what can i feed doves

Sure you can feed them chicken feed, but the question is how well will they like eating it. I keep pigeons, ( in the same family as doves.) and they only want to eat pigeon feed seeds. They will eat wild bird seeds though. When I offered them allflock chicken pellets, they did not touch it. I suppose that if they were VERY HUNGRY, then they would eventually eat anything you give them. They would not be developing healthy this way. Get feed at your feed store for doves. They don;t eat all that much to break the bank.
WISHING YOU BEST
thumbsup.gif
 
i have herd from friend who had quail that you should keep them in a one square foot box with the front being chicken wire or of that nature . is this true or is it just opinion
 
Last edited:
Everyone does things differently, I like to keep my doves in a 7' x 16' x 6' tall walk in aviary, half covered, half just with fencing on top (doesn't have to be that big) with my pigeons and quail so they can fly around. I feed them seeds and chicken food mixed and they eat both, but they started eating it when they were young so they are used to it now.



 
Last edited:
Everyone does things differently, I like to keep my doves in a 7' x 16' x 6' tall walk in aviary, half covered, half just with fencing on top (doesn't have to be that big) with my pigeons and quail so they can fly around. I feed them seeds and chicken food mixed and they eat both, but they started eating it when they were young so they are used to it now.

Just curios;; Do the doves interact with the pigeons,? or stay separate ? One reason I don't want doves and quail, Is that they would escape when given the chance. I let my pigeons free range. Sometimes they just don't feel like flying out, and other times all go cruising in formation like the BLUE ANGELS. If I could somehow keep quail and doves from escaping, I would get them. One person told me of trimming quail flight feathers, but when they grow back, its adios.
 
i have herd from friend who had quail and pigeon that you should keep them in a one square foot box with the front being chicken wire or of that nature . is this true or is it just opinion

There are peeps that cage pigeons into small confined cages to have them pair up and mate. The cages are somewhat larger than one foot. Called breeding cages. Prevents undesired pairing. IT IS EQUIVALENT TO PRISON.
hit.gif
 
I don't let my pigeons free fly anymore because we have a pair of hawks that live near here now, but it was fun to see them flying around before. One pigeon just got out a couple days ago and a hawk caught him but he managed to get away and hid under a piece of fencing. I heard my turkey making her hawk alarm and went outside and found the pigeon. He is now healing in the pen and his mate protects him from other pigeons that try to steal his perch, it is very cute. The doves kinda do their own thing but the younger two sleep on a perch with the pigeons and they all eat together. The quail just walk around, eat, poop, sleep, fly up and try to hit their heads on the top of the cage and thats pretty much it, oh and they take dust baths too... We are moving soon and the new land has a barn so I will let the pigeons fly around in there and possibly outside if there are no resident hawks. The doves I don't trust completely to come back, especially my older pair because the male would probably find a good nest site and not come back, also all but one are bright white so not the best camouflage lol.
 
And agree with the caging, couldn't imagine my pigeons in such a tiny cage, they all are my babies and they would go insane very quickly, especially my favorite one Nutty (the one in my profile pic) who can't stand to be confined.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom