White Doves

 When you think of the term 'dove' you think of the White Dove. The White Dove has been one of the most universal symbols of love and peace throughout history!

 

 

Welcome To Our Dove Site

    

 Breeding/Reproduction:
Mourning Doves are easy to breed but they are rather flimsy nest builders, so it is best to provide them with an open nesting container and some nesting materials. The female will lay two eggs which hatch after about 13 days. The young will fledge in about 16 or 17 days
 

Doves and pigeons have a very strong reproductive drive and many will breed indoors. In general the tropic or subtropic species are the easiest to breed. All the birds in this family are monogamous, meaning they mate for life. However they will generally take another mate if something happens to permanently remove the chosen mate. Sometimes a male will kill his mate.



     Sexing: To breed you will need a sound compatible pair. Many doves and pigeons are not easily sexed though there are a few species that are dimorphic, having distinctive markings differentiating the male from the female. If the sex is not visually obvious, it can be determined by either a surgical probe, endoscopy, which can be done by many veterinarians or by a DNA testing, usually a blood sample or a few plucked feathers sent to be diagnosed in a lab.
   Most breeders will keep young birds in a pen together until after the first molt and let them pick their own mate. This usually works, though sometimes what you think is a pair is two of the same sex. If a pair lays three or more eggs, then you have two hens.



     Nest: These birds are noted for building rather flimsy nests. In the wild they will construct a nest or platform using a few twigs, grasses, roots, and maybe a few leaves. They will often build their nest on a rocky ledge or in the branches of trees or shrubs, but sometimes they just use the old nest of others doves and pigeons or other birds.   For many species you can provide a nest platform or a shallow box, pan, or basket. For the hole nesting birds provide a nest box. Nesting materials for the smaller species can be such things as grass hay, coconut fibers, and moss. For the larger species it can be twigs, pieces of willow, birch, moss, and straw. Fill half the nest with material and put some on the platform to encourage nesting. Both parents will help with the nest building to some degree.



     Incubate: The female will generally lay two eggs and both parents will incubate (though the female does most of it) for 13 to 19 days.There is usually one of each sex if both eggs hatch The hatchlings are fed by both parents on a special food called 'crop milk' for the first 4 or 5 days, and then the crop milk becomes mixed with more solid food. Crop milk is a combination of partially digested food and a curd like substance from the parents crop. The young will fledge in about 12 to 20 days. It is important to provide plenty of water for the parents when they are feeding young.



     Difficulties: There can be difficulties in breeding if the pair is very young. There are some species such as the Bleeding-heart Pigeon, that are difficult to breed or may abandon their eggs or hatchlings. In this case you can often successfully foster the eggs or young to other birds that are not so particular about breeding and are good parents. This can work if the eggs or hatchlings are within 4 or 5 days of the foster parents own. You must also be sure they eat a similar diet and that they are similar in size. Some very good foster parents include the Barbary Dove, Diamond Dove, Senegal Dove, Spotted Dove and some of the fancy pigeons.
   Due to their very high reproductive drive, hybridization from cross-breeding two species can happen in a community aviary. Be sure you take precautions to keep the birds you want breeding within their own species.

 



 

 

Dove Facts...

White Doves are actually a variety of Ringneck Dove and not a separate species?

 

Dove Colors...

CLICK HERE for a listing of each color mutation/combination of  doves along with a picture.

 

 

 

Dove Faq's

 The Ringneck Dove has been bred in over 40 color mutations: white, peach, fawn, pied and apricot, to name a few. It is also known as the laughing dove, collared dove, Barbary dove or turtledove, and the white mutation is sometimes called the Java dove, peace dove, or sacred dove.

 

 


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