Question on Dove?

[Elizabeth]

I have a baby Ringneck that is almost fully feathered except a tiny bit under the wings and is getting the ring around her neck. She still wants 2 feedings a day, morning and nite but eats seed during the day. When can she go out and be with the adult birds? Also, I have had her since she was 5 days, do you think she will do ok with the adults or is there a chance she will want to stay in the house and be spoiled? Thank you in advance.

[Monica]

She may be ready to go in with the adults after being weaned (no formula) for two weeks. If you introduce her back in, you will need to keep an eye on her and make sure that she is fitting in. If not, then it may be better to bring her back in.

[Gary B.]

i can completly see her wanting to be spoiled.. but like monica said you just need to keep an eye on her.. when i had doves my problem always seemed to be the males wanting to dominate the females..so they would fight to see who gets the girl..

[Elizabeth]

Ok thank you both for your replys. She spent her first day and nite outside in a seperate avairy and she seems to like it. She bathes in the little tub I put in for her and eats really good. I want to get her acclimated to the temp so she has no problems with being outside.

[Gary B.]

im glad to hear it...has she spent time in their cage yet..if not when you do put her in there let me know how she does...i want doves sooo bad..when i was younger i had to give them up. now i want an outdoor aviary for finches and doves...just let them breed like crazy .. im going to do that someday.. ttyl gary

[Elizabeth]

Actually Gary, the parents and the other 6 are free. I assume that someone turned them loose or they got loose. They roost in a big pine tree in my back yard and they eat and drink and bath at my Mimosa tree. I have blond and a peach looking one as well as several other colors. The parents I can just touch and I can walk around the others, filling feeders and birdbaths without them flying off. So they are pretty used to me. I love walking out back and hearing them coo all around me. I wouldn't want them to be in a cage as they do just wounderful free. This is where Freedom got her name. I came home yesterday and they were all around the avairy visiting with Freedom and she was so excited. I know that some may think its wrong for me to turn Freedom loose, but it will be her choice. She has refused her evening feeding and this morning refused her morning feed so in about 2 weeks I will open the aviary door and she what she wants to do. I am hoping that Freedom will want to be free.

[Gary B.]

i am SOOOOO happy to hear that you want to let her free...ive done that with doves before. i also have ring neck doves in my yard and am going to get a bird bath and a few more feeders out there. im starting to make more plans on my outdoor aviary for my finches...5 babies are starting to get bigger. i wish i could let them be outside and eventually let them go. hmm i wonder if i can. im going to look that up. but anyway, im glad that your going to let freedom go. and now that you hand raised her maybe she wont have a problem coming to you when she is free.

[Elizabeth]

That's my thought Gary, and thank you for the encouraging words. She is so sweet and loving that I feel even free, she will come and land on my head, as she loves to do. Time will tell.

[Gary B.]

do you know when you plan on letting her go? let me know when you do, and let me know when you see her return after that first *fly around town* and if you can take some pictures to post. that would be so nice. and you will be able to have those pictures to look at.

[Elizabeth]

Well, I was loving on Freedom the Wed morning outside her aviary and she flew to a tree. Then to another and then another. She stayed out that nite and I worried to death about her. Thurs morn, I called her and she landed right by me on the ground. I picked her up and brought her in to feed. We snuggled and I put her back in her Avairy and left the door open. She ate her seed and drank and then flew to a tree. It's so neat. She went to her aviary on her own yesterday when it started to rain and after it was over she flew to her, it appears, favorite tree. I do have some pics and will download and post next week.