beautiful dove

[erine]

Zebrafincher
Dovey seems to be doing well, thanks. She has quickly become the family favourite. My big problem right now is trying to prevent my two year old from putting toys in her cage. She would like to share. I do feel like I'm being mean because I'm denying her a cage mate but she seems happy. I don't want to breed doves and while I love, love, love them, I hadn't intended to turn in that direction. So, I hope she isn't too lonely. I'll post a picture later today. She is actually quite quiet so we all stop when we hear her coo and listen. It's like we all take a Dovey pause. We're glad we have her, we just want her to be happy.

[erine]

Here is Dovey today. We love her.

[erine]

Any suggestions on a bird I could put in with Dovey? Someone to keep her gentle soul company, would be plucky enough to be housed with such big bird and not another dove so I can avoid babies? Or should I just keep well enough alone?

[Sheather]

A second female dove would be ideal.

[Derk]

erine
I just finished reading about your dove. I also think you did the correct thing catching it. Now to sound like a real party pooper...Wondering if you looked in any lost and founds, craigslists, Kijiji etc. This past summer, a younger girl had her pet pigeon fly out an open window. She had the bird for years and everyone knew to take special care, but of course, these things happen. Lucky for her and the bird, someone in a similar situation to you had caught the bird and looked after it for two weeks. He returned the bird after reading about it in our local paper. They did a follow up story which is why I know about the happy ending.

And then finally, do your wild birds get red mites out there? They do here. I am wondering if you did a check?

[erine]

Derk
I did check Kijiji and our local lost pet pages. I also left word at our local pet store. I live in a super small town and if someone has lost a dove I will hear about it for sure. I'm wondering of someone let it go for a wedding or something but I'm keeping my eyes and ears open in case someone is missing her. I don't know whether our wild birds get red mites or not. How would I know?
Erin

[Zebrafincher]

Dovey really is a sweetie!

Kind Regards

Zebrafincher

[cindy]

Dovey is beautiful!!!!

[Derk]

erin

I did a quick google search to confirm what I felt was accurate, and unfortunately doves, like most if not all birds, do get mites. There are also red mites in Ontario.

So...first of all, do you know what a red mites looks like? They are quite small, think of a spider mite on a plant. As the name implies, they are red but that is only after bitteg the bird and ingesting blood. When there is a severe infestation they are not hard to find - you would likely find small clusters of red dots. If you squish them with white tissue you will find what looks like drops of blood on the tissue.

There are a couple things to do to try and find them. I quarantine any new birds. During this time, I place a white sheet over the cage at night. At night the mites feed on the bird. In the morning, the mites leave the bird and look for a place to hang out until it is dark. Therefore, you may see them on the sheet as red dots. I do this for about a week just to be certain. I would also recommend placing white paper towels over the cage grates, as well as a white sheet underneath the cage. Make sure you check both sides of the sheets and paper towels.

But to be sure, I do several other things. What type of perches do you use? I ask because you can wear a white glove, or use a bare finger (if you are not squeamish), or hold a small piece of tissue and just run it along the edge of all the perches especially the under side. This works very well if you are using a dowel, but hopefully, you have some other natural perches as well. If so, the mites may be able to ride in the nooks and crannies. It would not hurt the birds if you remove the other perches, and use dowels for a few days. There are also plastic perches I have seen advertised as finch perches. They are often 6-8" long, white or light beige. here is a link: http://www.awbirds.co.uk/8-x-white-plas ... -843-p.asp I recently bought some from a chain store called Pet Culture. They are new here but I believe you have them in Ontario. The manufacturer was "All Living Things." I think Penn Plax may also still make them. If you look closely in the picture I linked, you should see that one side is flat. This is because the perch is not solid. It has a 'C' shape. I have read that the 'scoop' is so you can put food into it and help teach young birds to eat. I call it the 'mite trap.' I have discovered mites in this space. I am assuming the mites like the idea of staying close to the bird and it must be a little darker under there. You will also notice the perch is slid between the bars and you twist it into place. You should also check this area where the cage bars rest for mites. If you are really lucky, you will find the perches that have a extra little 'handle' that makes it easy to install and remove the perches from the outside of the cage wall. That way you do not have to put your hand in the cage and upset the birds. It also becomes a very quick and easy check and there is no reason to skip this step.

You should also remove and inspect any toys and food/water dishes etc. Look into all nooks and crannies. The more you simplify the cage ie) one water dish, one food dish, one perch, the less likely the mites will escape detection.

You can also physically check the birds for mites. This is best done late in the evening or early morning when the mites are more likely to be on the bird eating. Areas to pay particular attention are: the arm pit area - it will be warm & dark here, around the neck/head (lots of veins), around the vent area (lots of veins), not applicable here but I have read the 'crest area' if there is one, and at the base of the tail on the back. If the bird has a lot of mites, they may crawl onto your hands so you may want to have a bowl with a 10% bleach/water solution. This is only for your hands! Do NOT bath the bird. The feathers will trap air (which is one of their jobs) and you will not be able to drown the mites. Ensure you flush the water if there were any mites.

If you find mites, you can search here for what to use. Some items will not be easily available to you because Canada has some stricter regulations in this area than some other countries. I can tell you that my avian vet prescribed Ovitrol Plus flea & tick spray. It can be used safely on the cages and the environment. (The fumes are horrible. ) Do NOT spray the birds or food/water dishes. This product was designed for dogs and cats and would likely kill the bird. Also note: do NOT use Siphitrol or Siphitrol Plus - this is the product that would be used in the environment of a dog/cat that had fleas or ticks. This product even when used appropriately is TOO TOXIC to use around the birds.

Hope this helps.

[Zebrafincher]

Re: Mites..

It mite be annoying!! Hee Hee Hee! I know its a terrible joke!

Hope Dovey is well.

Kind Regards

Zebrafincher

[Derk]

erin
Update? Hope you have not found any mites!