# Ringneck Dove Breeding Question



## Kite (Jan 10, 2010)

Hello everyone, I have a few questions regarding breeding ringneck doves.
I have an orange pearled female Raine, roughly 1 year 3 months old, and a rosy male Keiko, roughly 6 months old - but I'm not positive on his age. Raine started laying eggs a week after I got Keiko in August.
They've mated several times in the past two days for the first time, so I'm thinking they might lay their first fertile eggs soon. They already have two nice basket nests to choose from and seem to have taken a liking to the smaller one.
My questions are specifically about the baby. I'll probably only let them keep 1 fertile egg since I'd rather only have one baby. Raine has proven that when 1 egg is removed and 1 left, she doesn't lay another to replace it (she knocked one egg out of the nest a month ago). My mom used to breed birds, but not doves, so she said she can't help me with my questions. 
1) The ever-so-famous rumor...birds will abandon their babies if humans touch them. True or false?
2) How old would the baby have to be before its safe for me to start handling it, so its used to human contact and friendly? I bought Keiko from a woman that kept the poor bird in a cage in her barn, he never received human contact and such is terrified of people. He pecks me, displays the warning posture, and even hits me with his wing if he thinks I get too close. I definitely don't want the baby to turn out like him (though I can't say I blame him, the woman kept him in terrible conditions )
Thanks in advance for any help!


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## Crazy Pete (Nov 13, 2008)

You should be able to handle the baby at a week or so, and thank you for getting Keiko. To never have contact with people, in a barn. I'll bet she even had cats, what a poor life for a bird. Thanks again.
Dave


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Birds won't abandon their babies because humans have touched them; that's a myth. However, I wouldn't interfere too much when the baby is still small. Little ringnecks leave the nest quite early--around the age of two weeks. That would be a good time to start handling the baby. 

If you don't want to raise more doves in the future you need to get a set of wooden eggs to replace your hen's eggs so she won't lay too often. When you take eggs away without replacing them that causes the hen to lay too many, which can result in her being depleted of calcium.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

I would wait until the feathers start opening up, and even then not handle too much. My doves don't care what I do, as long as the baby is returned in decent time, but all parents are different  Most of my taming is done when they've started to venture out of the nest.


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## Kite (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks for the help everyone!  Raine is very protective of the nest and eggs when she has them, so she probably won't tolerate handling of the baby for awhile, I hope once it leaves the nest she calms down a bit.

@Birdmom4ever I don't take the eggs away, I let her sit on them until she abandons them, which takes about a month. But since they might be fertile now, we're looking for some wooden eggs, we know all about the calcium issue 

@Crazy Pete Yes, they had barn cats. Keiko was in a cage big enough for 1 dove with ELEVEN other doves crammed in it. Keiko has evidence of suffering a broken wing in the past, too. And they were being fed chicken laying pellets instead of dove food  I'm also glad I got him out of there, I just hope she sold the rest of the poor doves too...


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## Pawbla (Jan 6, 2009)

Poor dove! I like his name a lot. Not much I can contribute to this, though.


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## Kite (Jan 10, 2010)

Pawbla said:


> Poor dove! I like his name a lot. Not much I can contribute to this, though.


Thanks :3 I named him after the orca from Free Willy.


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## Kite (Jan 10, 2010)

Does anyone know if the Rosy and/or Orange Pearled color genes are dominant or recessive?


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