[jasi7376]

I'm doing research on ringneck doves, I will be getting two indoor male ringneck doves and I need help on what cage would be suitable for them. Would a cage for parrots be suitable? I heard that some people use dog crates for there pigeons, can you use dog crates for doves as well? Would it be ok for the cage to be put on the ground if I were to get a tall cage? I've seen people use stuffed animals in their pigeon's and doves cages should I use one as well? Will doves play with parrot toys? I heard some sources saying no and others saying that they will. If they do what type of toys should I use? For food bowls I heard doves like brightly colored food and water bowls. All of the colored bowls are plastic and plastic water bowls can build up bacteria that is bad for them. Should I just use stainless steal water bowls for parrots? What height should I put the food bowl at? Which perches do doves like best? What bedding should I use? I know a lot of bird owners paper towels.

 

[Marina B]

Why two males? They will probably fight. A parrot cage would be fine, the bigger the better. You can line the bottom with a couple of layers of newspaper and just remove the top layer to keep things clean. Also cover a third of the cage with a towel, especially the corner where they will be sleeping. This will provide a bit of shelter and will make them feel safe.

You can put the food and waterbowls on the floor, but not underneath a perch so that no droppings end up in there Plastic is fine to use.

Forget the toys, I don't think doves will play with toys.

 

[jasi7376]

Thank you for the advice.
I thought that it is good to have two doves so that they could preen each other and keep each other company. Also i'm not going to be home the whole day and probably only be able to take them out for 4 hours a day. I don't want to have eggs so males are the best option for me.
I have another question if you don't mind, is it okay to use fake plants in the cage? Do you think if I did that the doves would like them?

 

[Marina B]

Rather get 2 females, they will get along easier than 2 males. They will then lay 4 eggs, but the eggs won't be fertile. Remember to supply them with regular calcium with added Vit D3 to prevent them getting eggbound.

Don't bother with fake plants. You can get a spinach plant growing in a pot and put this inside the cage. Doves and pigeons like some greenery as well. If they eat too much spinach, you can just remove the pot from time to time.

 

[jasi7376]

Thank you for your advice
Is suppling them with calcium grit enough, or should I use other calcium sources? If so, what type of calcium source?

 

[Marina B]

You can get liquid calcium with added Vit D3 to add to the drinking water once or twice a week. The D3 is very important, as this helps the body to absorb the calcium.

 

[catsnbirds]

My doves like this type of toy with the bells on the bottom. It's a parakeet toy. Their cage is a tall cat playpen that I got about 15 years ago for $99. They also like to sit on shelves. I use painters tape to tape newspaper over the shelves because they seem to like the solid shelves and it's very easy to clean that way. I tape the paper underneath the shelf part so they can't pick at it. I hung small rope, sisal, and shredded paper toys from the ceiling of the cage above and to one side of the shelves because they seem to like having a "curtain" to sit by when they're on the shelves. You can see one in the upper left of the picture.
On the right side of the picture, you can see a stainless steel bowl. That's a medium-sized bowl for dog crates, and I put shredded paper in it. The female always sleeps in there. Sometimes, the male will sit in there with her, too.
I use newspaper on the bottom and unscented paper pellets that I scoop with a cat litter scoop every day. That's only because the big poops on the bottom were gross. The birds like to peck around on the bottom of the cage, so I think it's a little cleaner for them.
For their dishes, I got medium-size hooded bird dishes so the seeds stay in the dish when they poke around for food. Don't get really deep dishes, because a dove can stick its head really far down and then get stuck. This actually happened to one of my doves, so I use hooded dishes that are about 2 inches deep.
I make my own seed combination from seed I buy online because I didn't like the commercially available dove food in the pet stores. The company is Island Treat, if you're in the US. I use Nature's Garden small, and Fruit and Nut medium and small. I also shred carrots and dice an apple slice very small and give that to them with defrosted peas. Sometimes, I shred broccoli tops and give them that, too.
You can't house two males together because they will fight. It doesn't matter if they're from the same family or not. Two females are better, or a male and female pair. They'll mate, but I discard the eggs. If you don't, you'll have dozens of doves in a couple years. A pair of females will also lay eggs, but they're infertile and you have to discard them, too, as Marina said.
I got my doves as adults and have had them for 16 years. I hope this info is helpful to you.

 

[catsnbirds]

My doves like this type of toy with the bells on the bottom. It's a parakeet toy. Their cage is a tall cat playpen that I got about 15 years ago for $99. They also like to sit on shelves. I use painters tape to tape newspaper over the shelves because they seem to like the solid shelves and it's very easy to clean that way. I tape the paper underneath the shelf part so they can't pick at it. I hung small rope, sisal, and shredded paper toys from the ceiling of the cage above and to one side of the shelves because they seem to like having a "curtain" to sit by when they're on the shelves. You can see one in the upper left of the picture.
On the right side of the picture, you can see a stainless steel bowl. That's a medium-sized bowl for dog crates, and I put shredded paper in it. The female always sleeps in there. Sometimes, the male will sit in there with her, too.
I use newspaper on the bottom and unscented paper pellets that I scoop with a cat litter scoop every day. That's only because the big poops on the bottom were gross. The birds like to peck around on the bottom of the cage, so I think it's a little cleaner for them.
For their dishes, I got medium-size hooded bird dishes so the seeds stay in the dish when they poke around for food. Don't get really deep dishes, because a dove can stick its head really far down and then get stuck. This actually happened to one of my doves, so I use hooded dishes that are about 2 inches deep.
I make my own seed combination from seed I buy online because I didn't like the commercially available dove food in the pet stores. The company is Island Treat, if you're in the US. I use Nature's Garden small, and Fruit and Nut medium and small. I also shred carrots and dice an apple slice very small and give that to them with defrosted peas. Sometimes, I shred broccoli tops and give them that, too.
You can't house two males together because they will fight. It doesn't matter if they're from the same family or not. Two females are better, or a male and female pair. They'll mate, but I discard the eggs. If you don't, you'll have dozens of doves in a couple years. A pair of females will also lay eggs, but they're infertile and you have to discard them, too, as Marina said.
I got my doves as adults and have had them for 16 years. I hope this info is helpful to you. View attachment 96953

Also, they really love to bathe, so I have a ferret litter box that I put about 1 inch of water in so they can splash around.

 

[jasi7376]

Thank you, if you don't mind I have a few more questions. Where should I get the liquid calcium with added Vit D3 from? What nest should I get for the two doves? What height should the nest be at?
The cage I'm planning to get my doves has the inside dimensions of 30inches long by 20inches wide by 40inches tall.
Is this a big enough cage for two doves?
Would this be a good option for a no mess feeder? https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Foraging-Systems-Corral-Cleaner/dp/B00AOJM6MM/ref=sr_1_55
How many platform vs natural wood perches should I use?
My cage is not in the sun, but I will let them bask in the sun when they are out. Is it better just to get an avian sun light?
What should their night look like? Should I cover their cage with a blanket or use a nightlight?

Sorry for all the questions, I just want to be as prepared as possible.
Thankyou in advance

 

[jasi7376]

Do female doves play with toys, or just male doves?

 

[catsnbirds]

Both the male and female like the bell on the plastic ring chain. That's the only you they've played with, but they really do like it. I've never used liquid calcium, but I scatter a cap full of this on the bottom of their cage every couple of days so they can peck at it. It's a natural behavior, and it keeps them occupied for a while.
Their nest is at the top corner of their cage. I let them out every day so they can fly. You'll see there's a newspaper on the top of their cage. That's to catch the poop! Makes cleaning much easier. Also, there's a variety of perches in the cage so they can "exercise" their feet. It seems to me that they shouldn't always be grasping on the same size perch. Also, rope perches are good because they're a little softer than wood. And one of the perches is natural wood. I got them all at Pet stores or online. In nature, birds sit on different size branches, so that's why I use a variety of perches for them. Also, if you notice, the tan bird on the top right has been plucked. That's because he spent the first year or more of his life in a small cage with his father and mother--with the previous owners, not me. The father did that to him. I asked the previous owner for him and his two sisters to get him out of there!

 

[catsnbirds]

Also, I don't cover their cage at night because they're in a little bird room, but it's a good idea to cover it if their cage is in a common room in your home, so they feel sheltered at night. I use an avian light in their bird room so they get the proper spectrum of light they need. They like to bask in front of it--on top of their cage, and thus the newspaper on top of their cage. I wrap a couple of large stones in newspaper and use them to hold down the paper on top of their cage. They perch on the stones, and the newspaper keeps the stones clean. I also lay newspaper on the floor around their cage and hold it down with newspaper covered bricks. Again, makes cleanup so much easier when they're out of their cage. They are little poop machines!
The perches are in front of their food and water dishes, which are mid-height in the cage, and a rope perch near the top. I try to have as much open space as possible so they can flap their wings and "fly" from one perch to another. Here is a recent picture of the cage. The previous one was from a couple years ago, before the sister died. The white bird is the mom, and she's around 20 years old. Her son is around 17 years old.

 

[Colombina]

Hi! Just a few additional advices 😊.

You could regularly give to your doves a complete vitamin supplement (vitamins - amino acids and trace elements), just to get you an idea I use this one:

https://www.versele-laga.com/en/fr/oropharma/products/oropharma-omnivit

I'm used to mix to it a water soluble calcium supplement. I use this one:

https://www.versele-laga.com/en/de/oropharma/products/oropharma-calcilux

Just follow the directions for use.

You could also leave available in a separate bowl from food crumbled picking blocks. They are good sources of calcium. Depending on what you buy they could also contain other ingredients like insoluble grit, anise, clay, minerals, etc. Some birds love pecking directly at them. If you decide to buy one, I will explain everything.

I discovered that doves love hanging baskets. You could buy a small wicker basket and hang it to the curtain rail (you could use twine or wool, etc). You will see, they will spend their outside cage time there!

My birds don't eat fruits or vegetables (I tried but they just ignored them...). I know it's not the same thing but you could add to the pigeon/dove mixtures (I'm used to buy different brands and mix them each other) and to the dried legumes (like mung beans, small lentils) a mixture for canary containing dehydrated fruits. All my birds love it!

Once my brother bought a fake bonsai tree to my broken wing pigeon Apple.. She hated it and we had to bring it back to the shop!

Keep us updated!

 

[jasi7376]

Thank you so much for all the help.
Would this supplement work?
Is there anything I could do to entertain the birds when I'm not home? I found out some options such as leaving the tv or radio on but I can't do that. Please tell me if anyone has any suggestions. I'm planning on using a swing and a few toys is that enough? Anyway all the advise so far has been super helpful. Thank you.

 

[Colombina]

That supplement seems a good source of calcium; it also contains vit D3 (which is very important because it is needed to absorb the calcium) and magnesium.
However I personally prefer to give to my birds a wide range of vitamins, minerals and amino acids other than calcium and vit D3. A complete and balanced supplement could prevent deficiencies and problems.
Just to get you an idea this is the composition of my supplement:

vitamin A 3025000 IU, vitamin D3 220000 IU, vitamin E 7700 mg, vitamin K3 660 mg, vitamin B1 880 mg, vitamin B2 3520 mg, calcium D-pantothenate 2420 mg, vitamin B6 1320 mg, vitamin B12 5.5 mg, vitamin C 13200 mg, niacin 17600 mg, folic acid 330 mg, biotin 33 mg, 3.2.3. L-lysine 15000 mg, 3c301 DL-methionine 20000 mg, E1 (iron) 2500 mg, E4 (copper) 500 mg, E5 (manganese) 4960 mg, 3b605 (zinc) 4480 mg, 3b202 (iodine) 100 mg, 3b8.11 (selenium) 20 mg

Of course, that's my own opinion 😊.

I have never seen doves playing with toys. I noticed that they often pull with the beak my small brush (I have a small dustpan and brush set), probably they would love to detach its bristles and use them for the nest 😉.
If you could find a safe toy with "elements" that they could pull with the beak, they could maybe enjoy it. Just an idea...

 

[jasi7376]

Would a cage 31" by 20" by 40" be enough for the two doves?

 

[Colombina]

You can find many suggestions and recommendations about cages here:

How to Choose a Cage for Pigeons or Doves -

If I had my way, there would be no pet pigeons or doves. They would all be wild and free. I don’t believe that birds should be domesticated, bred and used by people for any reason. But, because people do … Continue reading →

www.pigeonrescue.org

I'm going to copy a passage from the article:

"The bigger the cage the better and length or width are more important than height (pigeons and doves don’t climb like parrots). We recommend a minimum cage size of 42″ wide, 27″ deep, 30″ high for one or two (mated) pigeons and 32″ wide, 32″ high and 21″ deep for one or two doves.

In the same website you could also find info about doves.

As I talked about that in my previous post, I attach a pic of my bird playing with the brush 😁.

 

[jasi7376]

Thank you for the article.
Since doves should have paper bedding, will they step in their own poop, and if they do what can I do to prevent them stepping in the poop. I am out of the house for about seven hours a day, during that time I wont be able to change out the paper. Is this a problem?

 

[Colombina]

You're welcome.

I'm used to change out the paper twice a day (in the morning and before dinner).
I do extra change when they take a bath (because they splash water everywhere). You could put paper towel or a puppy pad trainer under the water bowl, at least it will absorb water and will keep the cage "dry" (if they take a bath when you are outside home).

 

[Louis kinson]

how can I tell witch one is male or female for my ringneck doves