I have in one cage what I believe (?) are two male doves. Today for the first time one of the doves actually gets into the food bowl (the food bowl is large enough to sit end with just the tail sticking out) and sits in it like it was nesting for about an hour or two. The other dove stands on the food bowl and preens the one sitting down or just leaves it alone. When it happens the other dove is not forcing this dove into that position.

I have not seen them mating or anything of that nature.

It has happen 2 or 3 times today.

Since I have not had doves breed before what does the female bird do when it wants to start nesting, if anything?

I believe I have also heard that a male can drive another male to nest just no egg?

James Adamson
http://www.seam2006.com

Kind of hard to tell in that situation. Sounds like a female to me, but I could be wrong. A lot of times the female will lay eggs in, or nearby that food bowl because it is readily available. The preening is sort of part of the mating ritual. If you see them "Kiss", meaning, they look as if they are feeding each other, then you know you have a male/female combination. just keep an eye out and see what happens. If they are two males in the cage, they will eventually begin to battle each other for territory (comes with age). The male though will chase the female around the cage to 'drive it to the nest', and can easily be confused as fighting. Sometimes the males like to sit in the bottom and just 'relax'. *smile* Its tough to tell sometimes, but if the lay the eggs, you know you have at least one female. The females will do this before they lay an egg - meaning will sit in the food bowl, or base of the cage. GOOD LUCK!! *smile*

If it is a female how long from nesting to laying of the egg?

Should I put in a nesting bowl of some sort just in case or will it stay just in the food bowl?

James

Just let it stay in the food bowl for now...it won't hurt anything. if you change around the surroundings at this point when/if she is about to lay, then she may just lay it from the perch, and the eggs will crack. The time to lay may vary, but if your dove is regularly doing this, then it will be fairly soon. The best thing to do is just introduce a new small feeding bowl, and then you have it taken care of. Also, you may want to put some type of nesting material in the cage to see what happens. (I use pine straw). If you put some in the cage, and they begin to pick through it looking for pieces to build, then you know you are going to be a daddy! *haha*. Normally when the nesting begins, they will build a nest of some sort, but since you don't have the materials for it, they use the food bowl. Try it out and see what happens. You may want to go outside and look for some simple pine straw, and put it in there to see what they do.

James, put a nesting bowl or dish in the cage. The female will sit in it. That doesn't always mean she'll lay and egg. The timing starts when the male and female to do the "kissing" routine that 1906 mentioned. After the "kissing" the male will sit on the females back and flap it's wings. The laying of the egg should be a few days after that. It takes about 20 days for a fertile egg to hatch.

Thanks everybody I will report back.

It was just a totally different behavior that I had seen before is why I asked.

James

Looks like the doves were just practicing as the rest of this week they have not come close to the behavior that I described.

James Adamson
http://www.seam2006.com

Maybe they were just getting used to the new weather *smile* still, keep an eye out...ya never know.....