# One white dove looking for a loving home (Westchester, NY)



## white_dove (Aug 5, 2011)

looking for a home for a white male dove- location: NY


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

white_dove said:


> Hello I live in Westchester, New York and I bought two white doves several months ago (they have a huge cage, constant access to food/water & I let them fly around inside my house every day) and everything went great until a few weeks ago, when they started to fight. I now have to keep them in separate cages because I am afraid that they will harm or kill each other; that's how violently they fight. However I only have one other cage which is quite small ( I already have another huge cage for 6 parakeets so I do not have space to buy another large cage). Don't worry though I switch them every day so neither of them has to be in the small cage for too long. But I still do not think it is fair that they have to spend 1/2 of their time in that small cage so I am hoping to find a home for one of them. They are both really sweet&can be held and they do not bit/peck people..only each other
> And I have no clue about why they started to fight? I think they may perhaps be the same gender? The store where I bought them said that they were a male&female though but they couldn't tell me which one was a male and which a female.
> Please let me know if you would like to provide a loving home for one of my white doves or if you know someone?
> 
> Also, I am unsure of how to attach a picture of them, but they look exactly like the white doves in this link: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=whit...rt=0&ndsp=40&ved=1t:429,r:28,s:0&tx=150&ty=59


The link you attached is to a picture of two white homing pigeons. Based on the fighting, I would guess that you have two males. Although it is possible for them to get along with each other, it would probably be a lot easier on you if you had a male/female pair. Are the birds showing any other "typically male" behavior such as strutting and cooing, and wing or tail dragging?


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## white_dove (Aug 5, 2011)

Oh, is there a difference between white homing pigeons and white doves? As you can tell I am not really an expert on doves/pigeons/etc... 

Yes I wanted to have a male/female pair and I thought I had one until they started to fight. The people working at Petland told me they were a male/female pair when I bought them but I don't think they knew what they were talking about..

And I am not exactly sure what strutting and wing & tail dragging means, but they do both make the same noises and they both like fluff up their necks and then lower and raise their heads while making a cooing noise.. like the dove does in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1yOT...eature=related


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Yeah, they're both male.

Btw, don't listen to pet stores--they're often uneducated and just say what they need to to make the sale. This is also why people think that goldfish can live their full lifespan in a bowl. (They are actually a pond fish that reaches a minimum of 10" and a maximum of 5' and lives an avg of 40 years in a pond or large tank...  ) 
Some petstores are ok, but most hire young kids who know nothing or have people who don't care. 

If they sound like this they're ringneck doves:





If they sound like this, they're pigeons:





The lowering and raising while their neck is puffed up would probably indicate that they are ringneck doves, but you need to be sure before getting one a mate (if that's what you choose to do.) You can purchase hens with more certainty from an experienced breeder.

Here are some really good ringneck dove breeders:
http://www.dovepage.com/buy/index.html

I got my bird Edmund his mate from George Schutt on that page--he has gorgeous birds, though you'll have a bit of work getting them tame (show breeders keep them a bit wild so that when they show they don't plop down like little potato-birds.)

Also know that if you get one a mate, it will take some time to get them accustomed to each other such that they can live in the same cage. They have to "date" for a while in areas that haven't been claimed as territory.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Libis said:


> Yeah, they're both male.
> 
> Btw, don't listen to pet stores--they're often uneducated and just say what they need to to make the sale. *This is also why people think that goldfish can live their full lifespan in a bowl. (They are actually a pond fish that reaches a minimum of 10" and a maximum of 5' and lives an avg of 40 years in a pond or large tank...  ) *
> Some petstores are ok, but most hire young kids who know nothing or have people who don't care.


Are you sure you're not confusing koi with goldfish? I have raised both for over twenty years, and have had many koi reach lengths of three feet or more. Goldfish, on the other hand, rarely get over twelve inches in length, and even that is rare for most varieties. Koi will live (on average) for seventy-five years, and there are reports of champion fish in Japan that supposedly lived for over two hundred years.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

ptras said:


> Are you sure you're not confusing koi with goldfish? I have raised both for over twenty years, and have had many koi reach lengths of three feet or more. Goldfish, on the other hand, rarely get over twelve inches in length, and even that is rare for most varieties. Koi will live (on average) for seventy-five years, and there are reports of champion fish in Japan that supposedly lived for over two hundred years.


I've had fish for years too--since I was very small. I put 5' as the very top limit--I've known a few people who had a goldfish make it that far. Generally a fancy gets to 6-10" and a regular goldfish can reach 2-3'. Koi go from 3' to 5' at adulthood if I remember right. A goldfish can make it to 40 with good care. 

Anyway, I'm just trying to show the stupidity of keeping any such animal in a bowl. 

That fish who lived over 200 years has a great story.  She was kept in the same spring-fed pond by the same family for generations. She knew her name and liked to be hugged/petted. Her pondmates were all around 100 years old.  


PS: If I sound cranky today, it's because I was up rather late and it will probably make me sound sharper-tongued than I normally would be. I admit that later this afternoon when I look at these numbers again I might just go *facepalm*. I'm not really awake at the moment. I can also see how the measurements of friends could be screwed up because some people mistakenly measure the tail with the fish.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Libis said:


> I've had fish for years too--since I was very small. I put 5' as the very top limit--I've known a few people who had a goldfish make it that far. Generally a fancy gets to 6-10" and a regular goldfish can reach 2-3'. Koi go from 3' to 5' at adulthood if I remember right. A goldfish can make it to 40 with good care.
> 
> Anyway, I'm just trying to show the stupidity of keeping any such animal in a bowl.
> 
> ...


What a life! Petted, hugged, and fed. The only effort ever expended was for spawning! (Of course, spawning for the female fish does not appear to be a pleasurable event! )


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

ptras said:


> What a life! Petted, hugged, and fed. The only effort ever expended was for spawning! (Of course, spawning for the female fish does not appear to be a pleasurable event! )


Yeah, I wish I could find the news article I read about Hanako. They said that when they went to get a scale to prove her age the lady just called her over, picked her up and held her while they got the scale, and then gently set her back in the water and apologized for having taken the scale. 

It really makes you wonder how many words a koi can learn. I know they can learn calls for food and their names--but it would be interesting to see what else they can understand. It would be hard to test though.


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## white_dove (Aug 5, 2011)

*They sound exactly like the birds in the first video, so they are doves. Yeah I learned my lesson for trusting what the people at the petstore say :/... 
Thank you very much for your help!!! I hope I will be able to find a new home for one of my male doves soon so then maybe I can finally get a female one to go along with one of the males.

Oh and your birds are absolutely adorable!! *


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## AZCorbin (Feb 28, 2011)

ptras said:


> The link you attached is to a picture of two white homing pigeons. Based on the fighting, I would guess that you have two males. Although it is possible for them to get along with each other, it would probably be a lot easier on you if you had a male/female pair. Are the birds showing any other "typically male" behavior such as strutting and cooing, and wing or tail dragging?


Are you sure it's not just semantics? 


> It's just semantics. Not many people are doing Google searches for White Homing Pigeon Releases when they want a release at their wedding. It is similar to calling stereophonic audio reproduction gear a Hi-fi or a stereo. Same thing, different name.
> 
> A guy I know who does white dove releases states on his website and on his brochures that the birds to be released are white homing pigeons. He tells people that he cares for his birds, and won't release them if conditions aren't right for a release. Lastly, he warns people about getting cheap "release doves" to let go themselves. He tells otherwise uninformed people that unscrupulous "feather merchants" will sell white birds for releases, and that it is a sure death sentence to release those birds.
> 
> I also know one of those people without scruples who will sell young, untrained, white homers for release purposes for $5.00 per bird. Must be tempting to the layperson who doesn't know any better - $100 to release twenty of those "release birds" compared to $200 to $350 to hire a reputable release business.


http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=584357&postcount=15


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

AZCorbin said:


> Are you sure it's not just semantics?
> 
> http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/showpost.php?p=584357&postcount=15


Huh?


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## AZCorbin (Feb 28, 2011)

ptras said:


> Huh?


In this thread you say it's just semantics and it is okay for 'dove' release business to call Pigeons Doves.
But here you are telling him it is not a dove but indeed a Pigeon.

Now I am confused....


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

AZCorbin said:


> In this thread you say it's just semantics and it is okay for 'dove' release business to call Pigeons Doves.
> But here you are telling him it is not a dove but indeed a Pigeon.
> 
> Now I am confused....


In that thread we were talking about whether birds used in White Dove Release businesses were actually doves or pigeons. I stated that they are white homing pigeons, and also stated that the people who I know with White Dove release businesses always make sure to differentiate. What I stated was semantics, is the use of the term Dove to describe those birds. If you read the entire thread, you will see that someone thought it was unethical to call white homing pigeons doves.

In this thread, I gave my opinion about what birds she has based upon the picture she provided here: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=white...0&tx=150&ty=59. The picture on there is of "White Racer" homing pigeons. I think she wants to determine whether her birds are pigeons or doves such as ringnecks. I think the importance of getting this right is so she can get a female for one of her males. It would suck if she got a white ringneck dove to mate with a male homing pigeon.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

white_dove said:


> *They sound exactly like the birds in the first video, so they are doves. Yeah I learned my lesson for trusting what the people at the petstore say :/...
> Thank you very much for your help!!! I hope I will be able to find a new home for one of my male doves soon so then maybe I can finally get a female one to go along with one of the males.
> 
> Oh and your birds are absolutely adorable!! *


Thanks!  There are more pics in my albums if you wanna see the babies. 

I figured with all of the bowing they'd be ringnecks. They make very nice house birds. 

Your male is white, right? Maybe look for a nice magician who is looking for more birds? There are good magicians out there who spoil their pets (just be sure to get to know anybody you give your birds to a bit. You don't want anyone who will be cruel to them or release them outside--as ringnecks do not have the instincts to be loose outdoors.) 

Here's a good magic forum: http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewforum.php?forum=13&23989

Pigeon Talk is also a good place to re-home a dove.


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## white_dove (Aug 5, 2011)

*thanks again Libis for your help! *


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## zephyrider1 (Aug 24, 2011)

If you're in Westchester county you're close to Green Chimneys. They may or may not be able to take the bird who's not getting along, but if they did you could hardly hope for a better home. Check out www.greenchimneys.org

Best of luck!


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