# Keeping birds in dovecote



## dovelass (Jun 21, 2006)

I seem to be having a retention problem with my doves.

I sarted with 2 doves, which after homing them, stayed for a month then started to roost elsewhere. The 2 have continued to visit me every day and stay for varying amounts of time.

I got another 4 doves and they seemed to settle for a month or so. Now 2 of them have gone with the first 2 doves and agian are now just visiting me. That has left me with just 2 doves, who are staying with me probably because they have eggs.

Because they take turns sitting on the eggs, it leaves one of them on their own. I could weep when I see the non sitting dove perched on the top of the house on his/her own, because I know that they are social birds that need company.

A further complication is that the eggs are not fertile - they have been sitting on them for over 3 weeks now, and I am about to replace the eggs with dummy eggs.

How can I keep the 2 doves that I have got? I would like them to breed and create their own colony, but if I leave them without eggs, they may well fly away to be with the other visiting doves.

Can anybody advise me?

Pauline


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Hi Pauline,

I'm so sorry to hear about the dilemna. 

As long as the doves have access to the outdoors they will move freely about as they please. Perhaps you can build them a nice walk in aviary that encompasses the whole dovecote. That will give them option to move about but not leave.


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## dovelass (Jun 21, 2006)

It is not really an option for me as I want them to be free. I know of course, that I have to live with the consequences of that decision.
I will keep on trying, and at least I know that my doves are coming to no harm, as they visit me every day.
Pauline


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Feeling Secure*

HI PAULINE, I would like to see a picture of your dovecote. I feel that the birds that left found a more secure place to roost.Which leads me to believe that your doves do not feel secrue in the dovecote. GEORGE


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## Jiggs (Apr 1, 2005)

I dont know much about doves but would venture a guess that doves tend to nest in the best place they find and can move their nests as well.

Around here we ussually use fantails for dovecotes as they have a homing instinct and will tend to stay in the dovecote once homed.

A pic would be nice


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi DL,


I wish that I knew more about all this.

What is thier grazing/forraging recourse? And do they elect to fly off very far to forrage?

Or, what I am thinking, is they will elect the most suitable to their tastes Nesting sites, with in easy reach of where they prefer to forrage and graze...

And their grazing may include seasonal things, or things of occasional taste or particular craving, or also for certain small stones for their Gizzards...but the more or less geometrical center of the array of prioritised resources known to them, this center would tend to be the probable location for Nesting, and then it would be a matter of refineing the interpretation of their needs or tastes in that regard, for the kind of Structure and it's accountremon, for you to provide...

...or at least that would summarize my own appreciation in theory.


Phil
Las Vegas


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## sweetpea (Aug 20, 2004)

Have you got doves or pigeons? Doves don't really have a homing instinct and are more independent, they don't really form flocks or groups just breeding pairs during the summer. Pigeons do form flocks and have a home territory where they will roost in the evening and nest so theses would be more suitable for a dovecote.


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