# Older female dove rejecting longtime mate



## tangerinefamily (Mar 25, 2011)

Do female ringneck doves get tired of sex and babies? The female of a pair of doves I've kept together for at least 9 years seems all of a sudden to want a legal separation from her mate. Together they have raised a fair number of baby birds and for all those years she has consistently laid eggs. Most of the time I've removed the viable eggs from the nest and replaced them with dummy eggs, and for the past two years I've allowed them to hatch only one bird.

A week ago she stopped sitting on her eggs in the nest. She would sit in the nest, but not on the eggs. I noticed that at first, then I noticed that she didn't want to move around much. I removed the eggs and the nest and isolated her in a "hospital cage," where I kept her warm and comfortable, giving her a rest away from her mate. I had also discovered that she wanted to sit down on a perch all the time. She could walk, but seemed stiff, and after walking a bit would sit down for a long time.

Anyway, a week later after her stay in the "hospital cage" she seems to have recovered her strength. She stands and walks now in a normal way, or almost normal. She doesn't seem to want to have to jump from perch to perch or from a perch to the floor of the cage--she'll make those movements gingerly, after hesitating a bit. I put her back in the cage with her mate, and except for acknowledging him with an affectionate touch at his head area, she doesn't want to be around him much because he is very energetic and aggressive at trying to manage her. She has to move around a lot to keep him from bothering her. She always has to be alert when he's around.

Should I separate her forever from her mate? Is this a sign of being done with the mating part of her life or is she just feeling a bit under the weather still?


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

she may be ending her laying career.. she is 9 and perhaps getting to the end of her eggs.. they are born with only so many to produce.. so she just may not be into it anylonger.. can't say as I blame her.. I think you should watch what her quality of life is with her mate and if it seems like she does not get any peace and rest.. you may have to seperate them and find him a younger hen... her issues with her legs could mean something also... calcium levels may be low with her age and the bones are getting low in calcium and she could get lame from that.. or the laying of eggs is hitting a nerve and causing discomfort.. you will have to be the judge on this one and perhaps a vet check is in order for this older dove.


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## sreeshs (Aug 16, 2009)

"The secret of our successful married life is that we go out at least twice a week, me on Fridays and she on Saturdays" 

Try keeping them in side by side cages for sometime


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## Doves1111 (Mar 5, 2005)

I would keep her separated from the male. It sounds like she isn't feeling too good and doesn't need to be harassed by her aggressive mate.

As spirit wings said...she may be ending her laying career. Or...she may have a vitamin and/or mineral deficiency. You had the pair together for 9 years...maybe she's older than 9? I have a 8 year old Rosy hen set up for breeding this season. She just laid fertile eggs on 3/19 and 3/20. Some hens can go on laying into their teens...or even later...some may stop younger. They are all different.

Is your dove getting vitamin D3 in her diet? Vitamin D3 is needed to absorb calcium. Inadequate vitamin D3 levels can lead to calcium deficiency symptoms...like weakness in the bird's legs. Are you giving your doves a high calcium grit? Ground oyster shells and crushed microwaved eggs are also good for added calcium. I add these in with the high calcium grit. A vitamin/mineral supplement is good to add to the drinking water a few times a week. A very good supplement is "Red Cell". It's made for horses...so you can get it at a feed and grain store...Foy's also carries it. Beneficial ultraviolet rays from the sun or from a full spectrum bulb aids in a bird to produce vitamin D3. Ultraviolet ray can not penetrate through a glass window. Supplementing a pellet food along with the doves' grain will also help in the needed vitamins and minerals. 

Just some thoughts...
Dawn


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