# Preparing for babies



## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

*Preparing for babies - *Now with Pictures**

I recently bought a pair of white ringneck doves. They are sitting on five day old eggs, so it looks like I might be having babies (I'm keeping them). I'm new to doves and have gotten some good information from the forums, but I still have some specific questions. 

Are there any nutritional supplements I should/could give my adults to help them feed and raise their young? I'm guessing that making crop milk uses up a lot of energy/nutrients and thought if there's something I can do in the weeks leading up to hatch, it might give them a boost? They are eating wild dove mix which was the closest thing I could find that fit the protein,fat, and fiber requirements. I also give safflower seeds as treats and grit/crushed eggshells. I have vitamins that I put in their water one day this week. I have ACV, but not with the "mother" in it...is that the kind they need? They aren't very adventurous when it comes to new food and I haven't been able to get them to eat any fruit/veggies, but I keep trying. What else can I load them up with? 

Also, I'm concerned about sanitation in the cage. Even with the wire floor, poop still sticks to the wire on its way through. I am wondering what I can use to clean this up without using chemicals. How susceptible are babies to bacteria from feces? I don't want to disturb them too much after the babies hatch (mom and dad are somewhat nervous/shy), but I want to make sure they have the best chance at being healthy little tykes. Will the wire floor be okay once they start walking around? 

Is there a timeline for when to expect what? I'm not sure what to feed once they start eating solid foods or when they will, when to separate them from their parents, if I need to vaccinate, etc. I plan on keeping the offspring as pets since the parents aren't very tame. 

haha...I started this post with two questions in mind and the list keeps expanding. Is there a website with all this info in one place? I've spent hours searching the forums, but everything is so scattered...plus I keep wandering over to pigeons for sale/adoption.


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

griffox said:


> I recently bought a pair of white ringneck doves. They are sitting on five day old eggs


Good on you, I have 8 of those. The first six months worth of eggs were either infertile or abandoned half way through incubation. I actually had to seal the nest area from view using curtains, then the parents felt comfortable enough. Even so, first chicks they stopped sitting on after 5 days so I had to buy a heating pad to save them. 



> Are there any nutritional supplements I should/could give my adults to help them feed and raise their young? I'm guessing that making crop milk uses up a lot of energy/nutrients and thought if there's something I can do in the weeks leading up to hatch, it might give them a boost?


I used vitamins, just bird vitamins, and you MUST have bird milk replacer on hand in case your parents are skittish or 'abandon' prone. Mine are not anymore, they are used to me.



> They are eating wild dove mix which was the closest thing I could find that fit the protein,fat, and fiber requirements. I also give safflower seeds as treats and grit/crushed eggshells. I have vitamins that I put in their water one day this week. I have ACV, but not with the "mother" in it...is that the kind they need? They aren't very adventurous when it comes to new food and I haven't been able to get them to eat any fruit/veggies, but I keep trying. What else can I load them up with?


Just keep trying, they will try new things eventually. Mine even ate fried eggs with cheese once, which was MY breakfast until they stepped in it. I have an EXTENSIVE list of dove treats, I can email you, just pm me your email address.[/QUOTE]



> Also, I'm concerned about sanitation in the cage. Even with the wire floor, poop still sticks to the wire on its way through. I am wondering what I can use to clean this up without using chemicals. How susceptible are babies to bacteria from feces? I don't want to disturb them too much after the babies hatch (mom and dad are somewhat nervous/shy), but I want to make sure they have the best chance at being healthy little tykes. Will the wire floor be okay once they start walking around?


If poop, chemicals, or bacteria touches the eggs you can kiss those chicks goodbye. However, make sure to give the pen as thorough a cleaning as you can right before the hatch date, using cleaning materials that don't have strong odors. I also have an extensive list of smells/chemicals that kill doves.
For the first 5 days after hatch, DO NOT CLEAN the cage. That's a pretty solid rule of thumb around here. Take out the wire or cover with a non-slip bathtub mat. Slippery or uneven (wire) surfaces are the enemy for baby doves, we can all tell you that now. They have delicate feet.



> Is there a timeline for when to expect what? I'm not sure what to feed once they start eating solid foods or when they will, when to separate them from their parents, if I need to vaccinate, etc. I plan on keeping the offspring as pets since the parents aren't very tame.


I have a timeline as well. 
Day 1-5 Do Not Disturb. Baby is as big as a thumbprint and looks pink like a wad of gum.
Day 6 Time to put the band on. Check for health. The baby should be stuffed with food and about the size of a thumb.
Day 7-11 Mom and dad stop sitting on the chicks. Eyes are open, a tiny whistle sound indicates hunger. Feathers appear. 
11-14 Baby attempts to stand. Will shake wings, flap, and do dove yoga stretches. This is when to start training to be your pet.
14-21 at some point here they will tumble out of the nest so don't have it too high. You can take the nest out, they live on the floor and wire at this point is very bad.
14-30 Sometime here, first flight will occur. It won't be pretty, make sure nothing in the cage to bash into/cushion the floor!
They will eat dove mix starting day 21 and be independent by day 40. 



> haha...I started this post with two questions in mind and the list keeps expanding. Is there a website with all this info in one place? I've spent hours searching the forums, but everything is so scattered...plus I keep wandering over to pigeons for sale/adoption.


As a matter of fact, I have it all in one place. 278 pages at last count, 1 year of work, recommended by the President of the Australian Avian studies, and mostly thanks to Pigeon Talk, I give you "The Pigeon Talk Book".

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f25/pigeon-and-dove-care-e-books-for-the-rescuer-on-the-go-25640.html


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

Oh, Thankyou!! These are exactly the kinds of things I need to know. I will be pm-ing you as well. Then I'm diving into your e-book


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

Well, I'm starting the countdown. Friday will be day 14 for the first egg. I have not checked to see if they are viable, so they could just as well be duds, but I'll be ready anyways. 

I did a super cleaning of their cage yesterday. I used a hot vinegar rag to clean off any stuck on poop. I hope that was sufficient as I didn't want to use any chemicals at this point. The dutiful parents were not very happy with me rattling their cage, but it had to be done. 

I also added two more water feeders, so that once the babies are born I can leave them alone for a few days w/o going in to change water. will adding ACV keep the water fresh longer? What's the ratio? I've also read that adding a few drops (?) of bleach to a gallon will keep water from growing algae. Is this a good time to do that since I won't be changing it out everyday or is is too much of a risk for the babies? 

I'm expecting chicks (i.e. chickens) to hatch in another week, too! I guess if worse comes to worse I'll just stick the dove babies in the brooder. haha  Just kidding...

P.S. Thankyou, Philodice, for the wonderful resources you've pulled together. What a wonderful gift you've given all us pigeon/dove admirers. I've been pouring over article after article; trying to soak up as much as possible. I can't imagine the amount of time and effort it took to gather it all up.


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## EgypSwiftLady (Jan 14, 2008)

I also have RN doves and we just love them You will have so much fun watching the babies grow! When we had babies I couldn't resist holding them and taking so many photos it drove my husband and daughter running every time I ask them to look!!


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

griffox said:


> Well, I'm starting the countdown. Friday will be day 14 for the first egg. I have not checked to see if they are viable, so they could just as well be duds, but I'll be ready anyways.
> 
> I did a super cleaning of their cage yesterday. I used a hot vinegar rag to clean off any stuck on poop. I hope that was sufficient as I didn't want to use any chemicals at this point. The dutiful parents were not very happy with me rattling their cage, but it had to be done.
> 
> ...


you must be excited, it is nice to hear you are taking such great care with your doves, please post pics of the new babies...


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

Well, I don't have kids, so I guess all my maternal instincts are being channeled towards my birdy babies. haha 

I am putting together my grocery list for macmilk just in case. Where can I find Calcium Carbonate? Isn't that chalk? Someone said a "chemical suppy store" but I have no idea what a chemical supply store is, as I'm not in the habit of buying chemicals.  

would it be a pool supply store? or gnc type store? pharmacist? I'm clueless. 


ETA: okay...I googled. I thought it was in tums, but then kept telling myself I was confusing it with BIcarb. So, is there a form of it that is just the CaCO3 that is sold at Walmart or someplace convenient?


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

griffox said:


> ETA: okay...I googled. I thought it was in tums, but then kept telling myself I was confusing it with BIcarb. So, is there a form of it that is just the CaCO3 that is sold at Walmart or someplace convenient?


You should be able to find a suitable calcium supplement at a drugstore or vitamin store.

Terry


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

Well, This morning (day 15) I went up to check on the doves and began, as usual, to get out some safflower seeds, when I noticed something unusual sitting outside the nest...half an eggshell!! Dad was sitting on the nest and I'm guessing the little one was tucked under him since I couldn't see him/her. I hope it's okay, but I'm going to trust mom and dad to do the right thing and as hard as it is, I'm staying away. I'll keep you all updated. 

Melody


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

Oh, so exciting! Yes, don't disturb. I'm sure the teeny tiny baby is somewhere under there in all those white feathers.


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

Here are some pictures from my first hatch, this year in February.

http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f24/panic-questions-baby-pictures-25398.html


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

I couldn't help myself...I peeked in from the doorway and mom and dad were fussing at the eggshells in the nest. Then I saw them...two little pink heads popping up from under mom's breast. I'm relieved to see that they are alive and well, so now I can go back to NOT bothering them.  

Adorable pictures, Philodice. Now when I get the urge to peek at the babies, I'll just look at your pictures until it subsides.


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

We're on day four and everyone is doing great! I expected mom and dad to be especially reserved and skittish with the babies here, but they are quite the opposite. Mom especially was getting really excited every time I came in the room and was gobbling down anything I held out for her. She was pacing the cage in front of the door (which she did before when she was nesting). I decided to get some nesting materials for her to mess with while she was "off duty". When I opened the cage door, she jumped out and started pecking at my hands for more food. I couldn't believe how bold she was being. 

To make a long story short, I grabbed some treats and sat down on the floor and she flew back and forth from my hand to my shoulder to my head like she'd been doing it all her life. Before the babies, I could leave the cage door open and leave the room and they would never venture out. Now, when I come in the room she hops off her perch and paces in front of the door until I let her out. She must be ravenous from feeding those babies. 

Getting these doves was the best impulse decision I think I ever made. I haven't once regretted it. I just love them! :mrgreen: 

I'm so mad, I left my camera at a friend's house in St. Louis last month. Otherwise, I would be accompanying all my posts with pictures. She keeps saying she's going to send it, but I've missed out on so much already.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

That's great news about the new babies. If you're not doing it already, you really should have food accessible to both the parents 24/7. Water too. They can go through quite a bit of food when raising babies and although it might be a good idea to limit food normally, it's not a good idea when there's babies involved. 
When I'm raising babies, I keep food in front of the parents all the time and let them pick and choose what they want to eat and feed the babies.


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

Oh, yeah...They have a whole assortment of food to choose from in their cage. They seem to be feeding the babies just about every time I look in on them, though, so I can see why they would be so hungry. I've been giving hard-boiled egg yolk, carrots, and little bits of cheese. Well, I've tried more than that, but that's what they will actually eat other than seeds. They still aren't fans of their veggies, but I'm trying.


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

Well, I finally have pictures. They are 9 days old and growing exponentially. I can visibly see a difference everyday. Amazing!! Mom and dad are doing a great job. I'm in awe of them.

Good Dad.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

AWWW!! They are TOO cute.


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

They are adorable. The first picture is so cute - looks like Dad is looking his babies over. Either picture will be great for our contest next year.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

oh, that is so sweet...they are so adorable, you must be having a nice time seeing them grow and being well taken care of...thanks for the pics, they made me smile


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## griffox (Oct 19, 2008)

I'm glad it made you smile, spirit wings. They make me smile every day. 

lady tarheel...did you say photo contest? I've seen a lot of great pictures on here...can't wait to see contest photos.


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