What Do I Feed My Dove?

There are several species of doves that are commonly kept as pets. Ringneck doves, diamond doves and white doves are just a few. You must be well equipped to properly feed your dove if you are planning on taking one in as a pet. They eat mostly a variety of seeds, but also enjoy an occasional treat.

  1. Primary Diet

    • The American Dove Association recomments that doves be fed a staple diet composed of 50 percent white millet seeds and 50 percent finch seed mix. Finch seed mix is typically made up of thistle seed, canary grass seed, red millet and sunflower chips. These are all very small seeds that are easy for the doves, with their narrow beaks, to crack open and consume.

    Treats

    • It is appropriate to sparingly feed doves an occasional treat. They may eat a small amount of corn bread, wheat bread, crushed hard boiled egg, shredded carrots, chopped greens, sweet potato or cottage cheese. Feed the dove a treat no more than once a week so it does not become spoiled and neglect to eat its seeds, which should be its primary food source.

    Feeding Techniques

    • Doves should be fed with small food bowls. They will drop the seed shells into the bowl as they eat, covering up uneaten seeds. Remove the seed shells from the top layer of food at least twice a day and give the animal fresh food every morning. Clean the food bowls with mild detergent and dry them properly before you fill them back up with food. Place treats on small plates or shallow bowls to distinguish them from their normal food.

    Watering

    • It is also imperative that you provide adequate water for your dove on a daily basis. The water should be fresh, clean and dechlorinated. Doves, like other birds, tend to defecate in their water bowls, so it may need to be replaced several times a day. Rinse the water bowl out with a mild detergent and remove any soapy residue before you fill it back up with water to eliminate the threat of harmful pathogens.