Diamond Doves anyone????

[SunshineSilkies]

Just acquired some diamond doves and was wondering who else may have some and how are they to raise? Seem pretty easy, but need any tips as I am a silkie breeder and know nothing about doves!!!!!!

Any information will be appreciated!!

 

[b.hromada]

My son had some diamond doves. they are so sweet! I don't remember him doing anything special for them, like any other birds. Have fun!!

 

[crtrlovr]

Have some DDs, and just lost a youngster b/c the adult male is apparently in a courting mood and saw this young one (possibly a young male) as competition. When I got back from working at the Bible college all day, the young one had been severely pecked on the head and rump. I put little one in a hospital cage for protection. Poor little guy didn't make it. They were all fine for about a year, and then the adult male started attacking his own offspring. They can be so sweet, but very intolerant of any "competition" when breeding season rolls around and the hormones start to rise.

I'm going to try putting the remaining 3 youngsters in the same cage and leaving the original pair together (as soon as I figure out who's who...)

Other than that, they are wonderful to watch and listen to ... very relaxing to hear that beautiful trilling "coo".

ETA: they do need grit (get the very fine type that looks like sand; you can get it at Walmart or in the pet bird section of just about any store that carries pet products) and greens. I buy organic salad mix (baby greens or spring mix), but you can also use dried timothy hay and put it in a hanging treat ball. They do fine on the same food my society finches eat. I feed finch size Zupreem pellets part of the time, and the finch seed mixes part of the time for variety.

 

[SunshineSilkies]

crtrlovr ,
Thanks for the info. Always new things to learn!! They were the sweetest looking birds and I couldn't resist!!! These were born in the spring so they are still young. Do you have yours in a regular cage with a bottom? I have read to take the bottom out of the cage..I couldn't remove the bottom from the new cage I bought, so I just put some liner on the bottom. They are walking around alot better than on the cage wire.

 

[darkfur]

I have some young ones, my first ever. They like their fruit and veges as well as mixed seeds, and they have the cutest coos, like a toy train. Mine live with bengalese finches and canaries and button quail and are very easygoing so far but will watch out for those hormones!

 

[Pidgey104]

I bought my frist pair at the pet store. I ahve them in with my finch and button quail also. They ahve a 3 foot by 6 foot long cage that is 6 foot tall. eveeryone gets along fine. I did have them in a smaller cage not long ago. and my male was plucking the feathers off the offspring.

I started with 2 now I ahve 6 I need new blood lines

 

[chickenzoo]

When i had some they were always having babies... 2 at a time. They are very good parents mostly... and good fliers so don't let them get out around the house! LOL

 

[Tony K T]

Very easy to care for.Mine live in with my pheasants year round.
In N.H.,Tony.Here's one that just came off the nest on the 14th of august.

 

[darbella]

I have a huge aviary cage with 7 adults in it. I have a pair in the cage that keep having 2 eggs, but each time only one egg makes it to hatch and this last time, both eggs hatched but one chick was a fraction of the size of the other chick. The bigger chick fledged the nest but only sits on the bottom of the cage, the smaller one never left the nest and ended up dying at about 4 weeks old. I feel so bad. I wonder if it is because there are so many adults? SOmetimes there are 3 adults sitting in the nest which again has 2 eggs in it. There are several nests set up in the cage, but it seems the same pair keeps using the same one. Do they pair up for life? Is it possible I have one male and the rest are hens, or the other way around?? Iwant to sell off about 4 of them and would like to sell them as 2 pairs, but I am having a hard time figuring out who is a hen and who is a male!

 

[Tony K T]

Quote:
If you can post pic of them(the adults)I can tell which is a hen and which is a male.The younger birds need to be at least 2 months old before you can be sure of their sex.
I have all 14 in with my pheasants in a 6x12x8 cage.They all get along great,but I do think there should be more fledglings coming from them.I have 6 so far this year and I have 4 pair in the cage as breeders.They all pick different spots to nest,but most seem to like the old xmas trees.
In N.H.,Tony.