# Best age for getting new doves



## Limow (Jul 3, 2011)

Hi,

Today I went and visited some doves for sale. They are all healthy birds, well cared for living in a lovely huge stable block/dove cote. He has youngsters that are three weeks old, a couple that have just fledged and a couple who are slightly older as well as adults. Last week I visited Bird World who happen to sell doves from their pet farm. They don't sell adults as they find they return back to them, they sell them at 3 weeks old. The chap I saw today says that they would need hand feeding at 3 weeks old. I want to get 2 pairs once I've sorted out my homing net etc.. What advice can you give regarding the ones to purchase from him? What is the best age for getting them and how long do you think I should net them for - I've read various reports on time. One thing is that if they fly back he will call me! They are straight tailed, dark eyed birds. 

Thanks for your help.

Liz


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

Are you talking DOVES or Pigeons?????????????
Doves do not "HOME"


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## Limow (Jul 3, 2011)

If they don't home, then that shouldn't be a problem then should it.

They look like rock doves to me which are white homing pigeons.

Do you have advice on the best age to get?


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

O K Folks
Help Limow out.
If they don't "home" and get out---they are GONE. 
He said DOVES--how he is saying white homing pigeons.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

he is prolly from the UK, they call pigeons doves over there.. the best age to get pigeons to fly is when they can eat on thier own.. but not more than say 40 days old.


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## Limow (Jul 3, 2011)

Yes it's the UK. I asked him if they were pigeons and he said they are doves but from what I've read, they are white homing pigeons unless they are fantail doves which don't home - am I right? These look like rock doves which the dove release companies use and they do say in their blurb that they use white homing pigeons aka rock doves.

Are you saying that you can never purchase a homing pigeon and have it stay??


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Here in the US we call ringneck doves and like wild morning doves and the ones magicians use (RN doves).. DOVES ,not pigeons, doemestic doves are house pets in a cage not to fly..they are smaller than pigeons.

the ones you want to fly or for release are rock doves, but most call them pigeons. we use homing pigeons for releasing away from home so they fly back. or you can just fly some other breeds as well only around the loft. your going to want homing pigeons or the other ones they call garden doves..which are really pigeons...lol.. now homing pigeons for them to stay will have to be purchased young like before 40 days old so they will settle to your home and stay there and not fly off.. if you got older homing pigeons they would go back home if let out.


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## Limow (Jul 3, 2011)

Thank you.

So yes, I guess they are garden doves and they are just to live in my dovecote and fly around my property and of course I don't want them to fly back to where they were born. So, providing I buy the youngsters less than 40 days and feeding themselves, I should be ok? I intend to net them in, how long do you suggest I do this for? Again, conflicting answers on the web!

Thank you for your responses


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## sky tx (Mar 1, 2005)

I gave a White Delbar Homing Pigeon to another flyer 4-5-6 years ago.
He Died and we don't know got his Pigeons.
Last Sat i had it to come home- back to my foft.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Limow said:


> Thank you.
> 
> So yes, I guess they are garden doves and they are just to live in my dovecote and fly around my property and of course I don't want them to fly back to where they were born. So, providing I buy the youngsters less than 40 days and feeding themselves, I should be ok? I intend to net them in, how long do you suggest I do this for? Again, conflicting answers on the web!
> 
> Thank you for your responses


for young ones to stay in the cote Im not sure how long you would net them.. if these are just garden pigeons (doves) they probably can be resettled to your place, unlike true homing pigeons..those are a breed of pigeons for racing to fly back home.. from what I have heard usually people get the garden doves in pairs..cock and hen.. put them under the net..when they have eggs and or babies in the nest in the cote then you can remove the net as they will stay near the cote to feed young and sit on their eggs..then the babies..hatched in the cote would call it home as well.. if you did get some young ones they will not be ready for breeding untill they are about 5 months old and you would not know what sex they are..and if you left them under the net for say example a month..Im not sure if they would use the cote as they are not breeding age..but would probably come back to it to eat and drink.


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## Limow (Jul 3, 2011)

Thank you everyone for your responses.

So, do you think it would be wise to get a very young pair and a breeding pair so that I cover my bases? With luck the breeding pair might have a clutch before the net came off.


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## Limow (Jul 3, 2011)

Sky tx, that's an amazing story about the bird coming back after all those years, incredible.

One thing that is really puzzling me is how pigeon people are able to sell racing pigeons? How does the new owner stop them flying back to the seller?


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

Limow said:


> Yes it's the UK. I asked him if they were pigeons and he said they are doves but from what I've read, they are white homing pigeons unless they are fantail doves which don't home - am I right? These look like rock doves which the dove release companies use and they do say in their blurb that they use white homing pigeons aka rock doves.
> 
> Are you saying that you can never purchase a homing pigeon and have it stay??


Fantails are also rock doves/pigeons.  It gets really confusing between the differences in countries and marketing practices. (Even in the US white homing pigeons are often called "doves" for releases because people think pigeons are dirty winged rats but when the name is changed they think all romanticized.)

Just so long as you don't let ringnecks outside you should be fine.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> Here in the US we call ringneck doves and like wild morning doves or the ones majicians use doves. those are house pets in a cage not to fly..they are smaller than pigeons.


Magicians also use ringnecks. Sometimes they call the white ringnecks "Java" doves, but they are still ringnecks.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Libis said:


> Magicians also use ringnecks. Sometimes they call the white ringnecks "Java" doves, but they are still ringnecks.


I know ,I owned 6 white ringnecks ,x magicians doves... I was trying to describe the smaller ringneck to her and where she may of seen it, and an example was a magicians doves.. I know they don't have "special magical doves"...lol..


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Limow said:


> Thank you everyone for your responses.
> 
> So, do you think it would be wise to get a very young pair and a breeding pair so that I cover my bases? With luck the breeding pair might have a clutch before the net came off.


 I would get mature pairs, I think you would be happier they would use the cote sooner for making a nest and raising babies, young ones will probably roost on the roofs and just come back to eat and drink near the cote or on the cote..they will not think of usuing it untill months down the line, and if they are not netted they may not use it at all. A mature true pair will be looking for a "cubby" to make a nest and lay eggs so all they have is the cote as they are under the netting..when they have babies about to be weaned then I would take the net off the dovecote.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> I know ,I owned 6 white ringnecks ,x magicians doves... I was trying to describe the smaller ringneck to her and where she may of seen it, and an example was a magicians doves.. I know they don't have "special magical doves"...lol..


I think sometimes the magicians would like us to think that though lol  There has been confusion on some of the magic forums out there, so I figured it would be worth mentioning.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

Libis said:


> I think sometimes the magicians would like us to think that though lol  There has been confusion on some of the magic forums out there, so I figured it would be worth mentioning.


you lost me, I know nothing of a magic forum, and what exactly they would be thinking..lol..

Iam sure Limow knows what a ringneck dove is now.


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## Libis (Oct 8, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> you lost me, I know nothing of a magic forum, and what exactly they would be thinking..lol..
> 
> Iam sure Limow knows what a ringneck dove is now.


I meant a lot of the time they'd like people to think the birds themselves are magical or a "magical breed," just the same as the rabbits. *shrugs*


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## Limow (Jul 3, 2011)

So I guess Sparrowhawks must be magician's assistants then, since they also: make doves disappear! 

Here is a site that helps explains the UK's terminology:

http://rupert-fish.co.uk/fantail-dove-pigeon/

Thanks for the advice re the ages and how if they nest they are more likely to adopt the dovecote as home, but I must say I quite like birds on the roof! (although that would mean they are more likely to crap on our cars!)

Oh, this morning I put some pigeon food on my bird table and Freckle (the brown & white cock pigeon) landed right next to me and started scoffing - he was hungry! Haven't seen him since or the other two for days - the grass in the next field is obviously much greener


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