# I have a picky eater ringneck dove



## Siowow (Aug 26, 2016)

Hello Pigeon Friends! I'm a first time owner to a ringneck dove. I've had Deedo for a month and a half now and I STILL feel like I don't know what I'm doing.

I have done so much reading and research on what and how much to feed the dove (my husband calls me a bird nerd). Most tips and advice I got are somewhat generic - "a spoonful twice a day" or "start with 2 tablespoons and measure the leftover," etc. I have tried all these methods and still am not sure if my dove is eating enough... I mean, I time his poop, which occurs every 15 - 20 minutes consistently. Deedo is a picky eater - he leaves most of the white millet, and definitely won't touch any wheat. Now I start his dish with 1 tablespoon of dove mix in the morning, and in the evening I sprinkle about half teaspoon of nyjer seeds across my floor for him to "forage"(which he loves). But by the end of the day there still are a bunch of leftover millet & wheat. He is about 2 months old and weighs 140g. He is very energetic and flies around a lot, but hasn't gained any weight in the past two weeks. Should I be concerned? Is there a more specific guideline for the amount of food to provide? 

Any tips and advice will be greatly appreciated! Thank you so very much!

Here are a couple photos of Deedo!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

What a precious little thing. They all do that, pigeons and doves alike. They are going to pick out their favorite seeds, and leave the ones they don't care for. If he seems healthy and happy, then he is probably getting enough to eat. If he were hungry then he would eat the other seeds. Some would not give fresh seed till he did eat them. I wouldn't do that though. Most of them and pigeons also, don't particularly like wheat. Maybe add some new seeds and he may try them. He looks very healthy and happy. If he is hungry enough, he will eat other things. I really wouldn't worry about him. No one likes _all_ their veggies.


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## Siowow (Aug 26, 2016)

Jay! I just wanted to give you a BIG thank you for all the insight you have shared with everyone here! I really enjoy reading your comments - they are so helpful and soooo honest!  Thank you for taking the time to contribute to every question and discussion!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Thanks. You know, if you are really concerned about it, you could try adding in some good quality pellets and see if he will take some of those. If he did, then it would be good because each pellet has everything in it. I sometimes mix some in with my pigeon feed, and some like them and eat them. They are always gone by the end of the day. It may take time for him to try them, but he just may like them. A good vitamin would be good to give also. Ask your vet what they would suggest.


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## cwebster (Dec 11, 2010)

Beautiful dove!


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## karabas (Nov 3, 2015)

When our pigeon first started eating seeds, he'd only pick out one or two types and would not touch anything else. I was throwing out 90% of the feed as a result.

The solution was to basically say, "if you don't want to eat that, then don't eat". After a day of going hungry, he started eating more seeds and after a couple of rounds he was eating pretty much everything.

He's a year old and he still doesn't go for the cracked corn, but otherwise he eats everything.

If he knows you're going to replace his feed with seeds he likes most, then he has no incentive to eat the rest.


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