# Ringneck dove- I want to get him a female



## SparrowMint (May 3, 2014)

I have a male pure white ringneck dove who I adore. However, he's driving us all nuts this year with his obvious desire for a mate. Truthfully I'm a bit ignorant on mating practices with doves (I know they mate for life though) and he wasn't acting like this last year. I also do not know his age- he showed up on our deck railing with no band almost two summers ago and we couldn't find an owner for two weeks so we kept him. My questions are:

What other dove breeds can make viable eggs with a ringneck if I cannot find another in my area?

How do I introduce the two safely?

Would they bond fast enough to start a clutch if we got a female in the next month and be able to hatch them this year(I live in Norcal and it can get quite hot where I am starting in July)?

What would I need to add to their diet/cage (My male gets dove seed mix, extra millet, vitamins bi weekly in his water, and fine grit. I know a female would need access to a calcium source so what would I use)?

Thanks


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

To answer your questions:

*What other dove breeds can make viable eggs with a ringneck if I cannot find another in my area?*

A ringneck probably can or should only breed with another ringneck. Any color is OK but, if your male is white, a white female might be best because the "mixed" babies could come out splotchy. Doves should not be that hard to find in California. Try Petfinder or one of your local animal shelters. Also, web sites like Craigslist, Hoobly, eBay Classifieds, American Dove Association, or Birds Now (Google these to get the URLs).

*How do I introduce the two safely?*

Best to start with 2 separate cages. Keep the cages close together. Let them out of their cages together in a bird safe room for a few hours, every day or every few days. See how they do. After a few weeks of this, they may indicate they want to be together by going in one of the cages together.

*Would they bond fast enough to start a clutch if we got a female in the next month and be able to hatch them this year (I live in Norcal and it can get quite hot where I am starting in July)?*

If the want to breed, they can do so very fast. After they are OK in the same cage, just provide an open nest platform and some clean straw. I buy straw used for pet rabbits because it is clean. They will build a nest when ready.

*What would I need to add to their diet/cage (My male gets dove seed mix, extra millet, vitamins bi weekly in his water, and fine grit. I know a female would need access to a calcium source so what would I use)?*

For extra calcium, you can buy crushed sterilized egg shells and/or crushed oyster shells over the internet, on pet bird sites. Also, there are liquid calcium supplements you can add to their drinking water, such as Calciboost (also available via internet). It is OK if the male drinks it too. Calciboost or similar products can be added to the drinking water for a few weeks at breeding time and then periodically (once or twice a month) when not breeding.

Finely-mashed hard-boiled eggs, with a little corn meal mixed in, is a good breeding supplement food. The extra protein may also help your pair "get in the mood" for breeding. Feed this just before breeding, daily during the breeding cycle, and for few weeks after the babies are on their own. When not breeding, mashed hard-boiled egg is OK as an occasional treat food. My doves also like hemp seed as a treat food they eat out of my hands (whole hemp seeds are sold on eBay).

Be careful what you wish for: once doves start breeding, it can be hard to stop them. It can also be hard to find homes for all the babies. And 4 doves (2 parents and 2 babies) make a lot more mess, in one cage, than 1 dove. And sometimes male doves get aggressive and want their kids OUT of the cage, once the young are grown up and self-feeding or when the parents are starting a new clutch. So make sure you plan ahead, with extra cages and adequate space, and are prepared for the extra mess, etc.

I've used old Easter baskets, tied to the side of the cage, as nesting places for my doves:




A baby dove (left) with his father (right), during some free flight time outside the cage:


Baby doves can get very tame (and it can be very hard to sell them when they are this nice!):


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