Pigeons & Doves As Pets

Doves and pigeons are both calm natured birds that make excellent pets.

If you’ve ever wondered about having a pigeon or a dove as a pet, you’ve come to the right place.

This article covers an overview of the basics of owning pigeons and doves, so you can gain a better understanding of these birds and whether they are the right fit for you.

Let’s get started.

Both pigeons and doves make great pets for a number of reasons. These reasons include but are not limited to:

  • They are easy to tame
  • They require minimal maintenance 
  • They are relatively quiet birds with gentle calls
  • They are active but not demanding

Pigeons As Pets 

Pigeons aren’t often viewed as pets, as they are often bred for food. Despite this fact, they make great pets and bond easily with humans.

Behavior 

Pigeons bond fairly easily with humans, especially when you feed them. They don’t mind being kept alone, and a tamed pigeon is a loyal companion to its owner.

Unless you intend to mate your pigeon or have plans to show them, there isn’t really any need to keep a second pigeon in their cage with them.

Cage 

The cage for a pigeon needs to be big enough so that the bird can flap its wings and isn’t in danger of striking its tail or wing feathers on the side.

You will need to install a minimum of two natural-wood perches for your pigeon to perch on. You might also want to install a shelf, which should be a minimum of 6 inches deep.

When it comes to bathing, pigeons love it! So you should keep a large dish in their cage that you change a minimum of twice a week to keep their cage fresh.

Feeding

Pigeons are ground feeders, so you will need to provide their water, seed, and grit near the bottom of the cage.

You will need to make sure that you give your pigeon fresh water on a daily basis in a deep dish.

You will be able to find commercial pigeon pellets or seeds at your local feed stores. They also enjoy fresh greens, grains, peas, and crushed eggshell for a boost of calcium.

Doves As Pets 

Doves aren’t just a novelty at weddings, they make stunning pets that can bring a lot of joy to your life. The most common types are Diamond and Ringneck doves.

Behavior 

Diamond doves are gorgeous birds that are well suited to apartment living.

They are very gentle and can be tamed with persistent handling and patience, however, will be the friendliest when they have been handled from young.

Ringneck Doves can be kept alone, and can be tamed with patience. However, you will need to use slow movements and offer plenty of treats in the palm of your hand.

Cage 

Diamond doves need enough room in their cage to be able to move, exercise, and roost. Doves are happiest when they are kept in mated pairs.

However, you should not allow them outdoor free flight as they don’t have the same natural instincts as homing pigeons do.

Feeding

Like pigeons, doves are ground feeders. They enjoy eating wheat, millet, and canary grass, and you should provide them with separate seed, grit, and water containers on the floor.

When looking for treats for your dove, hard boiled egg yolk, fresh greens, and small mealworms are some of their favorites.

Their grit should also include crushed egg shells or oyster shells for added calcium.

So, there you have the basics of keeping these beautiful birds.

Good luck!