Male bonding

[LittlePeck]

I have two male diamond doves who get along after a rocky start when they lost their girlfriends. One woos the other. A breeder told me that the best success with a male and female is to get siblings, which are apparently part of a clutch of two which every hatch contains. She says each pair is bonded to the point where they will mate for life after having been attached to each other by hearing each other's heartbeat. (My take on this is that there won't be any variety in the bloodline.) What say you all?

The other thing is if I added a single female, would it mean fighting? If I were able two add two ladies, should I find them, would that also cause a problem? Would I need to separate each pair?

 

[Hokum Coco]

A breeder told me that the best success with a male and female is to get siblings, Bad advice you would be better off breeding father to daughter or visa versa mother to son.

The other thing is if I added a single female, would it mean fighting? Yes for a time guaranteed. If I were able two add two ladies Would I need to separate each pair? That would be the best approach in my opinion especially if you wish to dictate the paring. I have let them intermingle with the same basic results

 

[LamarshFish]

I was wondering about this, but never asked anybody, whether there is any problem when they inbreed like this? I got my 6 squeakers from the same loft, and I think a few of them have to be siblings. In fact, I'd imagine it's possible that the 6 of them are 3 pairs of siblings..... I just wonder if there are problems if they breed to a sibling. Will they know which of them are their siblings, and avoid breeding to them, and prefer to select a non-relative to breed to, or can they not tell at all?

We'd obviously never do that with dogs or the like....

 

[Hokum Coco]

I just wonder if there are problems if they breed to a sibling. There is a chance of poor genetics and unhealthy offspring. Will they know which of them are their siblings, and avoid breeding to them, Not likely, If your fancier bands their birds and keeps good records guidance should be available in a perfect world.

 

[jak2002003]

I take it you want your doves to breed? If not, then just let the 2 males be friends and enjoy them as pets.

If you add females you are going to need to split up your male pair, and put each male and female pair in their own cage, unless you have them in a large aviry or flight.

This is because they are not social / colony breeding birds like pigeons. Each pair of these doves likes its own territory and if you to breed 2 pairs together in a cage there is going to be fighting and injury... and when the squabs leave the nest the other parents will likely attack them.. and may kill them.

Also, that breeder is not correct about them natually mating with their borther or sister (or that each nest has one of each sex). In nature the young would disperse and later find an unrelated mate when they are ready to breed. In captivity you have to provide them with that oppertunity. If the breeder is constanty inbreeding like that she will eventually get weak birds with genetic problems. You shoudl always availd breeding from siblings... but father to daughter or mother to son works OK.