# 7 white pigeons for adoption near Faversham, Kent (England)



## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

A very nice woman contacted me today about rehoming her 7 white doves. Since I'm over in the US, I obviously can't take them in, but I told her I would pass along the info to you guys 

"Hello, I found your name on the web when I was looking for someone to rehome my 7 doves to. 
I live near Faversham Kent and had my lovely birds for over 3 years.
My husband and I would like to travel, so I am looking for someone to take over the care of our plain white doves.
They live in our white dovecote, and fly freely every day, so I would like someone to do the same for the sake of their happy future.
Please could you email me if you are interested, and we could talk more."

She says they also eat from her hand, so I'm assuming they are fairly tame 
I am assuming these are either white homing pigeons, or white garden fantails. They free fly, so they cannot be ringneck doves, of course.


If you or anyone you know can help her, then please send her an email so you can talk about adopting 

Contact:
Pat Little - [email protected]


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

Thanks for passing it on, Becky


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I thought an update would be in order here. 

I just received this e-mail from Pat. I had contacted her to see if she needed help finding homes and she said she had been approached by someone who runs a dove release business. I don't know whether the intention of the person offering the home was to use the doves for releases, but had to warn her that it was a possibility and that garden doves are not suitable for releases.

_Hello Cynthia, I made a good contact on Saturday and this chap who has a doves business, and he has given me a name.

I phoned the lady today and their place sounds just perfect in West Sussex on an 8 acre site which sounds so good.

The lady's young son is into chickens and other birds and they have agreed with me to have them this Friday, and he will take over their care.
They already have 2 doves and were looking for more, and they have a dovecote and net all ready to "home" them.

Gosh I feel so good that they will not go to dove release, and I shall be seeing where they are going to. The family sound so nice and live on a sort of farm and I was promised they will be well cared for.

Thanks for your support and advice.

Regards Pat. _


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

that is very nice.... glad things worked out..


Not sure how living in a dovecote is better than dove release unless they are not homing pigeons,, are they homing pigeons?... would these birds home back to Favershame?


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> Not sure how living in a dovecote is better than dove release unless they are not homing pigeons,, are they homin pigeons?... would these birds home back to Favershame?


They are doves that are used to living in a dovecote (see first post). In the UK a lot of people have garden doves.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

Yay! I am very happy for her  She had emailed me a few days ago saying she had yet to find a home. But I'm glad that quickly changed!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Feefo said:


> They are doves that are used to living in a dovecote (see first post). In the UK a lot of people have garden doves.


I know that.. just wondering how UK folks use these "doves" to release..they must have homing pigeon in them....I know what a dovecote is also.. and the birds are pretty much out in the wild all the time.. so was not sure how that is better than living in someone's loft that happens to do release work... I was just confused... and wondering if these birds may fly back to her...


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> I know that.. just wondering how UK folks use these "doves" to release..they must have homing pigeon in them..


The problem in the UK is that although the reputable firms use homers *some* people will buy or acquire white doves, not white homing pigeons, for about £5 to release as a "one off" at funerals and at weddings and expect them to "find a feral flock" to join afterwards. These birds that have lived all their lives in captivity have no skills to survive in the wild . This is why I was concerned about whether the person with a dove release business would be using them for releases.

They are going to someone who will net them into the dovecote for them to become accustomed to it rather than fly away. This is what Pat was referring to when she said there was a net ready to home them. "Homing" garden doves to a new dovecote takes a fraction of the time it would take to even attempt to home a homer to a new loft.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Feefo said:


> The problem in the UK is that although the reputable firms use homers *some* people will buy or acquire white doves, not white homing pigeons, for about £5 to release as a "one off" at funerals and at weddings and expect them to "find a feral flock" to join afterwards. These birds that have lived all their lives in captivity have no skills to survive in the wild . This is why I was concerned about whether the person with a dove release business would be using them for releases.
> 
> They are going to someone who will net them into the dovecote for them to become accustomed to it rather than fly away. This is what Pat was referring to when she said there was a net ready to home them. "Homing" garden doves to a new dovecote takes a fraction of the time it would take to even attempt to home a homer to a new loft.


Im sorry for my confusion...lol.. so these are white ring neck doves?.. or pigeons?.. I guess they are not homing pigeons because you can not settle those to a cote....and if released they would NOT go back home...?... Why would release people keep losing pigeons (doves) and not use homing pigeons..


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Usually it is people that don't want to go to the trouble of training pigeons to home, the expense of a loft and of keeping them. The ones that I was told about by the aviary that sold them were funeral directors. My guess is that they choose fantails because they are pretty, but they don't have the homing ability or the flying ability of homers. One of our rescues was a fantail found in the city centre.


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## MaryOfExeter (Sep 30, 2007)

They are garden fantails


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> They are garden fantails


Thanks Becky...probably the worst pigeons to release but also the prettiest for releases so most likely to be chosen by the unscrupulous!

I am glad these will be safe!

Cynthia


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Thank you ! garden fantails..... I see.. they must breed tons of them to keep up numbers if they are just throwing them to the wind.. how stupid.. those are great for the cote...and beautiful. glad they are some place nice.


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