# Diamond Dove Egg Parents- Strange droppings?



## chat_noir (Jun 27, 2012)

I recently adopted two diamond doves: a male and a female. They came with two eggs, though the stress of the move caused them to ditch the eggs. I left them in the cage for a week after moving them into our home just in case it might make their transition a little easier. As soon as it was clear they had zero interest in their old nest I went ahead and tossed it out. Immediately they began to breed and sure enough, the female laid a new egg (possibly two?) a couple days ago. We provided them with shredded napkins and they padded up their nest. They've been proud parents since! They take turns sitting on the nest. Occasionally they'll both take a break for a few minutes to cuddle on the perch or forage on the bottom of the cage, or sometimes they'll both sit in the nest at the same time.

The only problem is that I started noticing abnormal poops on the bottom of their cage the other day. Neon pink or green stains around their droppings was the first difference, which I assume is the food dye from their seed. (I'm only noting it here now in case it might tie in with the other changes.) Then I started noticing very large droppings that at first I didn't even recognize as droppings (triple or so in size compared to average). There are still normal-size droppings around, so I'm assuming it's only one of the two doves creating the larger ones. I've been trying to keep an eye on it, but for the most part I just assumed that maybe the bigger droppings were from the female as a result of the vent being stretched out during egg laying? Tonight though, I noticed what appears to be a very large pellet-like object on the bottom of their cage. It looks like a oval ball of grey clay about half an inch in length. (To be honest, I first thought it might be a pinch of cat poop from the litter box, but our cage is suspended and there's no way the cats could have gotten up there to track something like that in. Gross!)

I'm a little alarmed because I don't want my new doves to be sick! I've never owned doves or pigeons before, so I don't know what is normal and what isn't. Please help!


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

The coloring most likely is from their food, I see it in my birds all the time. 
The big droppings are also normal. They have bigger dropping due to egg-sitting, they hold their droppings until they get up and then have a big, stinky one
Not sure about the glay colored one. If it happens again, please take a pic. 

Reti


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## rascal66 (May 13, 2011)

Reti said:


> The coloring most likely is from their food, I see it in my birds all the time.
> The big droppings are also normal. They have bigger dropping due to egg-sitting, they hold their droppings until they get up and then have a big, stinky one
> Not sure about the glay colored one. If it happens again, please take a pic.
> 
> Reti


I'm glad I came to look for a thread before I posted one about this myself  
My Doves just laid eggs too and are being great parents. And today I realized these giant dropping on the bottom of the cage, almost egg sized! I thought this was normal but I wanted to double check and I'm glad to hear what I'm hearing


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

Yes...the big poops are very normal! 

Instead of giving them paper for their nest...give them some cut up hay, dried grass, or dried up pine needles from a White Pine tree. The hatchlings need something coarse to hold on to so they don't get splay legged. The tissue paper may be too slippery for their feet...nothing to hold on too. You can leave that for the bottom layer and let them add a layer of pine needles or hay on top of that.

Dawn


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## rascal66 (May 13, 2011)

Doves1111 said:


> Yes...the big poops are very normal!
> 
> Instead of giving them paper for their nest...give them some cut up hay, dried grass, or dried up pine needles from a White Pine tree. The hatchlings need something coarse to hold on to so they don't get splay legged. The tissue paper may be too slippery for their feet...nothing to hold on too. You can leave that for the bottom layer and let them add a layer of pine needles or hay on top of that.
> 
> Dawn


I use a bedding you would find at pet stores... is that okay? My doves actually like to use it although I have offered twigs


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

I don't know what bedding you are talking about. Pet stores sell hay for guinea pigs...that would be good to use. My Diamond Doves love the White Pine needles the best. I layer the bottom of the nest with some pine shavings and then top it with some pine needles. I put some of the pine needles on the bottom of the cage so they can continue to build and finish their own nest. You have to watch that they don't over do it though. Sometimes the pair will get carried away in the building and the eggs or the babies will fall out of the nest 

Dawn


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## rascal66 (May 13, 2011)

Doves1111 said:


> I don't know what bedding you are talking about. Pet stores sell hay for guinea pigs...that would be good to use. My Diamond Doves love the White Pine needles the best. I layer the bottom of the nest with some pine shavings and then top it with some pine needles. I put some of the pine needles on the bottom of the cage so they can continue to build and finish their own nest. You have to watch that they don't over do it though. Sometimes the pair will get carried away in the building and the eggs or the babies will fall out of the nest
> 
> Dawn


Oh no that's a scary thought D: I'll definitely look out for that! 
The bedding i'm talking about is a material used for all pets that's made out of recycled paper. I believe the brand is called carefresh?


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

I'm familiar with that product...my granddaughters used it for their guinea pig. I never used it for nesting material for my doves...so I can't say if it is good or not for that use. I guess trying it and experimenting with it will tell if it is good nesting material to use for them.

Dawn


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