# Doves?



## Fever (May 28, 2007)

I wanted to buy some pigeons, but the lady said that I should get some doves instead, because they are better housepets. I looked through some classifieds in my area and found someone selling three doves, but no matter how much I bombard them with questions, they don't want to answer them. I don't think they know very much about them at all. What I'd like to know is, do they make good pets? Are they friendly, easy to handle, and quiet at night? I've been reading about them all day, and I have the facts and the care instructions, but I need some heart information from people who've raised them.

I also have a strange situation where my house is pretty much coated in feral pigeons (because I feed them). I guess if anyone can tell me if the doves would be alarmed or stressed by pigeons peeking in the windows, and if there are potential diseases I should worry about, it would be very helpful. I want to make sure I am getting the right pets. From the sounds of it, the original owner made the mistake of buying them without a clue what they were getting into. I don't want the poor guys to go through that again...


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

Hi Fever,

We DO have members with Doves. From what I have read, Doves make great house pets.

However, I'm sure those knowledgeable will be along soon to give you their input and insights.

THANKS for doing your homework! 

BEST of EVERYTHING!

Shi


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## vegeta2802 (Sep 24, 2006)

I have doves and pigeons in my room and i would have to say pigeon are quiter at night most of the time. The doves are not that bad tho. Both pigeons and dove are about the same win it comes to careing for them. They are both good pet well i think they are.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Doves make very lovely pets. They are much smaller than pigeons and typically much more docile. I don't think you would go wrong with taking in a couple of doves as house pets. Doves usually cannot live in a same enclosure with pigeons as they are that much smaller and likely to be bullied and pecked. If kept as house pets, I think you would be delighted with them.

Terry


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Doves make great pets.
I noticed that it is the males that make some noise at night, but not always and mostly in the morning hours. Covering their cage helps some to keep them quiet.

Reti


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## stach_n_flash (Mar 15, 2006)

I had doves in my room at one point in time but the tend to laugh and coo early in the morning. And always woke my dad up at 5 in the morning. But they made great pets.


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi Fever,
I have 2 male ringneck doves as pets. They are truly delightful!

Having kept both doves and pigeons indoors, I would say that the doves produce less dander and are therefore slightly cleaner. Their droppings are also smaller and a bit drier - easier to clean up. 

But I would recommend a seed-guard for their cage if you get doves. They are very picky eaters and tend to throw seeds everywhere that they don't want to eat. 

Males are quite nosiy and will coo pretty much all day long, starting when the sun comes up. So keeping them in a room that's away from your sleeping area is a good idea. Females are supposedly quieter.

As for diseases, I think they are pretty much suceptible to the same things as pigeons, so be careful not to let them have direct exposure to your ferals. My doves are not scared of my pigeons at all. But as others mentioned - keeping the 2 species in the same cage or pen is not a good idea. Doves can get hurt by the pigeons who are larger. 

I hope this helps and if I think of anything else I will let you know!


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

Thanks a lot for all the advise. I'm a little concerned about the noise, because the only room that I can cat-proof is the spare bedroom, which is next door to mine. I'll try out the blanket idea and hope that they don't have inner clocks. But the guy doesn't know the gender of the birds even...

The person I'm talking to about them says he keeps them outdoors and that one is a ringneck. I don't know what that makes the others because he didn't say. Maybe it's one of the different shades of ringneck, or those diamond ones, or white pigeons. I ask for pictures and descriptions, but now I'm just resorting to asking for a time I can go look at them and figure it out myself. I've gotta somehow learn how to tell what gender they are even.

He says he lets them out to fly, so I guess I'm going to have to be a bit concerned about parasites and things already. I'm kind of torn on this now. The three doves and the cage (all he'll say about it is that it's 'huge'... le sigh) are sixty dollars, which is about as much as I can afford right now. I'm wondering if I should hold out till I can find a less sketchy deal. On the other hand though, I feel kind of bad for these mystery birds. I might feel guilty if I left them with this guy. He doesn't know a thing about them, not even what kind of birds they are, apparently.


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Fever said:


> He says he lets them out to fly, so I guess I'm going to have to be a bit concerned about parasites and things already. I'm kind of torn on this now. The three doves and the cage (all he'll say about it is that it's 'huge'... le sigh) are sixty dollars, which is about as much as I can afford right now. I'm wondering if I should hold out till I can find a less sketchy deal. On the other hand though, I feel kind of bad for these mystery birds. I might feel guilty if I left them with this guy. He doesn't know a thing about them, not even what kind of birds they are, apparently.


Yikes - Ringnecks and Diamond Doves should never be let outdoors to fly! They have absolutely no homing instinct or street smarts. Instant meal for any predator who happens by...If you do get ringnecks and want to let them have flight time, make sure you keep them contained in an aviary or else somewhere inside the house. For cage size, a pair can live comfortably in a cockatiel cage so long as they get out for regular exercise. (but of course bigger is better...only make sure the bar spacing is not wide enough for them to get their heads caught in between)

As far as telling gender, it is a bit like pigeons...difficult. When they're comfortable in their surroundings, the males will do a little up-and-down bow, while puffing out their throats and making a loud "coo-coo-coo-roo" sound over and over and stomping their feet. Usually they are bowing toward a mate or other desired female. And both sexes make a "hee-hee-hee" sound too. Sometimes the species is called "Laughing Dove" for that reason. (very cute and endearing as long as you're not trying to sleep, haha)
Here are some other resources for you:
http://dovepage.com/
http://dovepage.com/wwwboard/index.html
http://ringneckdove.com/
http://diamonddove.com/

Best of luck with this situation! I hate seeing situations where someone's just trying to make a buck off of some poor creatures they don't care for properly - I'd feel the same way about wanting to save them from this ignorant guy. Keep us posted!


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

First time I ever heard a Ringneck "laugh," I simply cracked up! I couldn't believe what I was hearing! They sounded soooo human. They were 'wild' Ringnecks who would eat out of our hands. The loved to go into my friend's planters. She would chase them out and a few minutes later, back they would go!   

Then, after a shoo off, one went to the roof and laughed its head off! WHAT A RIOT! The pair LOOKED identical and were just beautiful. Since we saw them mating, we knew one was male and one female!  

Do keep us updated, Fever!

I agree, sounds as if those little guys need to be "rescued!"

Hugs

Shi & Squeaks


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

I kind of feel bad for knocking this person so much, it's a little kid selling the doves. They were given to him a month ago by someone wanting to get rid of them, and he doesn't know how to take care of them. He doesn't know anything about dove types - I think he thought they were all just white. Two of the doves are white (one has some pale brown patches), and the other is a wild type.

Nobody knows the age or sex of these birds, but the kid did tell me that one keeps getting pregnant and laying an egg - from the highest perch in the cage. He told me he tried to build it a nest on the ground so it would stop breaking it's eggs like that, but it hasn't worked.

He also told me that they escaped their cage once, and he thought they were gone forever, but they returned. That's why he lets them out. I still have no intention of letting them fly free outside. If some hawk or cat doesn't catch them, one of my pigeons probably would. I didn't think the doves would be so small!  

I am bringing them home with me on Thursday. Hopefully they can keep dodging the predators until then...


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Oh gosh - I feel bad now too. Sounds like the kid is trying to do the right thing by selling them to someone who knows how to take care of them.

Glad to hear you'll be taking them home! Would love to see photos sometime if you can post some. I'm sure you will enjoy them very much - they are truly delightful birds.

Shi & Squeaks - you're right, the laughing sound is hysterical! My husband and I crack up every time we hear them doing it.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Well, I'm really looking forward to seeing these little guys. The $60 doesn't sound bad at all, to me, considering you're getting 3 birds plus a large cage. Doves are really cute. I have a friend who has about 50-60 in an aviary and when most of them start laughing, I laugh right with them.


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

I can't wait to hear them laugh! I hope I don't end up with a whole flock, but I am a little bit worried about the egg-laying from heights part. Do most of the same rules apply to pigeons and doves? Can I give them a dummy egg?

Also, I'm going to the bulk barn today to buy them some proper seed. I am ridiculously picky about what my pets eat (ask me how much I spend per week on my cats' all-natural food), and the food the kid is giving me are weird, red pellets. I've got the basics down, even got some bird grit (I'm wondering now if the eggs are really being laid from height, or if the shells just break). Should I get them some safflower seeds? I'm gonna go to the bulk barn and buy them a ton of different things.


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi Fever,
I feed my doves a mix of wild birdseed that's enhanced with vitamins, and some parakeet-sized pellets & safflower seed mixed in as well. (not too much safflower though - it is high in fat) I had been feeding them a Dove mix made by Kaytee. But there are large peas in that mix which present a choking hazard. I got tired of picking out all of the peas.

On the Dovepage.com message board, there are some *excellent* threads on feeding and nutrition. I'd highly recommend that you join that forum for specific information about keeping doves. While similar to pigeons in many ways, doves do have some different needs & habits.

As for the eggs - yes, you can give them dummies. They need a nesting box & materials as well. So if there isn't one in the cage, that may be why the female is breaking her eggs. (mine are both males, so i don't know too much about dove eggs. but my boys sometimes enjoy incubating dummy eggs when their parenting instincts kick in)

Best wishes with your new friends - I can't wait to see photos!

Oh - and don't be dismayed if they are quiet for a few weeks while they adjust to their new home. I was worried at first when mine didn't let out a peep, but once they got accustomed to their environment, they perked up and began making lots of beautiful coos & laughs for me


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

Oh shoot, I thought they were going to be this quiet all the time.  

Well, I went to a bulk food store and bought them lots of different things - wheat, lentil, canary mix. I bought pigeon seed and green and yellow split pea, but I think that will be too big for them. Guess the pigeons will be eating good... They also came with a big jar of seeds, but from the looks of things, they just eat the sunflower seeds out of the mix and throw everything else on the floor.

When I was driving them home, they were so quiet, and then out of nowhere, one started chuckling. I nearly went off the road! That laughter is hilarious!

I don't know if I'm happy with the cage they're in. It seems pretty big, but the tips of the wing feathers are kind of busted up from hitting the sides. Is that normal? I definitely don't like the perches. They don't seem to have any grip at all, and the doves keep going all splay-legged trying to sit on them.

Alright, they should be settled in a bit, I'll go snap some photos!


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi Fever,
If their wing feathers are hitting the sides, the cage may be too small. 

For perches, I use those manzanita branches you can get at the pet store. There's a wing nut/washer on one end of the branch that mounts to the side of the cage. The variable thicknesses of the branches are better for the birds' feet than a perch that's all one width. 

Unlike pigeons, Doves seem to prefer rounded perches. But much like pigeons, they are ground feeders and like to have their food and water dishes near the floor of the cage.

It took me awhile to get just the right ergonomic setup so that the perches were not over the food, and didn't cause issues for the birds when jumping from one to the other & to the floor and back. If you're observant and adjust things, you can probably get the best use of the space that you have and maybe prevent more feather damage. Watch how they move around and if there's something hampering them you may be able to help by making adjustments. (or you may need to invest in a bigger cage at some point...)

Cheers!
~K


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

Here they are!

The ringnecked one and the white one with speckles:










The big guy. He seems a little redder than a regular ringneck.










This white one is very beautiful. She isn't pure white; if you look close, you can see very, very light cream shading on her back and wings.


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

This is their cage. I want to let them out, but they seem jumpy.










These guys want in on the secrets. What's behind this door? It's never been closed before.











I think they do need a bigger space to fly around in. It's a lot taller than it is wide, and these doves love to hop up and down on the rungs and stretch their wings out. It doesn't seem like nervous behaviour from having just moved, it looks like pretty normal bird activity. Maybe if I'm feeling ambitious I can build them something...

They are really cool. It's taking all my patience to just leave them alone and let them settle in. I can't wait to get their room set up so they can fly around.


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## mr squeaks (Apr 14, 2005)

SO glad you got to hear the "laugh!" It's a riot isn't it??

Your birds are beautiful!!

Wishing you and your lovelies all the best with love, hugs and scritches!!

AND, we DO expect updates!!

Shi and Squeaks

    (computer version of Ringneck "laugh!")

P.S. I have two black cats and the tabby reminds me of one I had named "Goldie" (R.I.P)


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Such beautiful birds!!! Thank you for the pix!

There are about a dozen color varieties of ringnecks. The reddish one looks like it might be a "tangerine" or "wild type" to me. But I'm not that good with recognizing the color varieties.

Anyway - looks like you found yourself a gorgeous little flock. Keep us posted!


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

They are gorgeous. The cage is not too small, especially if they will have time out to fly and stretch, the longer they have time out the better.

Reti


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

Thanks for all the compliments! Thy are adorable little critters. 

They aren't very used to people, so I've got a bit of a task ahead of me in 'taming' them. They don't bite, but they are very nervous, and it's hard to catch them the right way to put them back in their cage.

I think the brown one is a male, and the white one with patches is his mate. They always sit together in the cage, and when they're out of the cage they dance and cuddle together. When I open the door, the speckled one will fly out and land on the roof of the cage, and the brown one will go crazy trying to figure out how to be near her.

That means my poor splay-legged favourite is the odd one out. S/He's a lot more adventurous, leaves the cage first when I open the door, and seems to be infatuated with the pigeons.

I've got a picture of her leg here:










I thought at first she just couldn't get a grip on the perch, but the other two get along fine on it, and she always slides around. If it is a case of splay-leg, is it fixable at her age?


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

mr squeaks said:


> P.S. I have two black cats and the tabby reminds me of one I had named "Goldie" (R.I.P)


Oh no, I have to talk about my cats now, since they are pretty much my child substitutes.

I love black cats! But I couldn't resist that little tabby when I saw her. The big guy on the right is Zorak, who I rescued from the pound about four years ago. He had feline upper respiratory tract infection, and was on meds for two months before I could take him home. He only weighed 5.1 lbs... not much considering he was a three year old tomcat then. Now he's about 20 lbs... my vet has had me put the old guy on diet catfood.

The middle one is Rhythm, and he's the sook. I got him as a kitten for my boyfriend (who calls him 'Riddim' because of his Caribbean accent). He loves me best though... he still thinks he's small enough to sleep under my chin, but he kind of wraps around neck like a mink collar. It sucks in the summer, but I don't have the heart to make him stop.

My Goldie is called Fever. I kinda... um... 'rescued' her from the downstairs neighbours. The other tenants in my apartment are not always kind to their animals. The ones directly under me horde cats and just let them free breed. They had a male and two females, and when the females went in heat, the guy threw boots and stuff at them (his girlfriend told me this herself), so she started putting them outside. When I saw the kitten outside in that state, I grabbed her and brought her upstairs. She's been with me ever since. One of my friends suggested I call her 'Boots' because of the treatment she received from her previous owners, but I couldn't call her that. She was a bit of a hothead at first, before her little surgery, and Fever is what stuck.

I still haven't thought of names for the doves yet. I think I need to get to know them a little better.


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

What lovely doves, thanks for buying them and giving them a new start.  Dummy eggs are just fine to use for doves as well as pigeons. With you odd-dove-out, he/she will probably love a mate at some point in the future. I have a dove pair who live inside my pigeon aviary in a large cage, and another male dove/female pigeon pair who also live in a large cage inside the aviary. (The pigeons are too rough to be around the doves without wire in between them). They "spend time" together easily; the pigeons perch near the doves and sit together just a few inches apart with the cage wall in between them. It's no wonder your dove is interested in the pigeons outside.  If you haven't thought of it, a tarp is handy to lay down on the carpet when they are out flying. Then you can simply roll it up, hose it off, and have it ready for next flight-time in the room. A good way to get them to know you is to just sit in the room with them doing something, whether it's reading, watching TV, etc. Then they get used to you and will be curious (especially if you have some safflower seeds in your lap!  ) Good luck and congratulations. Your cats are big sweeties too! Thanks for saving them as well, especially the cutie from those rotten people downstairs.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Thanks for sharing the cat's stories with us. They sure are lucky to have found a great, loving home.

The doves will tame in time, or not. I have a couple that is still not tame after years with me.

Reti


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

The doves have mites. I was holding the white one, and I could see them, barely (very tiny black dots), crawling over her feathers. I have been reading about this... it sounds really, really bad. Like throw out all your furniture, burn your clothes, and move to another country bad. I don't want to start hitting any panic buttons yet. Does anyone have experience with this? Everything I'm reading on the internet says I'm stuck with them for life! 

I've noticed them even before the doves though, especially on the chair near the door to the balcony... the one with the feral pigeons. I think I'm going to cry.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Don't panic yet.
You can purchase from the pet store Mite and Lice spray for birds. It rids them of all the mites they might have. You can also spray the chair, then wipe it off a day later.It has worked very well for me.

Reti


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## flitsnowzoom (Mar 20, 2007)

No, that's not true. Look up mites on this web site. There's loads of info. 
Better get these mites than bedbugs or head lice (for people). That's when you burn the furniture, shave the hair, and run screaming into the wilds


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Fever,
Reti and Flitsnowzoom are right. The mites are very treatable and you won't be stuck with them forever.
Take a quick visit to you pet shop and you should find a product that will take care of them pronto.


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

Charis said:


> Fever,
> Reti and Flitsnowzoom are right. The mites are very treatable and you won't be stuck with them forever.
> Take a quick visit to you pet shop and you should find a product that will take care of them pronto.


No dice.  I went to two pet stores in Ottawa, and they told me they used to carry mite spray, but don't anymore. It is only available through prescription from a vet. 

Hmm, sometimes I forget I live in Quebec because of how close I am to Ottawa. Maybe the pet stores here carry the spray still. I have to do something fast though, they're spreading through my house fast. My cats are going crazy itching themselves.



> No, that's not true. Look up mites on this web site. There's loads of info.


I'll look around more. The info I found on bird mites on birds isn't scary. The info on birdmites everywhere in the house is frightening. But I'll trust you guys on this... seems like you've been dealing with birds a lot longer than I have. I'll keep researching.


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

I love my new doves. I'm not gonna let the mites get me down (I just talked to my downstairs neighbour (not about any missing cats) and he said he has them to, so I have some back up proof that the outbreak isn't from my doves.)

Today I let them out for some more exercise, and the speckled one and the brown flew onto the top of their cage and started jitterbugging. It's weird, they dance, the brown one bows and calls, and both of them twitch just one wing. I think I'm going to call them Shiver (brown) and Soo (speckled). The white one is still my favourite. I don't know the gender, but it seems feminine, never calls or laughs. I'm calling her Isis.

I spend the most time with Isis, because the other two are very occupied with eachother and I let them do their thing. The brown one attacks Isis and drives her away... so maybe she is a he. I guess it doesn't matter. anyway, my boyfriend came in to grab some laundry and was muttering about me obsessing with the birds again. I picked up Isis, and he was a little impressed because he thought they didn't like me. Then I got her to sit on his hand. She was so docile about it, didn't fuss or anything. I know he had his mind set on not liking the doves, but he was grinning so happy when Isis chilled with him. It was a man-dove bonding moment.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Sevin dust from a garden center/home improvement store will do a decent job of eradicating mites .. and it's inexpensive compared to some of the products used.

Terry


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

It is unlikely mites from the doves invaded the whole house so quickly. There must be another source for them to appear.
I forgot about the sevin dust Terry mentioned. I never used it but have heard it does a good job.

Doves are lovely birds, glad your boyfriend bonded with one already. They are such sweet and gentle creatures.

Reti


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## amoonswirl (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi Fever,
Don't worry about the mites. They are easy to get rid of. A few of my birds have come in with them and I've successfully eradicated them. The "Sevin Dust" works and it is safe for the birds. Use it both on the birds and in their cage areas. Sevin 5% is what you want - the 10% is maybe too harsh. Most garden centers have it:
http://thepestdepot.com/se5du5lbbag.html

There are also some other products that maybe you could get online if not in a store near you. If you look at PetSmart or PetCo online you can probably buy the spray that's made for birds. Pyrethrins are the main ingredient- also used on garden plants to kill aphids & other crawlies. It is a plant-based chemical and very safe. Just don't get any in the birds' eyes because it stings!

Your cats and birds sound like real sweeties!! And so nice that Isis is bonding w/your b'friend  You're giving all of these animals such a wonderful and caring home. (tee hee- my husband gets annoyed sometimes when I obsess over my birds. But he loves it when they perch on him & when they let him pet them. So cute!)


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

The mites from the doves aren't the problem. It's the mites from my feral pigeon horde on my balcony. That's a whole other story though, and unfortunately there's a lot of pressure from the other people in my building to do something about them.

It seems like borax, sevendust, and bird spray are the way to go. I'm sure my landlord can be persuaded to pick up some of the vet bills.  

I'm so glad for all the advise you guys have given me about the bugs. I was really in a panic after reading stories about people stuck with these things for life. One of the pages I read repeatedly mentioned that people with the problem reported suicidal thoughts! That seemed a little extreme. My cats and doves seem a little itchy, but they aren't trying to toss themselves out the windows or anything.

On the bright side, I can probably use the mites as an excuse to get my guy to help me clean the house more often. Haha!


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

Thar be eggs! Hmm. That happened a lot faster than anticipated. I've only had these guys since Thursday.


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

I thought they were supposed to be monogomous?!  

I think I have established the sexes of my birds, finally, and the results surprised me after everything I've read about doves being all romantic and bonding with eachother for life. 

Shiver, the wild-type, is a boy. He and Soo, his first wife, have laid some eggs. I boiled them though... it made me so sad to do it, I feel horrible about it, but I know it's for the best. 

Soo is very happy to sit on her eggs all day, and now that she's occupied, Shiver's been putting the moves on Isis, the white one. I caught them yesterday in the middle of an act, so I guess Isis is a girl. I'll have to wait to see if she lays eggs to know for sure, but I think it's safe to say I have a male and two females. I have polygamous doves. 

It's kinda funny but sad, too. Shiver still spends more time with Soo, and attacks Isis when she goes near their nest. Poor Isis is a bit of an outcast. I think that maybe, when I build them their bigger cage, I will see if I can find a friend for her.


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## SkyofAngels (Jun 28, 2007)

Doves are great pets and they are soooooooo gentle.


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## Fever (May 28, 2007)

Mine aren't gentle. I'm starting to wonder if they're doves at all!  Well, I don't know how old they are, but I'd say that they've never been handled their whole lives. They don't like me at all, and one of them bit at me yesterday as I was putting her back in my cage. It was very gentle nipping, and hormones in my little flock have been running high, so no harm done. I spend time with them every day, and I hope they'll start to warm up to me eventually. They're so interesting to watch. I love just sitting in the room with them and letting them fly around.


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