When you think of the term 'dove' you think of the White Dove. The White Dove has been one of the most universal symbols of love and peace throughout history!
Mary from MI - 2012-05-17 My little white dove has been with me,outside for a year now she made it threw a MI winter, and last month she brought home a friend, much larger than her? White with some black feathers in his? wings. For the past few weeks her bottom has been dirty ,like she been sittin in mud would this mean she's on a nest? Both come to the feeder daily, today she was just really cooing for a very long time, he? wasn't around at that time would that make a difference?
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Charlie Roche - 2012-05-18 WOW made it through the winter and found a friend. A dirty bottom could definitely be an indication of nesting or laying in a nest but not necessarily eggs. Also, it is the male that coos pretty constantly for the female so you probably have a boy calling for its mate.
janet - 2012-05-07 If my doves eggs do not hatch after 21 days, what should i do with the eggs? the female is very,very protective of her eggs. it is her 1st eggs &she &her mate both sit on the eggs in thee nest. any advice would be appreciated. thanks
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Charlie Roche - 2012-05-17 It isn't normal for a dove to have two clutches in 28 days but not unusual. Did you let her sit the first two eggs? Yes, she will probably lay a second egg. Let her sit the eggs and don't throw them out until after 20 days or until she gets bored with them and stops sitting.
Charlie Roche - 2012-05-07 Yes, she is protective of her eggs but she will lose interest. After the 21 days - just throw them out and might as well give her a new toy --- just a little something to play with.
janet - 2012-05-07 thanks charlie, what kind of toy? how about her limping, any advice about that?
Charlie Roche - 2012-05-07 Doves seem to like to pull things that make a little noise. Maybe just a parakeet toy made out of plastic.
janet - 2012-05-12 Well the eggs were not fertile as I suspected. Took them out of their cage today, to make sure there was not a baby in one we broke it open. Just an egg! My birds seem ok and are singinng as I type. Hope down the road we have some new babies. Now for my question, why do you think my last female that died last month never laid a egg after 7yrs? No she was not a male said the avian vet.
Charlie Roche - 2012-05-12 If the avian vet did not run a DNA test to determine the sex - then there is no sure way for the vet to determine the sex of the dove. It is also possible that for some reason the female just didn't lay eggs. Not all females develop and not all females lay eggs. Without the DNA test - it could have been a male. However, it could be an undeveloped 7 year old female - it happens.
janet - 2012-05-16 Hey Charlie, thanks for the advice about the bird toy, my female dove has been playing with it it all moring!
janet - 2012-05-16 28 days ago my new white dove laid 2 eggs. They were not fertile. I just got home in her feed bowl is another egg. Is this normal? Is she going to have another one to make two?
janet - 2012-05-17 yes she sat the 1st 2 clutches for 22 days,(hoping for babies) why is there only one after the 1st 2 and not 2eggs? or dothey sometimes lay them days apart cuz it has been over 24hrs. since she had the last , what are the chances for a baby????????
stephen koski - 2012-05-03 Did anyone release some doves in celebration, in the Oakdale Minnesota area lately? I saw one in my yard today .
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janet - 2012-05-13 The birds that are released for weddings etc. are actually white pigeons that will fly back home. Doves fly in circles and do not return if they are released. Perhaps you should check if someone in your neighborhood lost a dove. Have you saved the bird or not?
helen - 2012-05-09 I recently found a white dove in my back yard, It seems to have little bugs on it, I need to know what to do to get rid of these bugs. I am thinking of keeping it. How do you tell if it is a male or female? And how can you tell if it is pregant?
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Charlie Roche - 2012-05-09 You can bathe the dove in warm water with a little Dawn and just soak it real well and rinse throughly. That should get rid of the little bugs (probably mites). There is no 100% full proof way to distinguish a male from a female without DNA sexing and you probably don't wish to do that at this point. If she is pregnant, she will probably lay an egg quite soon otherwise she isn't pregnant or you have a male.
janet - 2012-05-12 Helen if you keep the dove you found get a bird protector for the cage. It works really good, you can get them at any pet store. I have used them for 19 yrs and have never had a mite on any of my doves. just give her a nice dawn bath, please be very careful not to get any in the eyes, and really rinse, rinse, rinse. you will have years of happiness when you add a dove to your family!!!!!
janet - 2012-05-05 i think my new female white dove my have hurt her right foot. she is limping in her cage. can i do anything to fix it, or will it heal on her own?
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Lily - 2012-05-08 Take her to the Vet. One that specilizes in birds. Ask the Humane Society for best bird vet in area.
janet - 2012-05-07 If my doves eggs do not hatch after 21 days, what should i do with the eggs? the female is very,very protective of her eggs. it is her 1st eggs &she &her mate both sit on the eggs in thee nest. Any advice would be appreciated. thanks
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Charlie Roche - 2012-05-07 Let her sit the eggs and usually they get bored with them. Dove eggs usually hatch at around 14 days so if you waited 17 days or so - then you can just remove the eggs and throw them out. Give them a new toy to play with - it would be nice.
Jim Welch - 2012-04-24 My white dove eggs hatched today. I saw the female and male in the fly pen and went to check on birds and found them looking as if they were still born. They were stretched out in the nest but were cold when I touched them. I picked one up and it was very cold but not stiff. Is this normal on the first day of birth or are they still born and I need to take them out of the nest? This is my first time experience with this kind of bird and I would like someone to reply, Please. Thanks.
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Charlie Roche - 2012-04-24 Just thought more about what happened. If the chicks had the strength to hatch out of the egg - they obviously were not stillborn. My guess is they hatched out and mom in her over eagerness to care for them possibly squished them. Another scenario - new mom and the egss she was sitting hatched and out comes two little strange things and she didn't know what to do. It is a learning expereince. But the chicks had to be healthy and on schedule to hatch so something happened after that. However, it is a learning experience.
Charlie Roche - 2012-04-24 No it is not normal. The first 24 hours, they are really still sometimes. Don't move much but not cold. I'd say the mom and dad have to learn from experience to keep them warm and to feed them. You can wait and see if mom catches on to what she is supposed to do.... The only other option is to hand feed yourself but with them cold and feeding every 2 hours - it would be real tricky. Just hope mom figures out what she is supposed to do. I am sorry but it is a learning experience the first few times.
janet - 2012-04-26 OMG,Jim.are the baby doves alive? My eggs should hatch in about a week if they are fertile. I sure hope I do not have to deal with anything like that.
Anonymous - 2012-04-29 is it normal for my female to poop giant size poop after laying 2 eggs? she sits in the nest pretty much all the time , when she goes down to feed it looks like she left another egg cuz the poop is huge!!!!
janet - 2012-04-13 My beautiful female white dove died last nite. We had her and her mate for over 7yrs. She had been ill since the end of jan. We loved her and cried alot last nite. Her name was babe. She was a sweetheart and p;will be missed. I went to a mega bird store in cocoa fl. Today and came home with a new 8mos. Female mate for my male named rooster. He seems to llike her alot. I think they will soon fall in love. We named her sweetie, rooster can't stop cooing! Everyone here has a smile on their face , even my yorkie maggie.
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Charlie Roche - 2012-04-13 So hard but happy for your new little gal.
janet - 2012-04-19 Wow! Our new white dove sweetie that we bought 7 days ago for a mate for our male named Rooster just laid 2 eggs! How did that happen so fast? Our babe that died last Thurs 4-12 we had for almost 8yrs. never had an egg, yet they mated all the time till she got sick. Go figure!
janet - 2012-04-26 Could my new white dove be a little dumb or a very slow learner? I think she has hurt her foot by falling out of her branch. All my other doves figure out how to go from limb to limb to the top perch. The male keeps showing her how to get up and down, but she just keeps falling out. It is a beautiful cage my husband made with wood, oak branch in the center and fishing line so it looks like the are in the wild. 4ft. tall 3ftwide. Have any advise...
dave - 2012-04-21 I have had a pair of white Ring Neck doves for the last 4 months and they were 6 months old when I got them. I have seen them mating a few times, but there hasn't been any eggs. The female spends a lot of time sitting in the nest, but hasn't laid any eggs. What could be the reason ? What should I do ?
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Dave - 2012-04-25 Thanks a bunch, really appreciate the help..
Charlie Roche - 2012-04-21 They are very young yet and they need to practice and get it right. They are doing the normal mating breeding thing but a little young yet. Give them some time.
Charlie Roche - 2012-04-22 It is very difficult to tell the sex of a bird by the pelvic bone width. The pelvic bone in the female is usually wider than the male but this takes a long time to get familar with it and not necessaryily very accurate. Just a good shot. You have a young pair. Possibly, you have two males though. Many times if there are two males, one of them will assume the female roll and even sit in the nest box hoping for an egg. Yes, it is normal for them to flap their wings at each other - I don't know about doves but some birds do it in a mating ritual. You will just have to wait. Not all doves are secually mature at this age so the idea is there but no eggs. If there are no eggs in another 6 months - you probably have two fellas.
Dave - 2012-04-22 Thanks a lot Charlie. I am new at this and I love my pair but I am really confused. Is it possible for both male and female to have the same pelvic bone structure? And also, is it normal for them to fight? They sometimes hit each other with their wings, but its not very often..
janet - 2012-04-22 Hey Dave. I had 2 white doves for over 7 yrs. They mated several times daily and never laid a egg. And yes I am sure that one was male and one was female. The female had been ill due to a injury, she went to the avian vet on 2-11-12 he said she had a hematoma and she died on 4-12-12,very sad. I bought another female for my male on 4-13-12. She laid 2 eggs on 4-19-12. My ringneck female I had for 12 yrs with no mate laid eggs 1 at a time for 11yrs . So go figure!
Dave - 2012-04-23 Thanks guys. It's funny but I never thought these cute little fellows will give me such a tough time. There's so much about them that is unclear. I so want them to raise off springs, but at the moment that doesn't seem to be happening. I am gonna get a new pair as I have lots of room for a few more and this time, I'll try to make sure its actually a pair :)
Charlie Roche - 2012-04-23 Don't give up hope yet, you may have a pair. The male does coo more often to attract the female. The female does approach the male and sorta try to get him to do his courtship thing with flapping the wings. It is said that doves reach sexual matuity around 3 months old, however, if they are in a flock, they can SEE what is going on around them. When they are not in a flock, they have to experiment and carry on and hope they get something right. It would be fun to get another pair and see the behavior differences and it may help you determine if you have the male/female pair. Good luck and enjoy.
Charlie Roche - 2012-04-24 Yes, if you can let them fly around a bit. I would think if you are just around them often enough, the female would get used to you and let you hold her. Just takes time and not being nervous. Separate cage on another pair.
Dave - 2012-04-23 Thanks again Charlie, I'll keep this pair as it's my first ever. Is it a good idea to let them out of their cage for some play time everyday? i have them housed in a big enough cage for them to fly around and get some exercise. The female freaks out when I catch it so I am thinking I shouldn't disturb it too much. Also, can I put the new pair with the old one or should I get a separate cage for them ?
Bonnie Girard - 2012-04-15 My Mom has 4 white doves. 2 pairs in 2 cages. The original female must be 16 yrs. old, if not older. Her beak has grown and the bottom part sticks straight out. She still is able to eat, but it looks terrible. I have asked my vet if it could be trimmed, but he said he does not like to do something like that because they can bleed to death. I have put in one of those items that parrots and other birds use to sand down their beaks, but I do not see the doves doing this. The female is much older than the male that is with her and he is so in love with her. It is very neat to see. Any advice on this beak issue would be much appreciated. Thanks!
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janet - 2012-04-16 Hey Bonnie, if your 16yr old dove is able to eat who cares what her beak looks like! and I am happy that she has a mate that loves her just the way she is. god bless her .
Charlie Roche - 2012-04-16 I wouldn't worry too terribly much if she can eat. However, filing down a beak is a very simple process and takes all of a few seconds. If you can find an avian vet you shouldn't have any problems. You can hang a lava rock in her cage and possibly she will break it off herself but better to take her to a vet that actually knows what he is talking about. It is pretty much the same thing as clipping a puppies toenails.
Bonnie Girard - 2012-04-20 Thank you for the wonderful responses. It is greatly appreciated!
When you think of the term 'dove' you think of the White Dove. The White Dove has been one of the most universal symbols of love and peace throughout history!
My little white dove has been with me,outside for a year now she made it threw a MI winter, and last month she brought home a friend, much larger than her? White with some black feathers in his? wings. For the past few weeks her bottom has been dirty ,like she been sittin in mud would this mean she's on a nest? Both come to the feeder daily, today she was just really cooing for a very long time, he? wasn't around at that time would that make a difference?
WOW made it through the winter and found a friend. A dirty bottom could definitely be an indication of nesting or laying in a nest but not necessarily eggs. Also, it is the male that coos pretty constantly for the female so you probably have a boy calling for its mate.
If my doves eggs do not hatch after 21 days, what should i do with the eggs? the female is very,very protective of her eggs. it is her 1st eggs &she &her mate both sit on the eggs in thee nest. any advice would be appreciated. thanks
It isn't normal for a dove to have two clutches in 28 days but not unusual. Did you let her sit the first two eggs? Yes, she will probably lay a second egg. Let her sit the eggs and don't throw them out until after 20 days or until she gets bored with them and stops sitting.
Yes, she is protective of her eggs but she will lose interest. After the 21 days - just throw them out and might as well give her a new toy --- just a little something to play with.
thanks charlie, what kind of toy? how about her limping, any advice about that?
Doves seem to like to pull things that make a little noise. Maybe just a parakeet toy made out of plastic.
Well the eggs were not fertile as I suspected. Took them out of their cage today, to make sure there was not a baby in one we broke it open. Just an egg! My birds seem ok and are singinng as I type. Hope down the road we have some new babies. Now for my question, why do you think my last female that died last month never laid a egg after 7yrs? No she was not a male said the avian vet.
If the avian vet did not run a DNA test to determine the sex - then there is no sure way for the vet to determine the sex of the dove. It is also possible that for some reason the female just didn't lay eggs. Not all females develop and not all females lay eggs. Without the DNA test - it could have been a male. However, it could be an undeveloped 7 year old female - it happens.
Hey Charlie, thanks for the advice about the bird toy, my female dove has been playing with it it all moring!
28 days ago my new white dove laid 2 eggs. They were not fertile. I just got home in her feed bowl is another egg. Is this normal? Is she going to have another one to make two?
yes she sat the 1st 2 clutches for 22 days,(hoping for babies) why is there only one after the 1st 2 and not 2eggs? or dothey sometimes lay them days apart cuz it has been over 24hrs. since she had the last , what are the chances for a baby????????
Did anyone release some doves in celebration, in the Oakdale Minnesota area lately? I saw one in my yard today .
The birds that are released for weddings etc. are actually white pigeons that will fly back home. Doves fly in circles and do not return if they are released. Perhaps you should check if someone in your neighborhood lost a dove. Have you saved the bird or not?
I recently found a white dove in my back yard, It seems to have little bugs on it, I need to know what to do to get rid of these bugs. I am thinking of keeping it. How do you tell if it is a male or female? And how can you tell if it is pregant?
You can bathe the dove in warm water with a little Dawn and just soak it real well and rinse throughly. That should get rid of the little bugs (probably mites). There is no 100% full proof way to distinguish a male from a female without DNA sexing and you probably don't wish to do that at this point. If she is pregnant, she will probably lay an egg quite soon otherwise she isn't pregnant or you have a male.
Helen if you keep the dove you found get a bird protector for the cage. It works really good, you can get them at any pet store. I have used them for 19 yrs and have never had a mite on any of my doves. just give her a nice dawn bath, please be very careful not to get any in the eyes, and really rinse, rinse, rinse. you will have years of happiness when you add a dove to your family!!!!!
i think my new female white dove my have hurt her right foot. she is limping in her cage. can i do anything to fix it, or will it heal on her own?
Take her to the Vet. One that specilizes in birds. Ask the Humane Society for best bird vet in area.
If my doves eggs do not hatch after 21 days, what should i do with the eggs? the female is very,very protective of her eggs. it is her 1st eggs &she &her mate both sit on the eggs in thee nest. Any advice would be appreciated. thanks
Let her sit the eggs and usually they get bored with them. Dove eggs usually hatch at around 14 days so if you waited 17 days or so - then you can just remove the eggs and throw them out. Give them a new toy to play with - it would be nice.
My white dove eggs hatched today. I saw the female and male in the fly pen and went to check on birds and found them looking as if they were still born. They were stretched out in the nest but were cold when I touched them. I picked one up and it was very cold but not stiff. Is this normal on the first day of birth or are they still born and I need to take them out of the nest? This is my first time experience with this kind of bird and I would like someone to reply, Please. Thanks.
Just thought more about what happened. If the chicks had the strength to hatch out of the egg - they obviously were not stillborn. My guess is they hatched out and mom in her over eagerness to care for them possibly squished them. Another scenario - new mom and the egss she was sitting hatched and out comes two little strange things and she didn't know what to do. It is a learning expereince. But the chicks had to be healthy and on schedule to hatch so something happened after that. However, it is a learning experience.
No it is not normal. The first 24 hours, they are really still sometimes. Don't move much but not cold. I'd say the mom and dad have to learn from experience to keep them warm and to feed them. You can wait and see if mom catches on to what she is supposed to do.... The only other option is to hand feed yourself but with them cold and feeding every 2 hours - it would be real tricky. Just hope mom figures out what she is supposed to do. I am sorry but it is a learning experience the first few times.
OMG,Jim.are the baby doves alive? My eggs should hatch in about a week if they are fertile. I sure hope I do not have to deal with anything like that.
is it normal for my female to poop giant size poop after laying 2 eggs? she sits in the nest pretty much all the time , when she goes down to feed it looks like she left another egg cuz the poop is huge!!!!
My beautiful female white dove died last nite. We had her and her mate for over 7yrs. She had been ill since the end of jan. We loved her and cried alot last nite. Her name was babe. She was a sweetheart and p;will be missed. I went to a mega bird store in cocoa fl. Today and came home with a new 8mos. Female mate for my male named rooster. He seems to llike her alot. I think they will soon fall in love. We named her sweetie, rooster can't stop cooing! Everyone here has a smile on their face , even my yorkie maggie.
So hard but happy for your new little gal.
Wow! Our new white dove sweetie that we bought 7 days ago for a mate for our male named Rooster just laid 2 eggs! How did that happen so fast? Our babe that died last Thurs 4-12 we had for almost 8yrs. never had an egg, yet they mated all the time till she got sick. Go figure!
Could my new white dove be a little dumb or a very slow learner? I think she has hurt her foot by falling out of her branch. All my other doves figure out how to go from limb to limb to the top perch. The male keeps showing her how to get up and down, but she just keeps falling out. It is a beautiful cage my husband made with wood, oak branch in the center and fishing line so it looks like the are in the wild. 4ft. tall 3ftwide. Have any advise...
I have had a pair of white Ring Neck doves for the last 4 months and they were 6 months old when I got them. I have seen them mating a few times, but there hasn't been any eggs. The female spends a lot of time sitting in the nest, but hasn't laid any eggs. What could be the reason ? What should I do ?
Thanks a bunch, really appreciate the help..
They are very young yet and they need to practice and get it right. They are doing the normal mating breeding thing but a little young yet. Give them some time.
It is very difficult to tell the sex of a bird by the pelvic bone width. The pelvic bone in the female is usually wider than the male but this takes a long time to get familar with it and not necessaryily very accurate. Just a good shot. You have a young pair. Possibly, you have two males though. Many times if there are two males, one of them will assume the female roll and even sit in the nest box hoping for an egg. Yes, it is normal for them to flap their wings at each other - I don't know about doves but some birds do it in a mating ritual. You will just have to wait. Not all doves are secually mature at this age so the idea is there but no eggs. If there are no eggs in another 6 months - you probably have two fellas.
Thanks a lot Charlie. I am new at this and I love my pair but I am really confused. Is it possible for both male and female to have the same pelvic bone structure? And also, is it normal for them to fight? They sometimes hit each other with their wings, but its not very often..
Hey Dave. I had 2 white doves for over 7 yrs. They mated several times daily and never laid a egg. And yes I am sure that one was male and one was female. The female had been ill due to a injury, she went to the avian vet on 2-11-12 he said she had a hematoma and she died on 4-12-12,very sad. I bought another female for my male on 4-13-12. She laid 2 eggs on 4-19-12. My ringneck female I had for 12 yrs with no mate laid eggs 1 at a time for 11yrs . So go figure!
Thanks guys. It's funny but I never thought these cute little fellows will give me such a tough time. There's so much about them that is unclear. I so want them to raise off springs, but at the moment that doesn't seem to be happening. I am gonna get a new pair as I have lots of room for a few more and this time, I'll try to make sure its actually a pair :)
Don't give up hope yet, you may have a pair. The male does coo more often to attract the female. The female does approach the male and sorta try to get him to do his courtship thing with flapping the wings. It is said that doves reach sexual matuity around 3 months old, however, if they are in a flock, they can SEE what is going on around them. When they are not in a flock, they have to experiment and carry on and hope they get something right. It would be fun to get another pair and see the behavior differences and it may help you determine if you have the male/female pair. Good luck and enjoy.
Yes, if you can let them fly around a bit. I would think if you are just around them often enough, the female would get used to you and let you hold her. Just takes time and not being nervous. Separate cage on another pair.
Thanks again Charlie, I'll keep this pair as it's my first ever. Is it a good idea to let them out of their cage for some play time everyday? i have them housed in a big enough cage for them to fly around and get some exercise. The female freaks out when I catch it so I am thinking I shouldn't disturb it too much. Also, can I put the new pair with the old one or should I get a separate cage for them ?
My Mom has 4 white doves. 2 pairs in 2 cages. The original female must be 16 yrs. old, if not older. Her beak has grown and the bottom part sticks straight out. She still is able to eat, but it looks terrible. I have asked my vet if it could be trimmed, but he said he does not like to do something like that because they can bleed to death. I have put in one of those items that parrots and other birds use to sand down their beaks, but I do not see the doves doing this. The female is much older than the male that is with her and he is so in love with her. It is very neat to see. Any advice on this beak issue would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Hey Bonnie, if your 16yr old dove is able to eat who cares what her beak looks like! and I am happy that she has a mate that loves her just the way she is. god bless her .
I wouldn't worry too terribly much if she can eat. However, filing down a beak is a very simple process and takes all of a few seconds. If you can find an avian vet you shouldn't have any problems. You can hang a lava rock in her cage and possibly she will break it off herself but better to take her to a vet that actually knows what he is talking about. It is pretty much the same thing as clipping a puppies toenails.
Thank you for the wonderful responses. It is greatly appreciated!