# seems awfully quiet..



## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

hi everybody, brand new member here with his first pet bird of any kind, let alone ringneck dove ! 

purchased at a local pet shop just a week ago, the dove in my profile pic is now handtamed and 
lets me feed it seeds from my hand on occasion.

I'm not quite sure what the sex is, since I was told it was a male but hasn't cooed for the whole 
week I've had him/her. 

although I let it out of the cage every day for some exercise (it tends to perch on my drying rack
by the window and the top of the blinds), it prefers being inside the cage most days. there were a
couple occasions where it voluntarily came out of the cage on its own.

it refused a warm bath i offered earlier, and doesn't react much to mirrors. 

now i might just be overreacting since it's the first time I've taken care of a bird, but are males
usually this shy? is it too early to tell (it _has_ only been a week)? or is it just a female?

I've heard it let out a really gentle, quiet coo, but it happened only three times in the past week
and it only lets out two coos at a time.

what do you guys think?


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

Welcome to PT. Might be just taking awhile to acclimate to it's new surroundings. I have heard of birds taking several months to settle in, and some never do. But it sounds like you have already come a long way. Stay hopeful.


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## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

thanks so much for the response!

is there anything special i ought to do to make sure its acclimation
is without any trauma? should I let it stay in the cage if it wants to,
or make it come out every day like it has been? should I withhold on 
attempting to bathe it, meet new people, etc?


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## almondman (Aug 22, 2009)

If/when you can, leave the cage door open and let it come/go as it wants as long as you are with it. Do you have other pets? If so, keep them apart. As far as bathing goes, offer a bath but do not try to force it. Many doves do not like bathes per se. It might be okay to have other people around as long as they do not attempt to catch it or hold it. Do not attempt to chase it. It might help to let it out when it's still hungry and use feed or treats to get it back into the cage.

Keep everything, and everybody as calm as possible. Loud noises, including volume on TV, stereos, even clanging cookware in the kitchen can disturb it. 

The fact that it's vocalizing without sounding alarmed is a good sign.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

Welcome to PT.Most of my doves I've gotten over the years have been abit quiet & shy & somewhat reserved at 1st.I had 1 female that at 1st did not want to eat in front of me.Then one day she relaxed & felt comfortable around me.It just took time for her.Be patient.Spend time in the room with treats such as fresh broccoli.


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## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

thank you both! I'm feeling less worried already. he/she
is currently sitting on the dryer rack and spent some time
with me in the kitchen, eating some whole wheat crumbs.

hopefully it'll be less shy about cooing soon, i'm really excited
about that.

do ringnecks need cuttlebones if they're fed hi-cal grit? 
I think i read somewhere on here that they do so their
beaks don't overgrow.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Progress sounds good...*

I wouldn't worry about your dove. It sounds like you are having good progress already. Just do more of the same. Take it out of the cage sometimes, if he is shy to come out - but also let him come out on his own and just hang out with you. If you are gentle and setting is quiet (no dogs, cats, or screaming kids), he will feel safe and bond to you. Avoid ever grabbing him in your hands and don't even try to pet him - most doves don't care for that - petting is not natural for birds or is interpreted as sexual. Just be content to have him sit freely on your arm or shoulder. And no need to ever consider wing-clipping a Ringneck Dove. They are not parrots who climb and defend themselves with their beaks.

Also, make sure you talk or even "hum" around your dove. It will make it more at-ease with you, as the human voice is sort of a similar pitch to dove's cooing (whereas watching / staring at a dove without speaking could be interpreted as predatory). Sometimes I even "coo" to my doves and it makes them fly right over to me. Don't worry about your dove cooing back because they can also do it too much! No need to encourage it!!

If he is eating out of your hand already, that's a great sign and a great way to bond. My doves like to eat baby peas and hemp seed out of my hand. Hemp is technically similar to Marijuana but it is legal as birdfood (because they sterilize it). You can find it for sale on eBay or other on-line bird stores. Doves LOVE hemp seed but it is fatty so it is best reserved as a treat food that you hand feed him (a small handful every day is OK but don't fill his food dish with it - because he *will* eat it!). For the baby peas, I get the frozen baby peas from the grocery that you steam in the bag in the microwave. Let them cool, rinse them in case there is salt on them, and then see if your dove will eat some (refrigerate the rest). I found my doves would only eat "baby" green peas because normal green peas are a little large.

If your dove has hi-cal grit, he probably doesn't need cuttlebone but it wouldn't hurt. Be careful of the mirror. I had a male Diamond Dove become very aggressive because he had a mirror in the cage (he thought it was another male dove in his cage!). I don't know if a Ringneck would get like this from a mirror but it's something to observe.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

My doves never use a cuttlebone.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

I think I actually had a female dove that pecked at it and consumed some of it. You could also bust it up with a hammer and put it in a bowl. But it probably is sufficient to have hi-cal grit.


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## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

so many good tips, Lefty, i really appreciate it! especially about the treats-
didn't know about hemp seeds. been trying to figure out a good treat for him
since he treated broccoli with the same amount of enthusiasm as his regular
feed.

it's nice to know i'm on the right track.

here he is on his favorite spot: http://i.imgur.com/YNbDItK.jpg


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

It's good to do something quiet in the room with him - like watch TV, work on the computer, or read. Eventually, he will probably come over to you - but it may take a few weeks. Repetition is the key... 

Also try having some extra seed in a flower pot saucer (or similar wide dish) next to you. That will encourage him to come over.

Once he is perching on your arm or shoulder regularly, an old sweatshirt may be in order!

As far as bathing goes, he may not attempt that until he is really comfortable in your place. For that, I use an extra large flower pot saucer with room temp water. My doves will usually bathe when I put the "swimming pool" out, as will my other birds...









Doves will also sunbathe when they get the chance - so don't be alarmed if he stretches out in odd positions to catch the sun.









Eating irrestistable hemp seed !!









This is my Scarlet Chested Parakeet and my Rosy Bourke Parakeet - probably the only parrot species you can trust around defenseless doves. I still have them caged separately - they only mix with the doves when loose.


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## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

very inspiring photos and invaluable tips from everybody.
I'll be sure to update as progress develops!


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

Thank you for sharing your picture.Just be patient & give him time trust you.
Lefty07.. I just love your dove set up.They look so peaceful & full of life.I sure do enjoy my doves.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Sun (Bird) Room*

I have an 18 X 20 foot sunroom for my birds and plants. It winter it is a dense jungle, with all my potted plants inside. In there, I have 4 "finch" cages and 2 "dove" cages. It has a ceramic tile floor so cleaning is easy. I love having it - it's like my own "bird exhibit" at the zoo. I sometimes even play a jungle birds CD in there for extra atmosphere.



















The doves get free flight time in there during the day, when I am home. They enjoy exploring or else come over and sit with me. My 3 parakeets are also allowed to fly in there - they live in the dining room and fly to the sunroom via the kitchen - they know how to go back and forth now, on their own. My Java Sparrow and Spice Finch also get free time loose in the sunroom because, like all the other birds, they know how to fly back to their own cage by night time.










All the birds mix pretty well - in fact some visit each other's cages.










I also have and breed Gouldian Finches and Green Singing Finches in the sunroom. They don't normally get released in the sunroom but occasionally get out - and even they eventually find their way back ro their own cages.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

That is so very nice & peaceful.Wow!


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## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

wow, looks like bird paradise to me. now I feel bad that my dove doesn't have such a wonderful home, hehe.

do you ever worry about any of your birds flying into those large windows?

my dove had a little accident yesterday with the bay door by flying into it (which we usually keep with the blinds drawn but my roommate was doing some laundry and was using it), and i've been on high alert hoping he didn't injure himself.

at first he was stunned, but within 5 minutes was able to fly again and keep balance since he was able to perch as well. nevertheless i kept him in the cage for the rest of the day and made sure it was dark enough for him to rest.

this morning i went through the normal routine - cleaned out the poop from the bottom of the cage and replaced his water. after doing some stretches, he hopped down and drank some water and ate a lot of food- then spent a good amount of time preening.

I feel so lucky right now, but I'm still taking extra caution and keeping it dark and quiet.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Big Windows*

I did have one accident with the windows. I bought a baby dove and had him finger tame in a day. Named him Pecker after another dove I had in the past. The second day I had him, I brought him into the sunroom, where my white dove Tricksy was already loose. I put him on Tricksy's favorite perch. Before I could say boo, Tricksy chased Pecker and he went right into the window.

Pecker's wing was hanging so I took him to the vet. His wing was broken so the vet x-rayed and then wrapped it. Luckily, the wing healed and Pecker is flying again! None of my other birds has ever hurt themselves in the window.

I think there is always a risk of injury with free-flying pet birds. The benefits to the bird can outweigh the risks, if you take precautions. And the biggest risk is the first time out. The risk goes down every time your bird gets free-flight time and returns to their cage uninjured. Once they learn about windows, the set up your room, how you behave, the noises he is likely to hear, etc. there is virtually no risk. Again, the biggest risk is the first time out, especially if your bird is not fully tame. But you have to start somewhere so covering windows and mirrors is a good idea.

So my rules are:

1) Keep things extremely calm when first releasing a bird in a new place
2) Make sure you know how your bird interacts with other birds before releasing it with them
3) Make sure there are plants or perches for your bird to land on, in front of and near the windows - or other things like blinds, in front of the windows
4) If at all possible, only release relatively tame birds to fly in your house (a tame bird may try to fly through a window but a untame bird, afraid of you, will fly much faster and hit harder).

Pecker after injury:









Pecker today - and he's even fathered 7 babies, including Lefty, the dove whose name I use for my ID on this forum. 









And interestingly, none of my baby doves born in the sunroom has ever injured themselves in the windows - because they've all been super tame and calm when I let them fly in the sunroom.

Lefty as a juvenile:









The original Pecker, a Diamond Dove I had from 1982 until 1997. Named Pecker because he used to peck at his reflection in the side of my toaster!


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

Those are such nice pictures.Great story.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*Pecker's story*

Pecker's *full story *is even more complicated!

When he broke his wing, he stopped eating and was losing weight. My friend at the local bird rescue place recommended that I tube feed him because injured birds sometimes don't eat when they are in pain.

So after paying over $300 to x-ray and set the wing on a $10 bird, I began 3 X a day tube feeding (powdered baby bird food that I had to mix with Pedialyte). Everything was going well for 2 weeks and he gained a little weight back. The day came when his sling was to come off and I was giving him one last tube feeding. For some reason, the tube slipped off the syringe and he SWALLOWED the tube!!! So I had to RUSH back to vets!! They had to give him surgery to get the tube out of his crop! Another $300+ dollars!!! But after approximately $700 in vet bills, he completely recovered and can even fly (even though the vet warned me he might never fly again). And as I said, he's fathered 7 babies! Only a Ringneck dove could go through all this and come out OK!

But I feel like all his problems were my fault so I did the right thing and spent the money without another thought - and I am glad I did. He is OK now and a wonderful tame pet that flies right over to me whenever I call him.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

Your doves are well taken care of.Thats very nice!


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## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

again, some really inspiring stories. pecker looks like a model dove, as does the original pecker. I still have to come up with a proper name for my dove, as I've just been calling him pijin.

my dove now accompanies me on my desk as i work, and is back to exploring the room on is own and flying about after a few days of seeming rather sad after the window accident. he loves to walk on my keyboard, even as i type, hehe.

he's also back to letting out his really soft coos once or twice a day, as he stopped doing that after his accident.

here he is in his spot: http://i.imgur.com/ssXTN1p.jpg

just noticed lefty's got his band on his left foot


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## Wodin (Nov 5, 2012)

how long did it take for the broken wing to heal? i find myself in a similar situation with one of my rollers. the break is around the shoulder though, not good.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

*The Wing*

For Wodin: I think my dove's wing had a sling on for 2 or possibly 3 weeks. After that, I did not attempt to make him fly. I let him walk around the floor of my sunroom or walk on my table and flutter down to the floor on his own. The vet told me there was a good chance he would never fly again, or would not fly well. So, anyway, we did this routine for a few weeks and one evening I couldn't find him. To my surpise he was perched 6 feet up in a potted tree in my sunroom. Then I realized he could fly. Since then, he flies pretty much all over my 18 X 20 foot sunroom and has no troulbe flying up to perches I put in at 7 feet above the floor. Of course, he is not like a pigeon that I might ever expect to fly outside. My doves flies sufficiently for my 18 X 20 foot sunroom and that's OK because that's his world.

He doesn't fly 100% perfectly but he gets around fine - doesn't crash into anything and can land on my arm without problems. As for your pigeon, I don't know if you'd ever be able to fly him outside again. My dove also had a shoulder injury, which is complicated with little bones, etc. Anyway, I would give your pigeon a try with a sling for a few weeks to see if it heals. If he can just get around your indoor flight or coop, it will be a plus for him and you. Pecker's wing hung down a little even after the sling was removed - but after a few weeks, he was able to hold it up more normally.

For PigeonSuit: yes, Lefty has a band on his left foot - I put it there by accident - hence his name "Lefty"


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## Wodin (Nov 5, 2012)

Lefty07 said:


> For Wodin: I think my dove's wing had a sling on for 2 or possibly 3 weeks. After that, I did not attempt to make him fly. I let him walk around the floor of my sunroom or walk on my table and flutter down to the floor on his own. The vet told me there was a good chance he would never fly again, or would not fly well. So, anyway, we did this routine for a few weeks and one evening I couldn't find him. To my surpise he was perched 6 feet up in a potted tree in my sunroom. Then I realized he could fly. Since then, he flies pretty much all over my 18 X 20 foot sunroom and has no troulbe flying up to perches I put in at 7 feet above the floor. Of course, he is not like a pigeon that I might ever expect to fly outside. My doves flies sufficiently for my 18 X 20 foot sunroom and that's OK because that's his world.
> 
> He doesn't fly 100% perfectly but he gets around fine - doesn't crash into anything and can land on my arm without problems. As for your pigeon, I don't know if you'd ever be able to fly him outside again. My dove also had a shoulder injury, which is complicated with little bones, etc. Anyway, I would give your pigeon a try with a sling for a few weeks to see if it heals. If he can just get around your indoor flight or coop, it will be a plus for him and you. Pecker's wing hung down a little even after the sling was removed - but after a few weeks, he was able to hold it up more normally.
> 
> For PigeonSuit: yes, Lefty has a band on his left foot - I put it there by accident - hence his name "Lefty"


thanks for the detailed reply! i am hoping it heals enough for her to get around the loft/flight etc, but realistically i dont see her flying well again, which is a shame for a roller pigeon. she does however still have some very good genes, and with a 'groundfloor flat', im sure she will still rule the roost the was she always has!


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

I wondered how he got that name.


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## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

after closer inspection, looks like my dove's got a greyish-red featherless patch on the left side of his neck - small enough so that its invisible unless he stretches out his neck in the opposite direction.

come to think of it, I'm pretty sure he's had this same scar-looking spot ever since i got him. the pet shop did say he got into a fight once...

do you think his feathers will ever grow back, or might the follicles be destroyed? could this explain his very weak coos?


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## PigeonSuit (Jan 26, 2013)

*Update!*

Hey everyone,

I thought it'd be nice to make an update since it's been 3 months!

So Pigeon has grown very fond of me, nuzzles my fingers and lands on my head. No more bald patch, that grew back in a while ago.

I've been thinking that it's been a boy this whole time (since that's what the store told me), but just last night she laid this egg: http://i.imgur.com/Ub9kFGo.jpg

She coos very frequently, and laughs whenever she lands on anything.

I feel as if she is very healthy, and I don't know if I could have made it this far without the reassurances of everybody's responses on this board!

Thanks everybody.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

the thing is they should not tell you it is one sex if they can't sex them.. the dove was proably young when sold and now she is coming of age. the egg tells the tale.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

spirit wings said:


> the thing is they should not tell you it is one sex if they can't sex them.. the dove was proably young when sold and now she is coming of age. the egg tells the tale.


I agree with you .


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