Hello everyone! I havent been on in so lkong :'D anyways, I need hlep with care for a dove. Id like to get into having a pair of male doves. Probably white or Jobicon (I know im not spelling that right). Anyways, Here are the following questions.
*Feed?
*Common health problems?
*Life Span?
*Size (Compared to *Blank* chicken breed)?
*Shots?
*Can they have Millet?
*Favorite Toys?
Thanks so much everyone!!!
Hi there!
I used to have a pair of ringneck doves, one all white and the other brown with a white ring. The male lived to about 17 years (He was in excellent health. We unfort lost him to what we believe was an oppossum or raccoon.) He actually had two wives in his lifetime, one after the other (he was not a polygamist : D). The first passed at about 13 years old, and the next outlived him and passed at about 8 years (we believe she contracted an illness from wild sparrows, as we sometimes kept the cage outdoors. I wouldn't want to discourage you from doing this, however, as they do best with some outdoor time/sunlight and fresh air. Just make sure sparrows can't gain inside access).
Feed: We mainly fed them "classic" wild bird seed (sunflower seeds, milo & millet), and treats like boiled egg yolk, an excellent nutritional source. They also sometimes ate lettuce/greens (attatch to the cage so they can pull away on their own. Some doves enjoy this.) I would also feed occasional crushed egg shell (from a boiled egg) for calcium, particularly important for females.
**Note: grit can be offered, though i hardly did. And seeds specifically for doves may be a better seed choice, though it is a bit more expensive.
My ringneck doves were slightly smaller than a street pigeon and were more petite. Unsure of other types..
No vaccines for my doves. Should just be kept apart from other animals, and proper sanitary practices should be used.
They aren't big on toys like parrots are. My male/female interacted mostly with each other for play time (preening each other, "kissing", etc.) . I think doves generally enjoy being paired male/female most, but look into that. .
My doves hardly had (evident) health issues. However, my first female laid eggs quite frequently (about a pair once a month), and sometimes her eggs shells would go soft, indicating a need for calcium. Hence the crushed egg shell. Also keep in mind that they do have sensitive respiratory systems.
Here's a link to a book that is quite short, concise and super informative that i purchased years ago upon getting my birds, and recommend to you.
https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Owning-Dove-Nikki-Moustaki/dp/0793822165
Let me know if you have any further questions you think I may be able to help with!
About the same time you lost Miss Red, I lost my RIR Mary Jane. Still have her twin sister. She was 2., and all those doves above are lost to predator. 
Also lost my 11 year old hen this year. Not to mention that one of my Polish (golden laced) is MIA for over 2 weeks now. But besides all this, I still have a positive outlook for the future. 
