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Broader Horizons

White Ring-neck Doves or Love Doves

Foods and Feeding

A very good food is essential.  A Love Dove diet should consist of wheat, milo, rice, millet, cracked corn, vetch, chopped peanuts, safflower and little back sunflower that is high in oil. There is less waste if these are not mixed. Don't overfeed! Extra feed on the ground may spoil and cause illness. Pigeon pellets or the smaller 20% protein game-bird pellets, or even "crumbled" poultry feed may suffice if the birds become used to it. The pellets will supply vitamins A andD3. The D3 is necessary if direct sun is not available.
Finch Seed Mixed Feed Laying Mash Grit

Supplements are important too.  Be sure to provide salts, minerals, and calcium. Provide extra calcium in the form of crushed eggshell, or oyster shell, or a special pigeon grit. Livestock salt with trace elements such as iodine, cobalt, manganese, and other minerals is also good. This extra mineral supplement is especially necessary if the doves are raising young. Green leaves such as dandelion leaves or spinach are enjoyed, but they are not necessary if complete pellets are given. Be sure that the leaves have not had herbicide sprayed on them if you gather them in the wild.  I always provide water soluble vitamins regularly about 2X a week.

Fresh water is a must, and it should be in a bowl that is at least and inch deep because doves drink water like pigeons - in a continuous draught with their bill emerged in the water. One big drink per day is minimal, but morning and evening drinks or free choice is much better.  Water is critical!  Be sure your doves have fresh water daily and that the containers that you use are cleaned and scrubbed at least twice a week.  The waterer pictured to the right holds a gallon and is available at most feed stores, and it would be good for an avairy with many birds. 

Feeders should be designed to limit the food that is scatted by the birds.  Some breeders feed once a day and remove the excess feed after one hour, this may help to decrease scattered food in your aviary.  If your birds are raising young, be sure there is food available all the time however.  Just be sure that they are at least 13% protein for basic maintenance and for breeding season and molting season, a diet up to 18-20% protein is preferred. The growing young demand the extra nutrition. In the photo of the tail feathers (click photo to enlarge) you can see "stress lines" that indicate that this youngster had several periods of stress while they were developing.  The diet should be examined as it may have been the cause.

 

All About Love Doves
Introduction | Cages | Feeding | Breeding

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