# Pet Dove Cage Interior Design/Perches



## TwinkieSlug (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm building a new bigger cage for my ringneck dove Pearl. Hopefully Pearl will have 1 or 2 new companions coming in the next week. The new cage is ~4.5' long x2.5'x2.5'. I'm thinking if I put a couple perches width wise near the ends then they can have room to fly across the length. Does this sound reasonable? Also I'm a bit confused about perch shape. Most I see in pix are round in diameter, but I thought someone said they prefer flat perches? Maybe that was pigeons Something about bricks? A narrow perch would get pooped on less right? This will be an indoor cage for no more than 3 birds. Is the size ok? I see many pix of doves in tiny cages. It's hard for me to get Pearl out too often for exercise as there are 4 house cats and 2 of the 4 dogs are just nuisances when there's a little pet out of it's enclosure. Will they get enough exercise in my new cage? I'm so excited about getting Pearl's new companion(s)


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

If you get her more than one companion then you run the risk of having two cock birds,they can not be kept in the same cage together, so just in case perl in "paul" you should only get one hen then see how it goes, they both may lay eggs or only one will and then you would know 100%. I use the large round perches and the thicker natural ones sold for parrots at the pet store, leaving wing room is a good thing. you can always can put your other pets up in another room to let out the doves.


----------



## SPedigrees (Oct 27, 2004)

Pigeons like wide, flat perches similar to the cliff surfaces they have evolved to sit on. 

I believe that doves prefer round perches similar to tree branches, but someone else more familiar with doves should answer this last.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

SPedigrees said:


> Pigeons like wide, flat perches similar to the cliff surfaces they have evolved to sit on.
> 
> I believe that doves prefer round perches similar to tree branches, but someone else more familiar with doves should answer this last.


I believe your right, doves like thick round branches and flat services both. they really like a round basket for nesting, one that does not tip, I tie mine by the handle, I use a easter type basket with a handle, and zip tie the handle to the top of the cage in the upper corner, it works great, does not move or swing.


----------



## TwinkieSlug (Oct 6, 2009)

Thanks, that was the exact information I needed.


----------



## TwinkieSlug (Oct 6, 2009)

Pearl has his new friend! Pearl is definitely a boy and the new one is a girl. It was love at first sight! He coos to her constantly, laughs a lot too. Sometimes I catch them perched side by side. Pearl is so happy! The new dove is eating well, drinking, pooping normal... It went so perfectly  I attached a picture of them in their cage. The female is the little round thing on the food bowl, Pearl's barely visible on the branch on the left. There is a pair of guinea pigs down below. 

I've enjoyed Pearl so much, I'm contemplating getting a pair of King Pigeons from the Mickaboo rescue. First I would need to make them an enclosure of course. Would the size of Pearl's cage be sufficient for 2 Kings? It's 4.5"x2.5"x2.5" Kings are supposed to be relatively mellow right?


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Thats looks like a wonderful setup! lots of room. I love guinea pigs too! glad all is going well with the pair, they will be sitting on eggs in no time.....make sure you got your fake eggs!..lol..


----------



## overwelmedd (Aug 14, 2009)

Twinkie I really like your enclosure. Did you make it yourself? If so, would you mind telling me what your used. It appears modular. I have a Mourning Dove and a Pigeon. Both would appreciate more elbow room.

Gina


----------



## TwinkieSlug (Oct 6, 2009)

I got the idea from a guinea pig website. I get my grids from Target. They're in the storage shelving isle in a box of ~23. In the original sets, all 23 grids used to have small holes, all the grids were the same. The newer (cheaper to make I'm sure) version has most of the grids small holes. These holes are still a smidge larger than the original ones. But it also has some grids with very open holes, not useful for the most part as a bird cage. You can tell from the picture on the box, the large grids are used as the backing of the cube unit it makes. I have found some boxes of the originals hidden behind boxes of the new ones. If you go to http://www.guineapigcages.com there is a "materials" box on the left. It will direct you to places in your area to get the grids. 

I use the junction/joint disks the grids come with, but I reinforce my grid junctions with cable ties too. I have cats and rambunctious dogs so I want to make sure it hold up to them. Some people only use the cable ties, some only use the junctions that come with the grids. There are tons of examples on the guinea pig web site. 

My guinea pigs have a cloroplast bottom pan, no floor grids. For the doves I just have news paper over a grid floor. If you can only find the new grid sets, you can use the open ones as the floor, then put wood, cardboard, or something else stiff over them. My cage is 2 grids by 4 grids. If I put a rug on the top, the cats can sit up there, it's strong enough to hold them.


----------



## pouletchalet (Jan 8, 2009)

Twinkeslug, that is a great idea! I just adopted a pair of ringnecks and I think I'm going to try this for a winter setup. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## TwinkieSlug (Oct 6, 2009)

Well today I went to 2 Targets, a WalMart, and a Home Depo. WM and HD had nothing. Target had the cube system, but they managed to make it even worse! Now the back AND sides are the big lame grids. So out of a box of 23, there are only 11 good grids and 12 bad ones. For ~$15. Bed Bath and Beyond was another place people found them, I'll check it out if I can find out where it is. Amazon has them but for the price you might as well buy the Target ones and discard the big ones that you don't use. 

Very frustrating! I'm going to go pout and eat ice-cream. Maybe tomorrow I'll get back on the guinea pig forum and see if I can find out where people are finding them lately.


----------



## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

TwinkieSlug said:


> Well today I went to 2 Targets, a WalMart, and a Home Depo. WM and HD had nothing. Target had the cube system, but they managed to make it even worse! Now the back AND sides are the big lame grids. So out of a box of 23, there are only 11 good grids and 12 bad ones. For ~$15. Bed Bath and Beyond was another place people found them, I'll check it out if I can find out where it is. Amazon has them but for the price you might as well buy the Target ones and discard the big ones that you don't use.
> 
> Very frustrating! I'm going to go pout and eat ice-cream. Maybe tomorrow I'll get back on the guinea pig forum and see if I can find out where people are finding them lately.


oh that is a bummer, I bought them at Target also when I had my guinea pigs, did about the same thing with the colorplast, I just left mine open at the top and just had the grids around the perimeter of the colorplast, so I did not need as many. but if you have other animals in the house that would not work, it worked for me as they were in a spot in the house by themselves and I could just reach in and pet them/feed/water, just lifted the grids up and took the bottom and dumped it in the compost pile wiped it down and viola clean. they really are great ideas to keep the critters in, rabbits too!


----------

