• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Doves as pets: a few questions...

Dragonseer

Walking the driveway
Joined
2/29/16
Messages
234
1) Some sources state that you must keep more than one dove; others state that a solo dove does very well, as long as it gets a decent amount of attention daily from its human caregivers. Your thoughts?

2) Are doves relatively cuddly? (From YouTube videos I've seen, they appear to enjoy being petted.)

3) How messy are dove poops? (I read that one member here gives her doves complete run of her house, caging them only during the overnight hours; it got me to wondering how big of a poopy mess doves might create while out of their cage.)

4) Are Diamond doves better to keep in pairs and to watch, rather than to have interact with you? (Would you say that Ringneck doves are better, if one wants a loving pet with whom to interact/pet?)

Thank you,

DS
 

Animallover03

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
12/2/15
Messages
6,977
Location
Iowa
Real Name
Audrey

Birdbabe

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
11/17/09
Messages
26,105
Location
The valley of the sun
Doves are awesome I have 3 ,two ringneck and one mourning...they all are cuddly sweethearts, mine have had each other, but do enjoy being cuddled one on one My one ringneck will sit for hours in my lap if I let her... As for poops, it's normal birdie poo, not stinky and easy to clean. They're quiet and calm little birds.. I don't have experience with Diamond Doves, but have heard they're better in pairs.
 

Dragonseer

Walking the driveway
Joined
2/29/16
Messages
234
Doves are awesome I have 3, two ringneck and one mourning...they all are cuddly sweethearts, mine have had each other, but do enjoy being cuddled one on one. My one ringneck will sit for hours in my lap if I let her... As for poops, it's normal birdie poo, not stinky and easy to clean.
Is it advisable, then, to keep more than one Ringneck or Mourning dove? (I'm guessing that some people would say yes; others would say it's fine to have a solo bird, as long as it has a large cage and gets 3-4 hours' of daily out-of-cage time with its human family.)

They're quiet and calm little birds..
Do they tend to coo throughout the day, or at specific times of the day? (Or do they not even coo daily, but generally during very specific times, such as mating season?)

Also, do you know the sex of your doves? (I prefer males of any bird species to prevent the potential for chronic egg laying.)

I don't have experience with Diamond Doves, but have heard they're better in pairs.
I think Diamonds are adorable, but I've an even softer spot for Ringneck and Mourning doves.
 

Birdbabe

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
11/17/09
Messages
26,105
Location
The valley of the sun
My one Mourning dove is a girl, the two ringneck doves are 1 boy, 1 girl...my girl ringneck is bonded with my pigeon AKA Marshmallow,,,though her real name is SnowPea. They coo a little but are relatively quiet..all enjoy sitting in my lap and being petted,,,,for HOURS.:rolleyes:
 

Dragonseer

Walking the driveway
Joined
2/29/16
Messages
234
My one Mourning dove is a girl, the two ringneck doves are 1 boy, 1 girl...my girl ringneck is bonded with my pigeon AKA Marshmallow,,,though her real name is SnowPea.
Have your girls laid eggs? If so, do they do so rather frequently?

They coo a little but are relatively quiet..all enjoy sitting in my lap and being petted,,,,for HOURS.:rolleyes:
That sounds like a nice evening at home, to me: one or more doves snuggled in my lap for some pets. :xflove:
 

Birdbabe

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
11/17/09
Messages
26,105
Location
The valley of the sun
Yes. My girls lay eggs every spring,,,,,two precious white eggies that will never hatch, but they love on them like they will....it's kind of sad, but it gives them something to do for a while. A cooing lovey dovey in your lap is adorable..
 

Dragonseer

Walking the driveway
Joined
2/29/16
Messages
234
Yes. My girls lay eggs every spring,,,,,two precious white eggies that will never hatch, but they love on them like they will....
So they've not become chronic egg layers? I've read that doves can fall into that cycle, which I can understand would be stressful for owners. :(

A cooing lovey dovey in your lap is adorable..
I've seen many YouTube videos of doves' loving behavior toward their humans. It warms my heart.
 

Birdbabe

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
11/17/09
Messages
26,105
Location
The valley of the sun
Thankfully mine are not chronic layers.
 

Kaliska

Strolling the yard
Joined
9/18/15
Messages
115
Location
Iowa
A little late but I can talk about diamonds specifically. If you want to handle them a lot I would get a bigger species. Diamond doves are quite small and fragile. Not that they wouldn't tame with effort. I don't really care to with mine and they still communicate when they need something with quiet calls and pacing the side nearest us. I mostly like watching and listening. They can be busy little things if you keep some scattered food. I dump the leftover seed on the cage floor when I put in new and sometimes give them balls of fresh whole millet off the stems.

My diamond male calls a lot but it's not at all bothersome. Just a quiet woohoo, woohoo. You won't be turning up the tv or anything. It's cute and I call back to him sometimes. He makes a few variations to talk to his hen.
 

IsaDa18

Strolling the yard
Joined
1/18/17
Messages
126
Have your girls laid eggs? If so, do they do so rather frequently?



That sounds like a nice evening at home, to me: one or more doves snuggled in my lap for some pets. :xflove:
I certainly wouldn't get a pair of doves for your situation. Most doves become chronic egg layers (mind how cheap and unpopular most doves are,) and need special care for their health because of it.

Doves are much happier in pairs, but much like lovebirds this usually means they become less bonded.

Edit: Most of my knowledge/experience is ring/white/diamond doves. I can't speak for mourning, ect
 
Last edited:

IsaDa18

Strolling the yard
Joined
1/18/17
Messages
126
Also doves are odd birds, my own follow me around the house and sit next to me, but don't yet fully trust me so they pretend they aren't. I give mine free walking in my room when I am away from time to time, but they usually prefer to have a cage to laz' in instead.
 

Attachments

Top