# Hi! i'm new! dove question



## adriana1997 (Oct 6, 2011)

hi i'm adriana. i'm 13 and will soon be getting my first bird, a diamond dove. my question is can i keep one alone if i play with him/her a lot? I have time to take it out every day and play with it. I dont want to risk having a bunch of babies lol thank u


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

Hi Adriana,
Yes...you can keep a Diamond Dove alone as long as you interact with it everyday. Doves don't like being alone...but as long as you give it a lot of attention *everyday*...it will make a great pet. 
Here is a great site for you to learn about Diamond Doves and how to tame them...
http://www.diamonddove.info/

Dawn


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

If I were you I'd get two hens. My diamond dove hens have been happy together. You can tell hens from cocks in the blue (wild type) variant of the diamond dove. Hens are chocolatey colored while cocks are silvery blue. Also, the cocks' eye rings will normally be much thicker.

Here's a page that includes much on telling the sexes apart: http://www.diamonddove.info/bird02_Acquiring.htm

I've tried keeping doves alone, but if you have a job or school or both they get lonely. If you are home a lot you could get quite the close little buddy with one lone bird, though.

Please be warned that diamond doves are one of the most flighty/nervous of doves. You will have to really take it slow during the taming process. Some are afraid of the dark. If you hear the little bird banging around at night against the bars, put on a child's nightlight until the little one settles in. Even now, after my birds are settled, I make sure that some light from the streetlight outside gets to them.

Another thing is learn how to properly hold small birds. (It's the same way you hold finches.) This was a bit hard for me at first for some reason, I guess because I was so used to large birds. (You make a "collar" with your thumb and forefinger--careful not to be too tight and hold the rest of the bird gently in your palm.)


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