Help wanted on bringing up baby

[Jo_Isaac]

Have just weighed him again - he now weights 100gms so has put on 10gms at least, which is good isn't it.

Jo

[cyro51]

WELL DONE !!!!

Cynthia

[AliBlack]

Hi! He sounds like a collared dove. I send off to Northern Parrots in the UK for for Kaytee Exact as no petshops near me (I'm in Devon UK) sell it, they have a website.www.24Parrot.com
I also use Tropican hand rearing formula, which I have only seen at Southern Aviaries, (they have a webiste too) Tiggywinkles recommend it for pigeons/doves. Not to be confused with a different type of Tropican for birds which is granules I think which a lot of places sell! The one I use is a yellow powder.

Alison

[cyro51]

Hi Jo,

John showed me the photo you sent, it is definitely not a wood pigeon and its colouring looks too rich for a collared dove although I suppose that could be the lighting. I started looking for photos of a turtle dove to compare, but couldn't find anything. I even started wondering whether it could be a feral after all but I don't think so. Fortunately we can discount stock dove! I still think collared dove, but it seemed to have some white in it on the photograph....Is it shades of brown or does it have colour variations?

I will ask Ali's opinion.

Cynthia

[cyro51]

I sent the photo to Ali and she said:

Hi Cynthia, I think a Woodie, but not sure because of it being blurry! I wonder if she can send a clearer pic, so we can see for sure if the white wing stripes are there and dark beak, and dusky pink breast. Will look at pigeons.com if I get the chance later.

Alison sees hundreds more woodies than I do!

Cynthia

[Jo_Isaac]

This is the clearer photo I sent to John today. It's a lot better as it was taken outdoors.

[AliBlack]

Hi Jo, is that a white stripe at the bottom of the wing in the pic, or just grey? If there's no white stripe it's a collared dove, if that is a white stripe it's a woodpigeon. The crop/breast area doesn't have pinkish feathers does it? Is it just pink skin on the crop I can see, with grey feathers?
How much are you giving each feed, how many times a day? Sorry I haven't read all the posts in this thread!
I've raised several baby woodies but not many doves, I can send you woodie pics privately if you like; Alison@vermifex.clara.co.uk

[cyro51]

Jo is off to Cyprus this weekend so she handed the dove over to John who brought her up to me. She has definitely been identified as a collared dove now and has already grown a collar!

She is currently in my bedroom with Muppet (another collared dove), Woody (wood pigeon) and Gonzo (feral pigeon).

I have ordered a small aviary which I hope to use as a release aviary for "wild" birds and I hope to be able to acclimatise the doves and wood pigeons in that, at the same time they will be able to watch and learn from the wild ones that visit the garden all day long and hopefully join them eventually.

Jo's dove is such a Poppet that that is what I have decided to call him/her.

Cynthia