I need help with doves.

i have always wanted to get a dove both as a companion and for magic. i was thinking of a ringneck but i dont think my local petshop has ringnecks or doves in particular. i have been tempted to have a bird shipped from a breeder and plus my mom is not to keen on the whole dove thing. that is why i want to be able to get a dove and everything needed without going bankrupt. any advice? :cry:

 

Hi sortethegod
See If this site helps you with some things...
Let us know how you get on..

http://www.dovepage.com/species/domesti ... kdove.html

 

well a friend of mine told me of a place named j.s. birds. im not 100% sure if the have ringnecks but im sure they do. im going to go look at them and the site is going to help beacuse ringnecks dont need that much room.

 

Did you end up getting one??

 

well not yet but i do have some questions. i know you can train a dove to sit in your hand but is that the most can be learned. i also know that you can train them to fly back to you but im clipping my doves wings. also is it a good idea to let your doves sit on your shoulder. i read that birds are not supposed to be higher than the human, but i see so many people doing that. i need to learn as much as i can to convince my mom in letting me get one.

 

it is not a good idea to clip ur dove's wings because it will scare them and make them upset. their wings are their only way to protect themselves and it would be scary for them not being able to fly. i clipped my dove's wings once before i knew it wasnt a good idea and his personality changed alot. he wasnt himself..and everytime he tried to fly, he would fall down and hurt himself. so i waited until his wings grew back before taking him out of the cage again.

 

Wing clipping is a the best way to start training, As you only have there primary flight feathers clipped this is so they can still fly but can not get the height.

The reason for clipping is so that they can not reach heights you cant get them back down from, It also helps with hand taming as with there wings clipped they need to depend on you so therefor need to trust you.

It also helps stop any accidents if a door or window is left open as he would not be able to fly high enough to get away and makes catching easier.

Once there feathers grow back in which does not take long you will find you have a bird that will come to you as soon as you open the cage door.

Once they have been clipped it takes a couple of attempts for them to get used to it as they basically have to learn to fly all over again and yes they do land hard so make sure anything he can hurt himself on is out of the way.

I clip all my birds and there has been no change to there personality and none have hurt themselves.


Wing clipping should only ever be done by someone that knows what they are doing as cutting the wrong feathers or cutting too short could be disastrous...

I never let any of my cockatiels sit any higher than my shoulder as any higher and they start to think they are in power and can start to bite anyone that comes near you which is not a good thing.

They will also see you as part of there flock and expect you to do what they wish like if he starts chewing on your hair and he starts to bite you and screech take him down and put him back in his cage, Always make sure you are in control.

Hope that has helped.

Mike

 

cockatiels are different than doves.

 

It does not make a difference all birds can have there wings clipped the only birds that do not are finch's as its not wise to allow them out of the cage anyway.

My friend has a pair of diamond doves and he keeps there wings clipped.

I have bred cockatiels, Budgies, Lovebirds, pigeons and they all had there wings clipped.

Only time wing clipping is a problem is when its not done correctly thats why i always recommend either a breeder or avian vet doing it just to make sure no mistakes are made, Cutting them wrong can make feathers grow back in wrong...

 

One of the main reasons for not clipping doves is that they don't use the bars to climb on the way other birds do so it limits their movement in the cage.

Wing clipping (most methods) does not totally inhibit the flight ability, the birds still have the ability to fly at low heights and to glide (with a strong wind a clipped bird can travel a great distance).There are different types of wing clipping, some that do allow the bird to be able to have some flight abilities (show clipping and traditional) and some methods that do not allow for flight (unilateral).

When I clip new birds I always use the tradition method. It allows the bird to still have some flight ability which makes it feel safer (but it cuts off the longer flight feathers at the tips of the wings that can get broken easily if the bird is frightened, whereas show clipping leaves those feathers intact). It does take a little while for them to figure out how to fly with clipped wings but they do adapt fairly quickly.

 

Good luck with every thing!!!