# Where to buy the best seed mixture for my doves? Who sells the best?



## scmona (Sep 6, 2012)

I have been buying a dove mix at my local birdfarm, but was wondering if it contains enough vitamins...etc. It only says dove mix on the bag. Sometimes i buy a box of the fruit/seed mix for parakeets at walmart which my doves go crazy for.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

From the American dove association they say: "What do doves eat?
Most doves are seedeaters. We will not discuss fruit and vegetable-eating doves. Seedeaters can be fed finch mix, cockatiel mix, wild bird seed, and semisoft dog food (such as Ken-L-Ration’s Moist and Beefy). Dog food is put in the food processor, and a tablespoon is put on the seed daily (1 teaspoon for fewer than four doves). As a special treat, doves like leafy vegetables, broccoli, cut up apples, bread crumbs, mashed hard boiled eggs, and occasionally mealworms. Fresh water and grit should always be provided. Oyster shells and chicken eggshells baked in the oven for several hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit and crushed finely make an excellent source of calcium.
Doves also like vegetables, cooked rice, leafy vegetables, peanut butter, grated cheese, and mashed hard boiled eggs. Some doves have to learn to eat other foods. Most doves will soon eat vegetables and fruit with gusto."


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

My doves enjoy broccoli.


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

My doves love arugula. I feed them LaFeber's finch food pellets now with arugula and oyster shells. I used to feed them a seed mix for doves, however they picked out and ate only the seeds they liked and one of my doves ended up with a calcium deficiency. They love the Lafebers food though so I know they are getting everything they need now.


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## scmona (Sep 6, 2012)

Luamoon, thank you, that is very helpful.


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## scmona (Sep 6, 2012)

Nancy, Broccoli? Thats great.


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

LuaMoon said:


> My doves love arugula. I feed them LaFeber's finch food pellets now with arugula and oyster shells. I used to feed them a seed mix for doves, however they picked out and ate only the seeds they liked and one of my doves ended up with a calcium deficiency. They love the Lafebers food though so I know they are getting everything they need now.


I believe pellets are the way to go too...whether it be Finch, Parakeet, Chicken, or Pigeon Pellets. Basically they all have the same ingredients and are a much better nutritional diet than a seed diet.

Dawn


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Here is Lafebers website. I have found the food at most petsmart/petco type stores. http://lafebercares.com/


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

My doves enjoy parsley.I had some planted in a planter & they enjoyed it so much that they killed the poor plant but I had to laugh they were just birds being birds.I buy most of my birdseed & millet from the birdfarm that I purchased my doves from.


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## scmona (Sep 6, 2012)

afetr reading they like brocolli, I placed a few crowns in the cage and they loved them. Next I'll get some parsley too.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

My very 1st doves were not into fresh brocolli.I think doves can sometimes have a small difference of taste.My 1st doves enjoyed a small amount of fresh fig from time to time.Careful not to give much of it though!


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## scmona (Sep 6, 2012)

They love the brocolli. yay.


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## pigeon is fun (Sep 6, 2010)

If you live near riverside by 91 and 15 freeway, check out magnolia bird farm. I like there seed bar section.


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## scmona (Sep 6, 2012)

pigeon is fun said:


> If you live near riverside by 91 and 15 freeway, check out magnolia bird farm. I like there seed bar section.


 I live very close to there. That is also where I adopted Lilly and Maxx.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

Me too!I always get my doves from them.


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## pigeon is fun (Sep 6, 2010)

Cool. I just go there when im in the area. I got some used nest boxes for my cockatiels and parakeets for a really really cheap price.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

Thats great.The birdfarm has been around for well over 25 years & maybe even longer.I like the birdfarm alot.


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## pigeon is fun (Sep 6, 2010)

I went there the other day to buy a 50 lbs of white millet of my parakeets, It went up from $16 to $24 from the last purchased i did a month ago.


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

pigeon is fun said:


> I went there the other day to buy a 50 lbs of white millet of my parakeets, It went up from $16 to $24 from the last purchased i did a month ago.


Yeah...I know. I was paying $18 for a 50 lb bag of white millet at my Agway store for a long time...now it's up to $29!  

Is this the bird farm you are talking about?
http://www.magnoliabirdfarms.com/index.html

Dawn


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Hey guys, I gave you bad advice unintentionally! 

I just spoke to George Schutt, a well known dove breeder, and he said that both lafebers and kaytee dove mix contain a preservative that causes cancer (and, as some of you know, my little dove Chicken is currently dying of cancer).

If anyone knows of any finch or canary pellets that DO NOT contain the dangerous preservatives Ethoxquin or "sodium selenate", please let me know! Even if you have a recipe so I can make homemade dove/birdfood pellets myself. I prefer pellets to seeds because of how picky my birds get (don't want a vitamin deficiency), plus they make a big mess throwing all the seeds they don't want to eat all over the place and outside of the cage!!!


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Ooops, it's sodium selenite (not selenate), but it's still potentially toxic. 1.4-3.0 mg is toxic to human beings, much less a little bird!

The breeder suggested this: http://www.mazuri.com/mazuriexoticgamebirdmaintenance.aspx

Mazuri exotic game bird maintenance food.

CORRECTION!!! I was mistaken. Sodium selenite and sodium selenate are not Ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is used as a preservative and not always listed by name. The breeder told me about Ethoxyquin being in Kaytee Dove Mix and LaFebers, but they don't list it as a preservative. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY! But sorry about the sodium selenite/selenate mix up.


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## nancybird (Jan 30, 2011)

I will have to check mine.I've been buying mine from the same birdfarm for over 25 years now.I have bought most of my doves there also & they have lived a along time.


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Here is another food recommended by the breeder I spoke to, http://www.roudybush.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=orders.group&group=premium 

and here is a link for some food that Spirit wings recommended: http://www.harrisonsbirdfoods.com/High-Potency-Fine/products/13/


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

CORRECTION!!! I was mistaken. AGAIN! Sodium selenite and sodium selenate are not Ethoxyquin. 

Ethoxyquin is used as a preservative and not always listed by name. The breeder told me about Ethoxyquin being in Kaytee Dove Mix and LaFebers, but they don't list it as a preservative. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY! But sorry about the sodium selenite/selenate mix up.

Sodium selenite and sodium selenate are different, but I don't know if they are toxic to birds or not.


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