I went to several pet shops/stores looking fo doves and the say " we don't carry any doves because there cousins "pigeons" carry to many diseases....is this true? and where can I buy them and do you have to give any shots? or medicine.....i'm new to the whole "bird world of magic"...needing help

If you can tell us where about you live, then someone might be able to recommend a breeder in your area.

Doves getting diseases is not normally a concern with dove workers. Two of the most common concerns are a potentially lethal lung disease you can catch and the noise they make.

I am not a vet, MD, or otherwise expert on disease. However, there is a "dander" that the birds give off. If you inhale too much of this it can be extremely harmful to you. Research proper housing for your doves from other threads here at the Café and other reliable sources.

Next, the natural cooing of the birds can get quite annoying to some rather quickly. Some say they can control it with light, yet I have had doves coo in total darkness. So, be prepared.

Also, remember that these are living creatures and need to be cared for on a daily basis. Water, food, cage cleaning etc.....needs a real commitment.

As to shots and medicines, I do not know of any that are needed. Some will put a vitamin supplement in either the food or water, some will not. We did have a dove recently develop a soft beak. We changed the feed and added a different calcium supplement and the problem has since rectified itself.

Housing or caging your birds takes some consideration as well. Some wish to "fly" their doves and some choose not to. Both are acceptable as long as you provide ample space for them to exercise their wings.

Also to be considered when housing/caging is the problem of the "pecking order." Keeping males in too close of proximity to each other can result in some rather nasty results. They may tend to peck at each others' heads resulting in bald and sometimes bleeding birds. The females do not seem to behave quite as badly, but there are always exceptions. (On the topic of determining male and female birds, good luck. There is no one simple solution to this. We find it is only through observation and time that we can truly determing the sex of our birds.)

If you are keeping them indoors, for cage bottoms, some prefer ground corn cob (it has not recommended by some breeders because of possible toxins found in it), others rely on good old newspaper.

If you plan on allowing your birds to breed (which is where many of us get our doves from), there are many other things to consider. Again, research carefully. One of the problems to be aware of with young is "splay leg."

The point I would make the strongest though, is know as much about the birds as possible before you obtain them. Treat them well both on and off stage and you will both benefit.

All the best,

Rob

I, as well as several other dove workers here on the Café have stated many times "do not buy your doves from a pet shop". The response you got from them about being prone to disease because of their relationship to pigeons shows one of the reasons. They do not know how to care for or handle doves. Their prime concern is making money. You never know what the history of a bird is when you get it from a pet shop. The only disease they may have is one they brought with them from wherever the shop got them in the first place and they will not invest the time or money to get them cared for properly.

The main misconception about any bird is the threat of avian flu or bird flu. It's not a well know fact but doves and most pigeons are immune to avian flu. It 's the hype that was given to the disease that has caused the problem.

If you have studied all the material you can about doves and are ready to take the plunge, check with some local magicians or do a search on the internet for dove breeders in your area.

You could also contact Dakota Rose here on the Café. He raises perfect doves for magicians.

Hi Dave. I have also been concerned about doves having "Bird Flu". I didn't know they were immune to thin disease. That being so, can they be a carrier of the disease?

Regan

I'm not sure if they can be carriers or not. I just found out about the immune condition a few days ago. There's always something to learn. If I were venture a guess, I'd say they were not carriers either. I'll check around and see what I can find out.

Thank you Dave!

Thank you so much rje and dave for your reply...i'm extremely new to dove magic and every bit of info helps....i was thinking about making my own bird cage, the prices of cages have been in the upper hundreds....well, let me ask you this, is it best to keep a dove in a big cage or small cage?

The size of the cage depends largely on the number of doves you are going to keep. If just one or two birds, then a cage minimum would be 24" x 24" x 18". You can get a cage that size for about $50. If you are going to keep more than 2 birds and want them all in one cage, then of course you'll need a larger cage.

I think if the cages you are looking at are priced in the upper hundreds, you are looking at the wrong type of cage. A cage of that price is most likely meant for parrot etc.

I originally kept my birds in a large rabbit hutch. It had a roof that lifted up and a door in front for access. I put a couple of perches at different heights and it worked great. It was about 4 ft long, 3 feet high and 3 feet deep and cost me $125.

Wow just $125 that sounds like a bargain....thanks for the cage info, like I said I'm new and I don't want to get ripped off....can you recommend me a website to buy my first cage , I'm going to purchase 2 doves.

I wouldn't worry too much about web sites. Try your local pet shops. Most of them have a good selection of cages that will work for just two birds. Most even carry the rabbit hutches I mentioned. You should be able to find a good cage there for around $60

I second Mr. Scribner.

If someone lives in Los Angeles, California....where can one get doves? I don't do dove magic YET..but I will be and I was just wondering if there even IS a place over here. I already know I should buy the dvds and all the other things to make sure this is for me. But I would like to know of a good place to purchase doves for magicians so that when I'm ready I know where to go.

Art

The best source is to talk to magicians in your area or to any magic dealers you visit. Here are a few sites that might help you.

http://losangeles.kijiji.com/f-Pets-Bird......dZ100135 this one offers birds of all types and they periodically have doves.

http://www.2racepigeons.com/white_dove_CA.html releases This one is not to a breeder but to an organization that does dove releases at weddings etc. They may be able to steer you toward a breeder.

http://www.doveline.com/ This is an excellent source for dove information and breeders. Just click around and you'll come to a list of members that raise doves. I've always found them to be very helpful.

There are many folks that raise doves and are willing to ship them. Dakota Rose here on the Café is an excellent source.

Dave, thank you so much for the help and the links. Is there any threads that Dakota Rose has posted on so that I can find her? I will look in the members section right now and try to find her, but there's a long list. Do you sell doves Dave? I've read many threads and also read that you have about 30 or so doves. Thanks again.

Art

Art, Dakota is a nice young man that will never disappoint you. He usually posts right here in the Polly forum but has been busy with school and such. He also writes a column for one of the major magic magazines. Do a search and you'll see quite a bit from him.

Sorry, I'm not selling doves right now myself. I used to have 30 birds but I've narrowed that down to just a few more than I need for my act. I only occassionally raise them now.

I'm sorry I did not know Dakota was a guy..please forgive me. I will do a search and see what I get. Thanks for the help.

Art