# Can I just own one Ringneck Dove?



## Taubee (Apr 24, 2017)

Hallo! 

I'm planning on adopting a Ringneck Dove soon, and I've got what I need as far as information on housing, hygiene, etc. but I was wondering if it would be ok to just simply get a lone Ringneck Dove? I don't have the money to own to of them, and I just wanted to know if owning a lone dove is alright. I'm ok with either sex. Is a female or a male better to get if only purchasing one?
Danke,
Taubee


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Having 2 doves won't cost you much more than having 1. They are such social birds, it will be awful to have only one in a cage. No matter how much time you spend with your dove, no human can ever replace the company of another dove.

Get a female first and let her get used to you. Then get either another female or male. If they lay eggs, you can always replace them with fake eggs so no unwanted babies will hatch.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Marina B said:


> Having 2 doves won't cost you much more than having 1. They are such social birds, it will be awful to have only one in a cage. No matter how much time you spend with your dove, no human can ever replace the company of another dove.
> 
> Get a female first and let her get used to you. Then get either another female or male. If they lay eggs, you can always replace them with fake eggs so no unwanted babies will hatch.


Agree with this^. One dove alone in a cage is lonely. They should have a mate or companion. Sitting alone in a cage all day by yourself isn't much of a life.


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## Taubee (Apr 24, 2017)

Marina B said:


> Having 2 doves won't cost you much more than having 1. They are such social birds, it will be awful to have only one in a cage. No matter how much time you spend with your dove, no human can ever replace the company of another dove.
> 
> Get a female first and let her get used to you. Then get either another female or male. If they lay eggs, you can always replace them with fake eggs so no unwanted babies will hatch.


Ah, ok! I'll see what I can do


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## Taubee (Apr 24, 2017)

Marina B said:


> Having 2 doves won't cost you much more than having 1. They are such social birds, it will be awful to have only one in a cage. No matter how much time you spend with your dove, no human can ever replace the company of another dove.
> 
> Get a female first and let her get used to you. Then get either another female or male. If they lay eggs, you can always replace them with fake eggs so no unwanted babies will hatch.


Wait, with two doves will you need to double the amount of bowls and food offered or no?


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

Will only need one bowl for food, one for water and one for grit. Food, however, enough for 2 birds. 

Then also vitamins, especially calcium with vit D3, otherwise your egg-laying female might experience some problems with being eggbound. If they get sick (won't necessarily, but just in case) then you'll have to either take your bird to a vet or if you know the problem, spend money on meds to solve the problem.

So even with birds, like cats and dogs, it's not only about feeding them, but also being prepared to spend money treating them for diseases when necessarily.


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## Taubee (Apr 24, 2017)

Alright, thanks! Do you have any brands of vitamins and calcium you can recommend? I've heard of Red Cell and Winsmore.


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## Marina B (May 5, 2011)

In our country we have products from Medpet , but I don't think you will have it over there.


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## Taubee (Apr 24, 2017)

Ah, alright.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I would either speak to a vet, or go to a pet shop near you and ask them what they recommend.


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## elizaisling (Mar 28, 2012)

Coming from someone who originally started with only one dove, I would highly recommend getting two. Doves (and I think most birds in general) like to have a mate, even if they do not have any actual sexual interaction with that mate. And if there is not another bird present, that mate will likely become you.

At first it's cute - he/she would be super affectionate with you, want to be with you all the time, etc. But what I found is that it wasn't fair on the bird, because I couldn't be with her 24/7. It was also a bit annoying for me because she was constantly cooing to try and get my attention, which is understandable since she saw me as her main companion.

If you are concerned about the possibility of reproduction, get two females. I got a second female and they are now inseparable. (In my case, it took them a little while to become attached to each other -- but that was because the first dove already saw me as her mate and was resistant to bonding with the other bird at first. But if you get them both at the same time, this shouldn't be an issue.)

They keep each other company and even lay eggs and take turns sitting on them (although obviously nothing ever comes of it). My first bird is no longer as attached to me as she was originally, but I am okay with that because I can see that she is much happier.

In terms of what you'll need -- if you can get your hands on it, buy Harrison's Adult Lifetime Fine bird food. (They insist birds new to this food need their "high potency" food to start with, but in my opinion that's not completely necessary.) It's readily available at independent pet stores in the US (PetSmart and other big brand stores don't carry it, as they have to go through the company directly instead of a mainstream distributor), but here in Canada it can be hard to find. Luckily for me, my vet sells it. If you can't find it in your area, it's easy to order online.

Pellets like Harrison's are healthier than feeding seed because your bird gets a more complete diet. When provided with seed, most birds will pick and choose their favourite seeds and leave the rest. I have found that when I feed Harrison's pellets, the quality is such that I haven't needed to provide them with extra vitamins or calcium. However, with females, you may still end up needing calcium depending on their egg-laying behaviour.

By feeding a high-quality food, you'll reduce the likelihood of health problems down the road, so although it is expensive, it's well worth it. I buy the 5 lb bags and provide a total of two tablespoons per day, which is enough for both of my doves to share.

Hope this information helps, and best of luck!


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

elizaisling said:


> Coming from someone who originally started with only one dove, I would highly recommend getting two. Doves (and I think most birds in general) like to have a mate, even if they do not have any actual sexual interaction with that mate. And if there is not another bird present, that mate will likely become you.
> 
> At first it's cute - he/she would be super affectionate with you, want to be with you all the time, etc. But what I found is that it wasn't fair on the bird, because I couldn't be with her 24/7. It was also a bit annoying for me because she was constantly cooing to try and get my attention, which is understandable since she saw me as her main companion.
> 
> ...


Good post^
Thank you for posting it. Good to hear from someone who knows. Yes, it can be cute in the beginning, but soon grows tiresome. Especially when out of cage and they are very clingy. I mean over the top clingy. Can be very frustrating for both the owner and the poor bird. Not really fair to the bird.


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