# I got a dove



## babydoshia (Dec 7, 2004)

Well, the pigeon fell through so I decided to get a dove instead. His name is Bear. He's very sweet and pretty tame already. He is settling in nicely in his cage. Made a wonderful mess of his cage already by digging through all his food to get to the bottom. He was very hungry. 

What is the best food for a dove? I've read that parakeet food is fine, and that is what I have at the moment but I want to get him on the best diet possible. So....What would that be?

Also, do I need a nest for him or her? (Calling it a "him")

Thanks alot
-Madelon

Here are a few quick pics of my Baby Bear.

































I switched his seed cup to a bigger one as you can see in the 1st and 3rd pics. He was having trouble eating out of the smaller one.


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## rosey_love (Mar 21, 2004)

Hey, what kinda doves are those? are those wring necked doves? There pretty beutiful!! you should also beable to find some pigeons food. that should do good u can get this at and feed in seed stores or gardening stores or anywere like these. You shouldnt keep it on this diet for its life because it needs all its nutrition it can get and budgie food doesnt have it.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Baby Bear is a very handsome dove! I'd try to find some dove mix for him as it will have more of a variety of seeds and is formulated for doves.

You can offer a nest bowl .. he'll either use it or not.

Terry


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## Motherlodelofts (Oct 9, 2004)

Now thats a fine looking Dove !!!!!!!!! enjoy


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## rosey_love (Mar 21, 2004)

I have to agree on that one couse its the truth!!!!


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## Bird_girl(Ronni (Nov 29, 2004)

OOOOH! I know what kind it is! Its a pied dove! I have one!


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## oakhill1863 (Feb 22, 2002)

*New Dove*

Hi Baby,
I agree with Terry, you're dove should be placed on a dove seed mix, many pigeon seed mixes contain some seeds that are too big for ringneck doves to swallow- for instance, ringnecks can eat the smaller black oily sunflower seeds but the larger striped variey is too big for them. Remember that doves are considered softbilled birds and cannot crack seeds open like hookbilled birds do so the seeds you feed doves must be small enough for them to be able to swallow whole without choking. Parakeet seed is ok for now but doves do like a bit more variety in the seed they get and try to get seed that is fotified with vitamins - it will say fortified on the package. 
Your dove will also need either high-calcium grit or oyster shell grit in a separate bowl in his cage, he/she will eat small amounts as needed primarily for the calcium. Adding vitamins to the water several times a week isn't a bad idea either making sure that it has A and D3 which indoor birds can't get from direct sunlight- thru window glass does not help them with these viatmins so a supplement would be good.
I'm afraid that I can't agree that your new dove is a pied. A pied dove is always primarily a white bird with some feathers of a different color. It's hard to tell since the light in your photos isn't bright but it looks like the color of your dove is what is called wild-type. You may find the following dove sites helpful to you as you get to know your new dove - www.internationaldovesociety.com, www.dovepage.com, www.ringneckdove.com and www.doveline.com. there are many excellent articles and photos on these sites that will help you with info on diet, housing, behavior and many other topics.
Best of luck with your new dove, if well cared for they can live to be 15-20 years old so you will have Bear to enjoy for many years to come.


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## oakhill1863 (Feb 22, 2002)

*New Dove*

Hi Baby,
I went back and looked at your photos of Bear again and I believe his/her color to be fawn- it depends on how old your dove is. If mature(6-8 months of age) the wild-type I mentioned in my previous post will have a violet head and black tips to some flight and tail feathers whereas the fawn will have a beige colored head and the flights and tail feathers will be more of a charcoal grey and not black. If you put them side by side the fawn is a shade lighter than a wild-type without the violet head. If you go to any of the sites I previously suggested you will find photos of the various colors. If your dove is a junvenile its color will change slightly as it molts and adult feathers grow in.


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## Joshua (Dec 1, 2004)

Are you sure that looks like a turtle dove. I have one that comes to my feeder and my house every winter I am looking forward to seeing him angain this winter. You might be right about that one ronni I might just be thinking wrong.


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## babydoshia (Dec 7, 2004)

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not sure what kind he is. I just assumed he was a rignneck. The lighting in my house is bad so it's hard to show his actual color in pics.

I hate that I'm using parakeet seed. It's all I could find in the store. I'll check out a few other pet stores this week or order some good stuff online. I do have grit in the cage. 
My cockatiels are on Roudybush pellets. Roudybush makes a crumble as well. Do you think it would be good for Bear to have it mixed in with whatever other seed I use? If so, what percent of the mix should it be. My tiels are on about 95% pellets 5% bird seed mix. They would be on full pellets but they like the seeds so why not give them a little treat. Would the crumble be ok. I think it's more for parrot type birds but figure I should ask anyways. A full seed diet is not good for cockatiels but I'm not sure if it is the same for doves.

Those of you that have/had doves, what is the brand of food you use and where did you get it from?

Also, how are doves and fresh vegetables? My tiels get fresh veggies every other day. They love them. Different types of lettuce, some fruit, etc. Not sure how a dove would eat it since their beak is so different, but can they have veggies if I was to chop them up or something like that?

Ok, that concludes my questions for now. I'm sure I'll think of some more later on 

Thanks alot
-Madelon


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## babydoshia (Dec 7, 2004)

Alright, I went to the local feed store and got some seeds to mix since I can't find any dove food around here.
How does this sound as a mix? I havn't mixed it yet.

Cracked corn (very small)
Safflower seeds
Wild finch seed mix
Parakeet seed
Wild bird seed mix (It has small sunflower seeds in it)

And, some more pics  








He has such pretty bright orange eyes. You can't really see them in pics though.

















Thanks
-Madelon


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## babydoshia (Dec 7, 2004)

Done.
The keet seed has white millet in it


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Here's a link to what is in the Kaytee Dove Mix .. have a look and see what you might need to add or subtract:

http://www.kaytee.com/products/companion_birds/?pid=01531&aid=all&pcid=1

Terry


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## Hanie (Oct 14, 2004)

OOOOOOOOOH!!!! BEEAUUTIFULL!! I know what you feel like! Ijust My pijis too  !

Hanie


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

the tread is from 2004.....why are you posting so much? are you having trouble with the site?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

hellllllooooo the thread is from 2004


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

are you drunk?....


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## Yeasmin (Jun 24, 2009)

I think so...


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

ha ha ha, may be he tried out a script, otherwise wld sure like to know which brand he took and how many pegs


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## dishan (Aug 20, 2009)

r u MAD nathastel???


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Mad or not, the troll is gone


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## Yeasmin (Jun 24, 2009)

John_D said:


> Mad or not, the troll is gone


Where's gone???


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Yeasmin said:


> Where's gone???


Gone to the banned from pigeon talk box


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