If kept as house pets, I think you would be delighted with them.

Terry

[Reti]

Doves make great pets.
I noticed that it is the males that make some noise at night, but not always and mostly in the morning hours. Covering their cage helps some to keep them quiet.

Reti

[stach_n_flash]

I had doves in my room at one point in time but the tend to laugh and coo early in the morning. And always woke my dad up at 5 in the morning. But they made great pets.

[amoonswirl]

Hi Fever,
I have 2 male ringneck doves as pets. They are truly delightful!

Having kept both doves and pigeons indoors, I would say that the doves produce less dander and are therefore slightly cleaner. Their droppings are also smaller and a bit drier - easier to clean up.

But I would recommend a seed-guard for their cage if you get doves. They are very picky eaters and tend to throw seeds everywhere that they don't want to eat.

Males are quite nosiy and will coo pretty much all day long, starting when the sun comes up. So keeping them in a room that's away from your sleeping area is a good idea. Females are supposedly quieter.

As for diseases, I think they are pretty much suceptible to the same things as pigeons, so be careful not to let them have direct exposure to your ferals. My doves are not scared of my pigeons at all. But as others mentioned - keeping the 2 species in the same cage or pen is not a good idea. Doves can get hurt by the pigeons who are larger.

I hope this helps and if I think of anything else I will let you know!

[Fever]

Thanks a lot for all the advise. I'm a little concerned about the noise, because the only room that I can cat-proof is the spare bedroom, which is next door to mine. I'll try out the blanket idea and hope that they don't have inner clocks. But the guy doesn't know the gender of the birds even...

The person I'm talking to about them says he keeps them outdoors and that one is a ringneck. I don't know what that makes the others because he didn't say. Maybe it's one of the different shades of ringneck, or those diamond ones, or white pigeons. I ask for pictures and descriptions, but now I'm just resorting to asking for a time I can go look at them and figure it out myself. I've gotta somehow learn how to tell what gender they are even.

He says he lets them out to fly, so I guess I'm going to have to be a bit concerned about parasites and things already. I'm kind of torn on this now. The three doves and the cage (all he'll say about it is that it's 'huge'... le sigh) are sixty dollars, which is about as much as I can afford right now. I'm wondering if I should hold out till I can find a less sketchy deal. On the other hand though, I feel kind of bad for these mystery birds. I might feel guilty if I left them with this guy. He doesn't know a thing about them, not even what kind of birds they are, apparently.

[amoonswirl]

Originally Posted by Fever

He says he lets them out to fly, so I guess I'm going to have to be a bit concerned about parasites and things already. I'm kind of torn on this now. The three doves and the cage (all he'll say about it is that it's 'huge'... le sigh) are sixty dollars, which is about as much as I can afford right now. I'm wondering if I should hold out till I can find a less sketchy deal. On the other hand though, I feel kind of bad for these mystery birds. I might feel guilty if I left them with this guy. He doesn't know a thing about them, not even what kind of birds they are, apparently.

Yikes - Ringnecks and Diamond Doves should never be let outdoors to fly! They have absolutely no homing instinct or street smarts. Instant meal for any predator who happens by...If you do get ringnecks and want to let them have flight time, make sure you keep them contained in an aviary or else somewhere inside the house. For cage size, a pair can live comfortably in a cockatiel cage so long as they get out for regular exercise. (but of course bigger is better...only make sure the bar spacing is not wide enough for them to get their heads caught in between)

As far as telling gender, it is a bit like pigeons...difficult. When they're comfortable in their surroundings, the males will do a little up-and-down bow, while puffing out their throats and making a loud "coo-coo-coo-roo" sound over and over and stomping their feet. Usually they are bowing toward a mate or other desired female. And both sexes make a "hee-hee-hee" sound too. Sometimes the species is called "Laughing Dove" for that reason. (very cute and endearing as long as you're not trying to sleep, haha)
Here are some other resources for you:
http://dovepage.com/
http://dovepage.com/wwwboard/index.html
http://ringneckdove.com/
http://diamonddove.com/

Best of luck with this situation! I hate seeing situations where someone's just trying to make a buck off of some poor creatures they don't care for properly - I'd feel the same way about wanting to save them from this ignorant guy. Keep us posted!

[mr squeaks]

First time I ever heard a Ringneck "laugh," I simply cracked up! I couldn't believe what I was hearing! They sounded soooo human. They were 'wild' Ringnecks who would eat out of our hands. The loved to go into my friend's planters. She would chase them out and a few minutes later, back they would go!

Then, after a shoo off, one went to the roof and laughed its head off! WHAT A RIOT! The pair LOOKED identical and were just beautiful. Since we saw them mating, we knew one was male and one female!

Do keep us updated, Fever!

I agree, sounds as if those little guys need to be "rescued!"

Hugs

Shi & Squeaks

[Fever]

I kind of feel bad for knocking this person so much, it's a little kid selling the doves. They were given to him a month ago by someone wanting to get rid of them, and he doesn't know how to take care of them. He doesn't know anything about dove types - I think he thought they were all just white. Two of the doves are white (one has some pale brown patches), and the other is a wild type.

Nobody knows the age or sex of these birds, but the kid did tell me that one keeps getting pregnant and laying an egg - from the highest perch in the cage. He told me he tried to build it a nest on the ground so it would stop breaking it's eggs like that, but it hasn't worked.

He also told me that they escaped their cage once, and he thought they were gone forever, but they returned. That's why he lets them out. I still have no intention of letting them fly free outside. If some hawk or cat doesn't catch them, one of my pigeons probably would. I didn't think the doves would be so small!

I am bringing them home with me on Thursday. Hopefully they can keep dodging the predators until then...

[amoonswirl]

Oh gosh - I feel bad now too. Sounds like the kid is trying to do the right thing by selling them to someone who knows how to take care of them.

Glad to hear you'll be taking them home! Would love to see photos sometime if you can post some. I'm sure you will enjoy them very much - they are truly delightful birds.

Shi & Squeaks - you're right, the laughing sound is hysterical! My husband and I crack up every time we hear them doing it.

[Lady Tarheel]

Well, I'm really looking forward to seeing these little guys. The $60 doesn't sound bad at all, to me, considering you're getting 3 birds plus a large cage. Doves are really cute. I have a friend who has about 50-60 in an aviary and when most of them start laughing, I laugh right with them.

[Fever]

I can't wait to hear them laugh! I hope I don't end up with a whole flock, but I am a little bit worried about the egg-laying from heights part. Do most of the same rules apply to pigeons and doves? Can I give them a dummy egg?

Also, I'm going to the bulk barn today to buy them some proper seed. I am ridiculously picky about what my pets eat (ask me how much I spend per week on my cats' all-natural food), and the food the kid is giving me are weird, red pellets. I've got the basics down, even got some bird grit (I'm wondering now if the eggs are really being laid from height, or if the shells just break). Should I get them some safflower seeds? I'm gonna go to the bulk barn and buy them a ton of different things.

[amoonswirl]

Hi Fever,
I feed my doves a mix of wild birdseed that's enhanced with vitamins, and some parakeet-sized pellets & safflower seed mixed in as well. (not too much safflower though - it is high in fat) I had been feeding them a Dove mix made by Kaytee. But there are large peas in that mix which present a choking hazard. I got tired of picking out all of the peas.

On the Dovepage.com message board, there are some excellent threads on feeding and nutrition. I'd highly recommend that you join that forum for specific information about keeping doves. While similar to pigeons in many ways, doves do have some different needs & habits.

As for the eggs - yes, you can give them dummies. They need a nesting box & materials as well. So if there isn't one in the cage, that may be why the female is breaking her eggs. (mine are both males, so i don't know too much about dove eggs. but my boys sometimes enjoy incubating dummy eggs when their parenting instincts kick in)

Best wishes with your new friends - I can't wait to see photos!

Oh - and don't be dismayed if they are quiet for a few weeks while they adjust to their new home. I was worried at first when mine didn't let out a peep, but once they got accustomed to their environment, they perked up and began making lots of beautiful coos & laughs for me