feeding pellets to ringneck doves

[pheasantman]

I have been feeding just hen scratch to my doves, but recently became more aware that hen scratch by itself isn't the best for our birds has anyone fed a complete pelleted feed to them?

 

[loftkeeper]

i feed chicken laying pellet to my birds it is complete feed birds cannt pick out what they like and waste rest if you have a steady reliable source for piigeon pellets thats what i would get

 

[jak2002003]

The mixed grins are a natural food for your doves.

However, they lack many vitamins and minerals.

Keep the seed as their main diet.. but also have a food pot of chicken layer pellets for them when they are laying eggs. The chicken pellets have extra calcium and protein in them that the doves need at this time.

Also make sure you have a pot bird grit and oyster shell grit for them to eat.. they need this to grind up their food in their bodies.. and its also give them essential minerals lacking in the seed.

They also LOVE crushed up cooking peanuts.,.. they go crazy for them when the realise how tasty they are and it makes them super tame. But only feed as treats as they are fattening.

Finally, allowing you birds to sunbath in natural sunlight really improves their health as they get vitamin D from the sunlight.. which helps them absorb calcium better... for bones and eggs.

Don't feed only pellets... they have too much calcium in them for the males.. and also the females if they are not laying eggs.

 

[loftkeeper]

never heard to much calcium if you feed both they will eat the grain first and not the pellets unless you dont feed anymore til they clean up

 

[pheasantman]

ts been my experience also that they eat the scratch first, and wont touch pellets or any treats. in fact, they have never ate any treats for me . These doves are in a 20 foot by 6 foot by 6 foot high pen so they get plenty of sunshine and exercise the pellets are an 18% protein, made by countryside, which I think is part of purina. not sure about that tho.