What the heck do doves eat? I think I had said awhile back a friend brought me a dove.. and she has been doing fine.. well I think.. her best friend is a guinia pig named groucho.. yep ypu heard that right.. they live in the same cage.. just let my batteries charge and I'll get you a photo..
The dove, Bella, seems to like red millet.. so yep.. I go through the ENTIRE bag of bird feed and sort the white from the red... why.. because if I don't she throws the white on the floor and I pick it up anyway!
She also likes the crumbs from the guinia pig food, which would be alfalfa.. she baths in their water bowl, sits on his back.. tells him off.. he squeeks back at her.. then they coo together..
What a mess.. but I still don't think she is getting the greatest nutrition.
DOVES & Steak
I agree they will throw out what they dont like.
I feed mine a wild bird seed mix with added safflower seeds they eat it all and leave nothing behind.
They really like the small sunflower seeds and safflower seeds the best but they will eat the white milo and millet thats in it too.
I get it at tractor supply it $16.99 for a 50lb bag but they have smaller ones too. I get the safflower at walmart 7 lb bag for $9 so i spend about $26 on feed and that feeds my pigeons too.
I have 34 pigeons and 38 doves and it last 2 weeks or less during breeding season and their feathers are beautiful and full and my friend tells me my pigeons are too fat LOL
Thats what I thought Harm.. BUT.. she will eat a few (very few) small sunflower seeds, NO safflower seeds.. NO milo.. No white millet.. I even tried hulled sunflower..
I am not in a panic because as long as I have had her, I must be doing something right because she looks nice & plump, not puffed because shes cold.. just a nice dove.. she did get a little loose stools for a few days awhile back and I went on "chicken auto pilot" and tried some corn meal, worked like a charm.. but she won't eat it on a regular basis.. so once a week I sprinkle a bit in her bowl and she eats every touch.. but Not everyday.
I think she wants to be a guinia pig when she grows up.
The guinea pig may be the cause of her picking at her feed he could be jealous of her beauty and slim figure and has been telling her she's fat. Thats why shes on his back and hes squeeking back she's telling chubby to mind his own business and hes saying get off my back. LOL
Keep doing what your doing if you were doing anything wrong it will show up in her feathers or stools and your not so things look good from here.
Ok, if lobster and steak is surf and turf what is dove and steak....tree and turf? Turf and air? Ooooo, it would actually be guneia pig and dove. Now that's a whole new combination.
millet grows great here...my chickens plant it for me. No short term answers....:-(
Hey grow.. wonder if I should put a couple of plant pots with good potting soil under her cage and keep it moist.. maybe she could become a sef-sustaining dove?
A food recycler
Might take a little while to get started but...the idea has definite potential.