Domestic Pegions

[Antony Maina]

Have you ever find any intresting thing about Doves? If yes have you ever thought of domesticating them.

 

[kusanar314]

Have you ever find any intresting thing about Doves? If yes have you ever thought of domesticating them.

What do you mean? There are already domesticated types of both Pigeons and Doves.

 

[arachyd]

I've raised both pigeons and ring-necked doves. I have more experience with the doves so I'll comment on those. They don't mind being confined if they have enough room to exercise and fly a bit. Mine were in a very large cage indoors that would have housed a macaw comfortably. They seem to be perpetually laying eggs (every 3 weeks) and were unbelievably messy. If you have them in the house you'll be forever picking up feathers and dander because they like to flap their wings a LOT. Doves are also ridiculously loud indoors. Outside it's a pleasant sound but inside it will have you wearing ear plugs. Aside from the negatives, they are easy to tame and train, easy to feed, inexpensive (I got mine from a farmer auction), easy to breed, edible (both meat and eggs) and come in lots of nice colors. I enjoyed having them but one night a large black rat snake got into their cage and ate the babies and a couple of the younger adults. I knew it was the culprit because it couldn't fit back out through the cage bars with all it had eaten. I gave the survivors to a friend who was looking for some doves and my heart was no longer in it after that.

There are also a much smaller species, diamond doves, if you want something just for a pet.