Care
& Breeding
Doves are very sensitive
to the elements. While some doves are quite hardy, it
is still very important to offer them shelter from wind
and moisture. Many doves will also require heat in the
Winter months. This can be offered by heating your outdoor
aviary or bringing them inside from the cold.
When it comes to housing there
are a couple of questions to ask yourself:
- How much room do I have
to keep doves?
- What kind of doves
do I plan to keep?
- How many doves will
fit comfortably and happily in that space?
Since there are so many
dove species available it is often hard to resist keeping
and enjoying all of them. One of the biggest mistakes
a beginning dove fancier makes is putting too many birds
in a single aviary. The amount of room needed per pair
of doves depends totally on the kind of dove you plan
to keep. Most doves require a large aviary and all doves
prefer a large aviary. There are only a few species
which will thrive in small cages. Below are examples
of a modular aviary design that can be built with any
desired dimensions (see sizes mentioned below).
Large Aviary
A large aviary is the ideal situation for keeping all
doves. Doves are avid and swift flyers and need plenty
of room for exercise. There are countless designs for
large aviaries; some quite decorative and others not
so decorative. You should take into account the climate
of your area when choosing an aviary design. The most
common design is a modular style which can be expanded
at will. Many large dove keeping operations outfit a
large building with numerous (75-100) flights which
enables them to keep a tremendous nember of birds. Most
back yard aviaries will only accomidate 1 to 4 large
flights (see large flight examples by CLICKING
HERE and HERE).
A large flight would measure on the average: width:
4’ length: 12’ height: 8’
Medium Aviary
When you don't have much room perhaps a medium sized
aviary will do. Though not ideal and much smaller than
the larger flights, there are many species who will
do fine in a medium sized aviary. Be sensitive to the
needs of your doves. A meduim flight would measure on
the average: width: 3’ length: 8’ height: 6’
Small Aviary
A small aviary is usually the last resort. Most dove
species will not do well at all in small aviaries. There
are, however, a few who will do fine. A small flight
would measure on the average: width: 3’ length: 4’ height:
6’ There are only a couple of species who will do well
wth this size (ringneck & diamond): width: 2’ length:
2’ height: 2’
Links
to Several Photos and Websites about Housing
http://community.webshots.com/album/399156989mlRrLU
http://www.socalfinches.com/Aviary_Photos/aviary_photos.html
http://www.javafinch.co.uk/build%20aviary/odoor/outdoor%20flight.html
http://www.parrotpassionsuk.com/Aviaries%20and%20
breeding/Buildingandmaintainingasmallaviary.htm
http://www.backyardaviary.com/
http://www.diamonddove.com/BirdComplex1.html
http://www.diamonddove.com/OutdoorAviaries.html
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/Aviaries.htm
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/More%20Cages.htm
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/Breeder%20cages.htm
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/indoor%20aviaries.htm
http://www.internationaldovesociety.com/indoor%20aviaries.htm
http://ceremonydove.com/Photos.htm#YouthLoft
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