# two skittish foster doves: how to relax them?



## chuparosa (Apr 27, 2012)

I'm fostering two white ringneck doves that were previously someone's pets. I have no experience with doves. I was told both are females and I do not know how old they are. They are extremely skittish. I'm wondering if they have been caught too much by the previous owner. Anyway, I have a large cage for them with the top off at all times. They are free to fly and roam around as they wish. I am feeding them dove seed mix, grit, millet and veggies. How can I help these skittish darlings relax and enjoy? I am very slow to approach them and the few times when I have had to move them, I have had them step up onto a large wooden dowel but even then they freak out and fly off.

Also one is 135 grams and one is 155 grams. What is a good weight for them?

Thanks so much in advance!


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## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

They will need a time to get used to their new place, a quiet room where people do not walk every minute would help at the beginning.

To sleep is better to cover the cage with a towel letting just the front open in case they want to move out.

Put at the beginning just a few seeds and a small amount of water and monitor this way if they are eating and drinking enough.

Buy special feeders and waterers where they can not walk in and contaminate the water and food with droppings.

Music helps a lot particularly lullabies. Talk to them softly and a lot about nice things

Pigeons and doves are very fragile if you have to handel them first wrap them in a small towel, talk to them softly and them look foor injuries and possible mites in their feathers and skin, take a look in their throats take notes if you see any abnormality like lumps, redness, or anything that look suspicious.

If you have other pets at home like dogs and cats, keep them in separate rooms, cat's salive is mortal to pigeons and doves.


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## chuparosa (Apr 27, 2012)

ETphonehome said:


> They will need a time to get used to their new place, a quiet room where people do not walk every minute would help at the beginning.
> 
> To sleep is better to cover the cage with a towel letting just the front open in case they want to move out.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for your help. They are indeed eating and pooping up a storm! Seed is everywhere. They snacked on a piece of whole wheat bread and even some cooked quinoa this morning. I have them in my bedroom because my budgies are in the other room and I was told to quarantine the doves from them so they are alone for the afternoon while I am at work. I will try to cover the cage at night although they are very good doves and head into the cage by themselves and sleep nicely. I will try music too.

Any advice on their weight?

Also, this morning one was perched on the edge of the cage and doing some lovely cooing. Is this a sign she is upset or happy? I was running water in the sink so I was not sure if she was reacting to the water sound.


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## ETphonehome (Jan 3, 2012)

Weight and size is acording to their age, gender, and also acording to the feeding they get, the most varied the best.

Look for a shop in you area where they sell doves and buy some probiotica to be use during and after antibiotica, this is essential to keep a good digestion and prevent illnesess, offer them a bath in a bowl not deeper than 4/6cm with warm water at least twice a week.

be just carefull if you put the budgies and the doves together they can attack the budgies and even kill the budgies. Breeding time is alway a period when all birds get extra aggressief.

I hope these page helps a bit with the weight

http://www.diamonddove.info/bird15%20NA%20Doves.htm


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## jondove (Nov 17, 2011)

Google: 

_Ringneck Doves - weights
Average weight per grams - ranges from 140 to 215 grams of adult birds. Using 160 grams for the adult females and 180 grams for the adult males is typical & can be useful when medications are required._

Which means yours are either not very fat, or still young. The best way to see if a bird is too thin is to check the keel (breastbone). If it doesn't stick out, which means there's enough meat on both sides of it, then it's ok.

The one that was cooing is probably the male. He certainly wasn't upset. It probably means he's already got accustomed to your place and doing his thing as usual. They won't coo when they are afraid or just not used to a new place.


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## chuparosa (Apr 27, 2012)

jondove said:


> Google:
> 
> _Ringneck Doves - weights
> Average weight per grams - ranges from 140 to 215 grams of adult birds. Using 160 grams for the adult females and 180 grams for the adult males is typical & can be useful when medications are required._
> ...


I cant say thank you enough for all the information you have provided.

I love the probiotics suggestion. I live in nyc and there are no stores selling doves that i am aware of but there are some good pet stores where i might be able to find the probiotics.

I know about feeling the keel bone as it is the same for budgies but i do not want to handle the doves as they are quite terrified of hands. One seems underweight to me but thank you for the links.

Both are cooing and i am delighted to know that this is a positive sign.

Thanks again!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

are the doves in a cage?


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## chuparosa (Apr 27, 2012)

spirit wings said:


> are the doves in a cage?


Yes, I was given a huge cage for them. However, they are free to come and go as they please as I leave the cage door open. They are hardly ever in the cage. I have also set up my old budgie cage and they sometimes sit on the top of that. They seem happy exploring around my bedroom. I have a couple of plastic tablecloths covering my bed and sometimes they walk about on there too.

I'm off to home depot later on today to try to find something that I can fashion into a flat perch for them. I have a large dowel perch in the cage and I'm sure that is not comfy for them. I'm really trying to keep them happy with the little knowledge I have.

Here is a pic of them.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I would house them in the cage when you are gone for their safty. Watch them careful if there is a door near to the outside esp when you have company or little kids going in and out. would hate to see a flyer out the door.


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## chuparosa (Apr 27, 2012)

Yesterday my husband and I went to home depot and got a door saddle. It is oak. My husband cut it in half and screwed the two pieces together. We then attached two side hinges and attached those to the cage with a bolt/washer. Worked like a charm! We now have a fabulous perch for the doves! I hope this info might help someone else. The door saddle was the perfect size to refashion into a perch!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

chuparosa said:


> Yesterday my husband and I went to home depot and got a door saddle. It is oak. My husband cut it in half and screwed the two pieces together. We then attached two side hinges and attached those to the cage with a bolt/washer. Worked like a charm! We now have a fabulous perch for the doves! I hope this info might help someone else. The door saddle was the perfect size to refashion into a perch!


Are you keeping them or are they still foster birds.?


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## chuparosa (Apr 27, 2012)

spirit wings said:


> Are you keeping them or are they still foster birds.?


No, I am not keeping them. I am just their foster.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

It sounds like they are adjusting fairly well and you have given them a great foster home. If they can come out of their cage and calmly explore a room with you in it, without being scared too death, they are doing pretty good already. Bonding with people will just be a matter of time. But avoid grabbing them in your hands - that can un-do lots of taming and it sounds like these 2 might have been handled too roughly in the past. It's best to just have them perch on top of your hand or arm.

If you can have a dish of their favorite food near you, while you do something quiet like read or watch TV, that might get them to approach you and sooner or later land on your arm. My doves love hemp seeds, if you can get them. They also like crushed hard-boiled egg (which is a rich food and should only be feed every few weeks or so).


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## Quazar (Jul 27, 2010)

ETphonehome said:


> Weight and size is acording to their age, gender, and also acording to the feeding they get, the most varied the best.
> 
> Look for a shop in you area where they sell doves and buy some probiotica to be use during and after antibiotica, this is essential to keep a good digestion and prevent illnesess, offer them a bath in a bowl not deeper than 4/6cm with warm water at least twice a week.
> 
> ...


I think you'll find it is the other way round !!!
Budgies are HOOKBILLS and although small can seriously injure or kill a dove as they really have no way of defending temselves.
Ideally, Doves or pigeons should not be housed with any hookbill bird no matter how incomparible in size they are.


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## chuparosa (Apr 27, 2012)

Lefty07 said:


> It sounds like they are adjusting fairly well and you have given them a great foster home. If they can come out of their cage and calmly explore a room with you in it, without being scared too death, they are doing pretty good already. Bonding with people will just be a matter of time. But avoid grabbing them in your hands - that can un-do lots of taming and it sounds like these 2 might have been handled too roughly in the past. It's best to just have them perch on top of your hand or arm.
> 
> If you can have a dish of their favorite food near you, while you do something quiet like read or watch TV, that might get them to approach you and sooner or later land on your arm. My doves love hemp seeds, if you can get them. They also like crushed hard-boiled egg (which is a rich food and should only be feed every few weeks or so).


Your doves are gorgeous!! And adorable! Thanks so much for your reply. I think my foster doves are doing much better. They are cooing like mad at 6 am everyday. I let them out of the cage at about that time. They hop right out and start wondering about the room. They laugh quite a bit when they move around. It is quite funny to hear.

The hardest part has been getting them to go to bed. At first they went right in but now they do not like to go back in the cage to sleep. When they are in the cage they are so cute as they squat down into a puddle. One sits right next to the other. I also noticed that they will cross tails when sitting close and wondered if that is the origin of the term "dovetail."

One thing I have noticed is that I need to be exceedingly careful about keeping the floor spotlessly clean. One day they found a small safely pin that must had fallen on the floor. They were just playing with it but it was small enough that they could have swallowed it. I got very nervous when I saw that.

I do not wish to tame these birds as I am only their foster momma. I just want them to be calm and happy during their stay with me.

I will look for hemp seed. I'm all for giving them egg too as I do give that to my budgies.


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## SmplySooz (Oct 21, 2012)

*Adapting a Perch*

I used an old cutting board. It's wood and flat and supported by the round dowel perches. I don't know for sure, but I think pigeons aren't prone to chewing on stuff like parrots do.


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