It is getting cold again. Remember that caged birds cannot search for water. When water becomes ice in the cage, the doves have no drinkable water.

Bob

Bob, we are good to go here in Oklahoma, doves have been moved from outdoor aviary to Indoor aviary. The heat lamp definitely keeps the water from freezing, and the cage area at least above freezing so all the feathered friends are well. Some have even taken to the nest already and are doing good on setting. I have definitely increased my number of silkies for the year, but we will see what sort comes after the hatch. Thanks for the heads up to our new dove owner friends in the world of magic.

Good advice Bob! And thanks for the reminder. I often have to fight the ice. Not only for my birds, but for my rabbits and and dog too! I keep a heat lamp on for my doves during the colder weather, so that helps a lot. Their water usually doesn't freeze until temps get down in the low-teens. I wish I could say the same for the rabbits' and dog's water!

Here's a little something I found that helps to prevent freezing water. You'll need a little bit larger waterer than normal. Many pet shops carry a submersible pump that is used with cat waterers. It's only about 2" square and an inch or so high. When plugged in, it draws in water and bubbles it up a few inches. You just have to make sure there is always enough water in the dish to keep the pump submerged. The moving water will not freeze.

My doves are watered with a self-filling system made of PVC, which goes into all cages. When I put it together, I ran some heat tape along the PVC pipe. It has a built in regulator, so it isn't running unless it has to. This works great to keep the water from freezing!