/r/PetDoves

Photograph via snooOG

Anything and everything Columbidae! Whether you keep doves, have questions, or just like the idea of them, this is the place for you.

Welcome to /r/Petdoves! We're a community of people that love doves and pigeons. If you have questions about keeping doves then feel free to ask!

Subreddit Rules


  • Posts should pertain to doves, and pigeons of any species whether domestic, feral, or wild. General bird-related questions are fine as well if you are having trouble getting answers in other forums.

  • Respect should be offered to anyone posting in this forum regardless of their beliefs.

  • This is not a place to talk about pigeon hunting as a sport. The Sub itself does not hold a stance for or against the sport, but threads concerning it will not be allowed in order to keep content within the realm of pet doves and pigeons.

Dove Resources


Affiliated Subreddits


/r/PetDoves

6,320 Subscribers

1

Any Friends for my Dove

Hi there! I have a young Barbary Dove maybe a year or two years old and I am in the process of getting them a bigger cage and this is where my question comes into play. I would love to get them a cage mate maybe a songbird of sorts but I do not know if I can or maybe I can but with other type of birds. Any suggestions or tips in getting them a friend will be appreciated

0 Comments
2023/06/10
01:55 UTC

1

early egg laying?

writing this out of worry but maybe this is normal behavior.my 1 year+ old female dove just laid her egg clutch back in may (28th-30th) and today (june 9th) she’s back in her nesting cycle again.this would be her 3rd ever clutch but it’s way earlier than she’s ever done (her first was april 25th-27th, second was may 28th-30th from earlier and today’s the start of another).is this normal or something to contact her doctor asap? im a bit worried that she might be unwell/experiencing something irregular.any help is appreciated!

update: she laid her first egg of the next clutch;;

0 Comments
2023/06/09
22:42 UTC

3

I think both of my doves are male.

I currently have a 31"L, 20"W, 50"H cage and a 30"L, 14.5"W, 20"H backup cage, both of my ringnecks are rather young (Peaches is just over a month old, while Prince is from the clutch right before, so 2m old) but are starting to become more vocal.

I've owned them for 6 days.

Prince started to coo and bow at peaches on day 3, only did it a few times, not very often. Peaches wasnt interested.

Today, during our out of cage time (which they stubbornly don't want to end) peaches has cooed and bowed at price, but only once.

I know having two male anything usually results in fighting, but I don't want to get another cage, the backup is insanely small (both were in there for the first 2 days while I looked for a larger cage) and I can't have any more pets so getting a third or fourth dove for them is out of the question.

Is it possible they can live together? Or should I surrender, trade, or sell one or both birds entirely?

The seller wasn't too informative, I don't even have his contact info and I really should have asked a lot more questions before jumping in..

I work in an hour, need to shower or at least wash up, and clean up this mess but they both enjoy the ceiling fan too much and don't trust me all that well yet .

I need HELP.

5 Comments
2023/06/09
21:56 UTC

9

Constant 5 am cooing, help?

I adopted a pair of female ring neck doves and then discovered that they were actually a male/female pair. They hatched a baby before I learned about birdy birth control and we’ve just realized that the baby is a boy too (he’s about 5 months old now and just started bowing and cooing behavior.) Had to separate the baby into his own cage because the female was bullying him, but now we have two males who coo and bow to themselves incessantly starting at 5:00 am. Personally I don’t mind the sound (reminds me of waking up in the spring in the countryside with all the wild birds) but my partner is going crazy.

Has anyone found a good way to get the doves to sleep in a bit or be a bit quieter? They also coo incessantly when you’re on the phone, which is difficult in a wfh situation.

9 Comments
2023/06/09
14:18 UTC

6

Hand Taming Ringneck Doves

I recently received some Ringneck doves from a friend and they had been living in a large coop in a farm type environment since they were born. (They’re young though, only a year or two old.) The doves flare their wings whenever a hand is near them and are rather avoidant to touch. Is there a way to calm them to my presence more and allow me to hold or touch them easier? Like training of some kind? I’ve had them for about three weeks and they don’t mind my presence around them but direct touching is still not on the table. I understand they aren’t as attached when in groups but I can’t let them free roam if they panic when I try to catch/touch them.

3 Comments
2023/06/06
03:00 UTC

4

Dove safe plants.

Hey, I've got a very young mourning dove who I rescued from outside (couldn't leave it, since we have outdoor cats). I was wondering if there were any bird safe plants for the little guy to go into his cage once it's built. Any size plant works, ideally one that is sturdy and doesn't require too much sunlight. Any recommendations work!

2 Comments
2023/06/06
00:56 UTC

13

Day 2 of owning Doves, feeling better but definitely need help.

I will come out and say it, I fucked up. I bought two young doves out of impulse, fueled by peer pressure and anxiety, and one the shopping was done and we settled, the realization of what I just did sunk in like a pallet of bricks falling into the ocean.. I'm talking full on anxiety attack, buyers remorse, and a new negative feelings towards these innocent birds who were just starting to get comfortable in their new cage.

but I slept it off, woke up t 6am, and then 8 (birds aren't "sleep in till noon" pets like my dog is.. oops) and started to tend to my animals. take care of the dog, take care of the birds, then take care of myself.

I now own two doves. a brown ring neck dove (little over 1m old I believe,) and a white dove (1m older). once the anxiety wore of a little, I'm much more open to actually keeping these beautiful birds as pets, rather then trying to return or rehome them. I can do this. I can learn. they can thrive here.

I'm using a cage a friend of mine had laying around (said friend had a budgie who had passed away, he was also at the event with me where the birds were bought) . roughly measured, it is 34"L, 14.5"W, 24"H. not the largest cage for two birds, but the ones at the pet store were a little smaller so its not too bad, especially since they're both young and rather small still. a larger cage is definitely needed,

they favour their rope perch the most, always going there, slept together on the sing last night, and was investigating the cage floor this morning. they have a box with coco nesting inside (not like they care because its on the cage floor at the moment, but they like to stand on it) along with 2 hanging toys and a foraging toy I DIY'd for them. there's a wooden dowl perch up high which the smaller brown dove tried out, but the grip is bad to they gave up.

currently feeding on wild bird seed ( the list of birds include Mourning Doves so we chose this blend as a base,) with water and grit readily available and mealworms as treats.

I have a dog, he's turning 6y/o this year, and he's definitely interested. he's seen them, the cage, he walked around it. despite that, he will still whine, I think because he cant actually touch the birds and doesn't understand. he seems happy to lay on my bed where he can see them, but I have the hallway/doorway blocked off so he cant enter the room without us supervising. door is usually closed unless I'm in there, and the window is cracked open for them.

we've been looking at chicken coops and rabbit hutches, but also found some catios and large dog cages/kennels.

I need help. I made a mistake, bought animals without knowing much, and it was all on impulse. but I love pigeons, and I'm feeling better about the situation today, and more then willing to learn and empty my savings for them.

I have a hard time absorbing information, so most of my googling goes in one ear and out the other, so any help is appreciated. recommended brands, links to cages, a basic "do/don't" sheet, anything.

view this morning,

in the box on the drive home.

their nap at 8am after i filled food and water, cleaned

5 Comments
2023/06/04
16:50 UTC

3

Dove Advice... do they hate me? :(

I have these two lovely little birds (both female, as both have laid eggs). I keep them in a large enough cage, they have perches, I feed them often (millet, etc), I've given them a nest filled with paper shreddings. I let them flap around and explore my bedroom as well. They're lovely creatures, and I've had them since last August, but they haven't warmed up to me at all. I spend time around them, but they've been especially grumpy lately, displaying more angry body language- fluffing up feathers, breathing heavily, and they've also been fighting when the nest isn't around. How can I help them warm up to me/humansa little bit? I'd also appreciate some treat recommendations, as they haven't seemed to like any fruits or veggies I've given them (I've tried strawberries, cucumber). I've been trying to be as friendly to them as possible, but they haven't accepted human interaction yet.

9 Comments
2023/06/04
04:21 UTC

0

Pet Dove Attacking

I have had my Dove for about two weeks now. I have had a parrot for 12 years, so I know it can take a long time for birds to get used to things and people.

Has anyone has their dove chasing or attacking their other non-dove birds? I'm wondering if she is actually a he and establishing territory. Territory...being my female cockatiels cage.

I've started doing separate free roam time just to be safe. My Dove is not hand friendly, and makes no attempt to go after me at all.

I appreciate any advice :)

5 Comments
2023/05/31
21:33 UTC

46

Rise my angel! 💞😇

1 Comment
2023/05/30
16:32 UTC

8

Young white winged dove. Does he need a friend?

I come back from my lunch break and my coworker said she had a surprise for me . One of our client's dogs were trying to eat this little dude and asked if we'd take him in. I have a soft spot for baby birds. I raised a wren that was also getting attacked by cats last year. I live in rural south Texas. Dove hunting is a very big thing down here. My original plan was to let him free once he could fly and be on his own. But, he's not scared of people. So now I plan on keeping him. I'll be buying him a 5ftx2.5ft cage this week, until I can build him a large enclosure to be in outside during the day hours. Is he okay alone? Would he eventually want a friend? I'm not sure if he's male or female. Can 2 males live together or 2 females? I just want him to be happy and comfortable. Attached is a picture from the day I got him. Any good reads on best diet for him? Enrichment as well?

3 Comments
2023/05/29
23:10 UTC

39

Lacey... your hair's a little.... you know what, never mind

0 Comments
2023/05/29
05:59 UTC

4

Hello! We just found a little zebra dove baby who has fallen from its nest. It’s late Sunday evening. Any ideas on how we can look after it?

7 Comments
2023/05/28
10:24 UTC

17

Is this normal? I gave my pet dove tortilla chips a couple of hours ago and started noticing her doing this hiccuping action.

3 Comments
2023/05/27
06:11 UTC

5

Is Peaches trying to lay an egg in the food bowl? She didn’t nest or brood at all before this. Or is this the broody behavior?

8 Comments
2023/05/26
22:31 UTC

38

Carbon Monoxide and Highway 45 would like to know good enrichment activities / items

Hwy 45 is the brown, Carbon Is the white silky (They are married)

12 Comments
2023/05/24
00:21 UTC

50

Highway 45 is feeling spherical today

7 Comments
2023/05/23
04:00 UTC

2

Can you “litter train” doves?

I grew up with very tame lovebirds that spent most of their day outside of their cage and learned to pop back into their cage when they needed the bathroom.

I’ve been considering getting a pair of doves, but can’t find anything about litter training them! Anyone have any input on this?

Thank you in advance :)

2 Comments
2023/05/23
03:02 UTC

71

Brought home this beautiful lady

Honestly not sure if she is a boy or a girl, but I am just going with generic girl for now. She is not very used to people, but I taught her how to step up last night. I have only had a cockatiel up until now, so I've entered a whole new world :) I never knew how heavy Java Doves were!

8 Comments
2023/05/22
11:19 UTC

47

Helping Bubbles build her nest. Listen for cute YOINK noise 😆

2 Comments
2023/05/21
13:50 UTC

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