Keeping diamond doves

[nathan morley]

Hi I just bort a pair of diamond doves an I would like eney advice on keeping them, special food needs , what they breed in an how they do it? Do they need live food? Are they easy to breed? Do they get on well in a finch aviary? Do they need eney speacial supplements , what types of breeding aids .... Etc eney information please.
Thanks nathan

[MadHatter]

Let me fix that for you Nathan:

Hi, I just bought a pair of Diamond Doves and I would like any advice on keeping them, special food needs, what they breed in and how they do it. Do they need live food? Are they easy to breed? Do they get on well in a finch aviary? Do they need any special supplements or breeding aids, etc? Any information please.
Thanks, Nathan

There, much better.

Now, to answer your question, Diamond Doves get along very peacfully with finches and small parrots, although due to their larger size, they may spook some more nervous finch species as they flutter around the aviary. They are quite territorial among their own kind and males may fight eachother quite fiercely resulting in significant feather plucking of the subordinate birds. As such they are best kept as single pairs in most small to medium sized aviaries. Diamond Doves are very easy to breed and do not require any special diet or live food. They will take some soft food and greens but it's not necessary to breeding success. Diamond Doves, alond with most other pigeons and doves produce a thing called "crop milk" which they feed to their chicks. This is a secretion from the crop which contains all the special nutrients that a growing squab (that's the proper name for a baby pigeon or dove) needs.
They will sometimes build thier own nests, which are a fairly flimsy affair of a few small twigs with usually 2 white eggs balanced precariously on top. In the aviary they will commonly use artificial nest sites such as canary nest baskets, shelves or shallow wire baskets.

I have noticed Nathan that you have now made a number of posts asking for basic information on species you have recently purchased. I would like to take this opportunity to strongly urge you in future to do your research and read up about any new species you are considering adding to your collection BEFORE you go out and buy it. This will save you alot of money and heartache down the track. Among other things, you will know what special dietary requirements they may have, whether the species is suitable to mix with the birds you already have and you will know how to tell the sexes apart and so can be more sure of getting a true pair.

[nathan morley]

Ok thanks for that information mate it was very helpful .

[jusdeb]

I call mine the Dizzy Doves .
They quite happily live with my Princess Parrots , Quarrions and Bourkes .
No special food , cup nest away from the other inmates .
Skittish and unpredictable when spooked but all round good roomies for the parrots however I have heard that they will upset finches with their flightiness however each aviary has its own dynamics and yours may be OK ...just watch as always for any trouble.

[Jayburd]

I agree with Deb. I decided not to keep doves because they are far too skittish, and may accidentally squash a finch nest one day... Also their wing-shape makes them look like raptors (birds of prey) and it may take finches some time to settle down with them, possibly even abandoning eggs and/or chicks.

[nathan morley]

Ok thanks for the advice I will buy some cup nests for them.

[thehammer]

Did you get a pair of normals or silvers?

If I ever buy a pair of Diamonds again, I think I'll go for a pair of Pieds.

[nathan morley]

I got a pair of normals I don't like mutations

[nathan morley]

Just went to the pet super store and got some canary breeding baskets for them an I got some speacial seed for them.

[jusdeb]

Just out of curiosity Nathan , whats in the Dove seed mix ? Mine just eat whatever the parrots eat ,actually they scavenge on the ground with the Quail .