Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chicken keepers

Meet others keeping chickens on our Mumsnet Chicken forum.

Ring neck doves

5 replies

Bearcat · 29/09/2010 18:49

Hope this is a reasonable place to post this!
In July, in our apple tree we discovered a pair of ring neck doves had 2 little baby doves (thought they were pigeons to start with!)
It was really fun watching them and their parents always guarding them from nearby rooftops and bringing food to them.
How they didn't fall out of their totally rubbish small nest, god only knows, but they survived and flew off.
Now about 3 or 4 weeks ago,we noticed a dove sitting on the nest again and to start with just thought it was a mad dove pretending to be sitting on eggs as the weather was definately getting colder. A couple of weeks ago my husband stood on a chair and held a mirror above the nest and there were 2 eggs in it.
A week ago I found one of the eggs on the grass with a small hole in it as if the bird had started to peck its way out of the egg, but there was no sign of life.
It is really cold now and I cannot believe that the other egg has a live bird in it, and it is very sad to see the dove sitting on the nest in the wind and rain we have had lately.
We are starting to wonder whether to remove the egg from the nest shortly so that the nesting dove can get its life back and maybe migrate to warmer climes, or whatever doves do.
Any opinions out there to help us with our dilemma????

OP posts:
Tippychoocks · 29/09/2010 18:57

TBH I would leave be but I am basing that on zero knowledge of doves Smile. You could help by leaving some food and water in a safe place to tempt her off or to keep her going if she does have a late chick.

Bearcat · 30/09/2010 18:28

We have discovered a live baby chick late this afternoon!
Parents and baby are doing well!

OP posts:
Tippychoocks · 30/09/2010 19:32

Hurrah. I do worry about the late ones getting in full feather before the bad weather though Sad.
You could do the food etc anway, she'll be hungry.

peggotty · 30/09/2010 19:40

I think that doves, like pigeons, are capable of breeding all year round! Yeah, put out loads of food for them (though not whole peanuts as they might feed it to the chick and choke it!).

Tippychoocks · 30/09/2010 19:47

Are they peggotty? Poor wee things in January Sad
Give them some lovely wriggly mealworms

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread