I'm going to purchase a dove in 2 weeks. How long should I handle the dove before I use him in tricks? What harness should I get? Are there any other helpful tips you could give me?

Thanks,
Mike

Let it just hang out and chill in the new cage for about a week before you start working with it. Don't just get one, you should probably get them in pairs. If you're just starting, don't begin with harnesses and body loads, that's a big investment and first you should make sure you're okay with working with the doves. Start out with like a dove bag, dove pan, or something like that. Good luck!

sperris

Mike,

Congratulations! We can appreciate your excitement. To help you, I think we are going to need more targeted questions. You will also find that the "Search" function on The Magic Café is a major useful tool for your research.

I've been doing dove magic since the 70s, but I cannot answer your "when" question. Thursday in Birmingham I used a borrowed dove from a pet store there. I also have doves I've used 12-15 years. Lucy and I keep about a hundred white doves for magic. We consider them "show ready" based more on appearance of their feathers than anything else.

Dan gave you some really good advice. Start with box magic using your dove and take your time with that. It's not a contest.

Good Luck!

Bob

Thanks,
I already have a dove dovepan and harness for newspaper appearances. Thanks for the help. Keeping a hundred doves must be expensive.

Thanks everyone for your help.
Michael

A lot of people do think that keeping that many doves is expensive. But that is a relative term. It is cheaper than smoking!

We have so many animals until the bird feed is really rather insignificant. The toughest part is keeping all those waterers clean and full. Our waterers are cheap. Most are gallon milk jugs with one side cut away to about 3" from the bottom. When they get grungy, we trash them.

When we are away, we do have hired help that feed the animals and do other things on the place. Looking at it that way, it is expensive. But why pay security that does nothing?

In the last twenty-five years, I doubt that I have ever had fewer doves than I have now. They are just part of the family and we live out where the animals are welcome. We also have four dogs a cat, horses, goats, etc. Buying animal feed is like going to the grocery store for the rest of us animals. We just do it. (We even have a blind pig Lucy bought for a cancer patient about eight years ago. After the patient died the pig moved here. Henry lives in what was once a rose garden and lives in a huge dog house. Please don't tell me pigs live to be a hundred!)

Bob

You might consider using the dove streamer ( pocket contained) as you begin to use the birds. It is a very easy method that gives a very similar method to a bird from silk production.

Seems like a lot of work. do you have to get two or more doves? cause I don't really want a whole bunch of doves right now at least.
thanks for your help.

As posted in numberous post on the Café. Doves need companionship, just like you. They also groom each other. You do not have to keep any eggs. Just throw them away. Doves mate for life. They also want to mate with who they want. So you cannot necessarily just stick 2 birds together and they will get along.

Yes, pets are work. If you do not want the responsibility, then please do not go into this stage of magic.

I suggest you start to read this entire topic before you go any further. There are years of knowledge in this Bird thread.

I have 5 dogs 1 bird 1 cat and 1 fish I can take care of animals. they wont like go in denail if you just throw away there eggs.

The doves won't miss the eggs. I throw mine away all the time unless I'm looking to raise one. Just take them away as soon as you see them and everything will be fine

Thanks do I have to put stuff in there for them to make a nest and when do I know when they are going to lay eggs
?
thanks

Doves will lay eggs all year round. Knowing when it will happen is just a matter of watching them. Usually you'll see the adults getting chumming and within a few days, you can expect to see an egg. They usually lay two just a few days apart. I check mine every day just in case.

Ok thanks for all your help do they have a year round nest in there cage. if so do the birds make it or do you buy it or something.

thanks

Again this is all covered in this thread on birds. Buy a pigeon book for tips or their are magicians who have produced tapes and DVD's on doves.

As with any bird you place or make a plateform above the floor of the cage. Buy clean nesting material and place on the platform. They will re-arrange it themselves. As with the cage, clean at least weekly, if not every 3 days. This means new paper in the bottom and disinfectant and scrubbing the cage. For 2 birds you want at least a 2'X 2' cage made of 1/2" farm wire. With the same above the bottom of the cage to keep the birds feet clean.

Oh, you must bath your birds frequently and have a place for this. The perches must be scraped clean weekly. They need worms, mixed bird seed, hard boiled eggs, pigeon grit for digestion. They also eat their own droppings for vitamins.

MagicMike. doves are not good nest builders on their own. They try but they are not as good at it as other birds. I bought an aluminum cup called a coup cup for each cage. It hangs from the bars anywhere you'd like. Abba makes a bird nest material and it costs about $1.95 for a bag. I just put it it the cup and let the doves settle into it. I change it once a month or after a baby is weened if I decide to raise one.
Just make sure the cup isn't under a perch. Once a week I put a large dish of water in the cage and let the birds play in it. They love it and it keeps them clean.
Sometimes I take them all into the bath tub and turn on the shower. They love this too.

Lol thanks

Some really good advice here.
Regarding your initial question on which harness to use etc get some Tony Clarke material it is very good.
He shows how to make or alter harnesses how to load and steal them etc.
WHen to use the doves.
I often just borrow a dove if I need an extra one and they are usually OK to perform with but it is better to train them first. Just always make sure they are calm before putting them in anything. I've made some blunders before because I didn't wait for the dove to be calm.

Ok ill remember to keep them calm before anything thanks