Caring For Your Pet Dove

There are many Dove species found throughout the world but this article will focus on the Ringneck Dove. Sometimes referred to as Collard Doves, Ringneck Doves have created in captivity to include several colour mutations. The most common mutations include

- White Dove
- Blonde
- Cream
- Pied
- Platinum
- Ivory
- Silver Ivory
- Wild (The color discovered in the wild)

Contrary to popular belief, doves appreciate becoming handled and are very easily educated. Ringneck Doves have been trained to perform a number of tasks and tricks for the delight of their owners.

Many new dove owners are pleasantly shocked to see the reaction of their bird when they return home from work or other errands. Many evaluate it to that of a dog. Their Ringneck Dove will begin flapping it's wings, cooing and showing its genuine joy that you're home once more. When you open the cage door it is nearly certain your dove will fly straight to your shoulder. It is a truly rewarding feeling to see this expression of love from your pet.

Lifespan of Ringneck Doves - Doves can live to be 20 to 25 years old, with some reported to live a lot longer. The key to a long and pleased life for your pet Dove is proper care and nutrition.

The Proper Cage - Doves can thrive and even breed in a cage as small as 2ft. x 2ft. If you do house your dove in a small cage like this you should provide it with a lot of time out of the cage. They require the chance to fly and stretch their wings. The very best rule of thumb is to offer the largest cage you can afford and have space for.

A cage that is longer than it is tall is usually best. This allows you to place a perch at every finish so your dove can hop or fly from perch to perch. This allows them to get some physical exercise even when not out of the cage.

Proper Nutrition - There are a number of commercial brands of dove food on the market. These are readily accessible on-line or at your local pet store. Doves also do very well on a great high quality wild bird seed mix. A mix that is formulated for a wide variety of birds is very best when utilizing the wild bird seed. The choice of using a commercial brand of dove feed or a wild mix is a matter of personal preference. The difference in the two is that the industrial seed is better cleaned and processed to get rid of undesired contaminates.

Doves in captivity should not live on a seed only diet. Offer yours with chopped dark green vegetables, as nicely as chopped hard boiled eggs, shell and all. The egg shell is an superb source of calcium.

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