# Help with vitamins for my diamonds



## coo_lets (Mar 7, 2014)

I got some liquid vitamin drops from the pet store and was putting them in my doves' seed cups. I was changing the seed daily so the seed wouldn't get gross from having the liquid vitamin added, but I noticed that neither of them was really touching their seed! (They have millet too and I also give them crushed egg shells) Is there a powdered vitamin or something, that I could use instead? I'm trying to supplement the d3 since I can't get them into the sun out in this neighborhood. 
Also, my doves really don't seem to like the other treats I give them...I've given shredded carrots, hard boiled egg, shredded apple, and baby spinach (not all at once lol)...I've even mixed seed with it, and they just aren't having it. Do I just keep offering these things anyway? I want them to have variety in their diet...these are my first doves, btw.


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## Lefty07 (Dec 30, 2009)

There are lots of powdered bird vitamins out there, that you can mix with the seed. My doves eat their vitamin "dusted" seed with no problem. 

I've never gotten my diamond doves to eat veggies. My larger Ringnecks will eat cooked baby peas. All my doves will eat egg food (dried or fresh) however - in fact, they love it - are you mashing your hard-boiled eggs into very tiny crumbs? Another thing you can do (to give your doves a supplement) is buy an "enriched" Finch Seed mix for your Diamond Doves that contains some pellets. I don't recommend a 100% pellet diet for doves but a seed mix with _some_ pellets might work. I always give my Diamond Doves "Finch Seed" mixes because it contains smaller seeds and they are small (= less waste). Anything they don't eat gets thrown out on my lawn for the wild birds.

For the powdered vitamins, here's what I use:









Here's a place where you can order it from:
http://www.myladygouldianfinch.com/product-hearty-bird.php

I also give my doves a dry egg for called "Miracle Meal". It is a little expensive but it is also very nutritious and has tons of "good stuff" in it. You can give them this alone in a little bowl or mix it into mashed hard-boiled egg (it is also available at the above web site or elsewhere on the internet):









Also make sure your doves have "hi-cal grit" and oyster shells in a separate bowl, along with their crushed egg shells. This is especially important to the hens when they are breeding because they need extra calcium. I wouldn't totally give up on the veggies but maybe offer small quantities and make sure you chop them up very tiny.

I give my doves their egg food (and any other supplement foods like baby peas) on the bottom of the cage. I use plastic coffee can lids as the "plate" and I sprinkle a little loose millet on top so they start pecking at it, if they are unfamiliar with egg food. Egg food is kind of rich. I give it to breeding doves daily but only once a week to non-breeding birds. I also feed my doves their seed on the bottom of the cage as well but I use little birdie bathtubs for the seed. Doves like to feed on the ground in nature.


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