Diamond Doves

4Given · Post by **4Given** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:15 pm

I was at PetsMart the other day and in one of their care booklets for diamond doves, they say that they can be kept with finches. I have had finches for years, but never thought that diamond doves could be kept with them. Does anyone have any suggestions or experience about mixing the two species?

Post by **Sally** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:39 pm

I used to have Diamond Doves, and they are very passive and can be mixed with finches, BUT you need a really big cage, preferably an aviary. They are so much bigger than most finches, that you need lots of room--though small, they have quite a wing span. I tried putting them with Zebras in a flight cage that was 60lx18dx36h. Every time the doves took flight from one end of the cage to the other, the Zebras were scared off to the opposite end. They spent too much time spooking each other, so I finally separated them. I love the cooing of the doves, only got rid of them because I needed the cage space for more waxbills. I gave the pair of doves to a woman who has an aviary, with finches and canaries, and they are doing fine.

EmilyHurd · Post by **EmilyHurd** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:28 am

I had a pair of diamond doves about five years ago, and I loved them! I would love to get another pair, but I don't know anyone in this state who has them for sale and will make sure they are unrelated. I think that every clutch is two eggs, one male and one female. Which means, a lot of the time a pair will be sister and brother.

4Given · Post by **4Given** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 1:07 am

Thank you all... I noticed that they were all on the ground and were pecking through the corn cob. They weren't sick (i don't think) but noticed that they weren't on the branches. Do they usually not spend time on the branches or are they just ground birds?
Another thing. They can eat the same finch mix right? Well, I have my finches on pellets now and was wandering if the doves could eat pellets too. Also, if they have to eat seeds, they need grit right, to help digest the whole seeds? I read where they eat the whole seed, not just the inside goody.

Post by **Sally** » Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:19 am

My Diamond Doves would spend a lot of time on the perches, but then I had them in a cage with a wire bottom, so it probably wasn't so comfortable for them. I know wild doves are ground feeders, so they are probably happy to spend time on the ground. Yes, they eat the seed whole, so they do need grit. Mine ate the same finch mix all the other birds ate. By the time I was trying pellets, I didn't have the doves anymore, but I'm sure they could convert to pellets.

kittani79 · Post by **kittani79** » Sun Dec 23, 2007 6:31 pm

Most of the diamond doves we've had at work spend a good portion of their day on the ground sorting through the bedding looking for food. They do tend to hop up on the perches at naptime. So I'd say what you saw is fairly normal for them.

Nice little birds.

Someday when I have more room and time!

Nipper06 · Post by **Nipper06** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 2:37 am

Diamond Doves probably won't hassle the finches. They pay more attention to eachother. In fact, once a male gets in the mood to breed, he can be quite rough on his mate - to point where I've had to separate them more than once. Also, male Diamond Doves don't tolerate their babies sometimes, once they get to adult size. While the babies have short tails the males don't care - but once they get long tails, my male always chased them until I took them out. So if you breed your Diamond Doves, be prepared to take the babies out, once they are fully grown, and have another cage ready.

Diamond Doves use open nests like canaries. While breeding, the females need calcium so make sure you give them high-cal grit and perhaps a calcium supplement in the water a couple days a week. Especially when they have young, they like eggfood - but they can rear them on seed alone. For seed, they like finch-size mixes.

They do like to spend time on the bottom of the cage so they prefer not to have a mesh bottom. They usually roost on perches however. Note: Some Diamond Doves are known to have "night frights". If anything startles them at night, they can go into a panic and fly all over the place. For that reason, make sure your enclosure doesn't have anything sharp. A small night light may be a good idea if it becomes a problem.

I had one Diamond Dove named "Pecker" who lived to be 15 years old. I bought him as a single juvenile bird and he tamed like a parakeet with no effort. He got to where he'd come when I called him. But everytime I got him a mate, he'd breed breed breed to the point where I'd sell the mother with the babies just to give her a rest and him a break.

funni_person · Post by **funni_person** » Wed Jan 09, 2008 11:50 pm

I keep diamond doves with my goulds and canaries and they all get along just fine they bred and right now they 2 chicks they are so cute because the four all huddle up together

Diamond doves do tend to spent most of their time on the floor feeding but they do rest up on the perches

They get along just fine in an aviary