Diamond Doves are seed eaters and are non-destructive to most materials. They do well in metal or wood cages, from the size of a large bird or cockatiel cage on up. An area 2x2x2, is suitable for a single pair of Diamond Doves, though more area would be greatly enjoyed by your birds. The possibilities for cages are endless. I have seen quite a variety used, commercial cages, hand-made breeding cages and flights, converted gazebos, to adapted armoires. Your particular situation, area, climate, and available space will help dictate your type of housing. Consider viewing, hearing and enjoying your birds when selecting a location for your cage or flight. Our converted armoire is now in our entrance hall with a pair of Red Diamonds in it. They are seen many times a day as you must pass by them when going anywhere through the house. The sound of their coos travel through the first floor and up the stairwell, a wonderful way to wake in the mornings. Planning these things will greatly add to the enjoyment of your Diamond Doves. Feeding, watering and cleaning the cages should be easy to do with minimal disturbance to your birds with no chance for them to escape to the outdoors (They will not return!). They should be kept reasonably warm. Diamond Doves can tolerate frost or freezing for short periods only. It is best to provide a heated area for winters or bring them inside for these colder times. Be very careful of heat sources and ventilation as gasses and Carbon Monoxide will kill birds quickly. Areas on or near the ground should be provided for food and fresh water. Care should be taken to keep this area clean and free of droppings or other contaminants. While few doves will do this, Diamond Doves will also bathe if given the opportunity. Small open-top boxes or baskets (strainers can work well) placed up in a secluded corner provide good nesting areas. Place them about 3-4, high in flights. Natural sun light is best, but indoors, plant or aquarium lights set on timers are a great help.
Ideally each mated pair should be kept separately to avoid fighting among males and several hens laying in the same nest. However, Diamond Doves will breed and get along rather well with several pairs kept together as long as enough area is provided to avoid crowding of breeding territories. They also get along well with other small, non-aggressive foreign doves or small finches. I also keep Button Quail in my flights with my doves. One of the worst things you can do for your birds is overcrowding. Keep fewer birds and enjoy them all the more!
If you have the space available, aviaries or flights can add so much to your enjoyment as well as your birds! Diamond Doves are swift fliers and do enjoy the exercise. A standard size might be, 8'long x 4'wide x 6'tall. I have seen much larger and smaller. Again this depends on your conditions. If you are under constraints, it is best to give up width and keep length up to a point. Try not to go narrower than 2.5, if possible. Hiding places for nesting and shelter from the elements should be provided. Transparent roofing will help in this as well as reduce threats from predators. Hardware cloth with 1/2" openings will do for sides, but I prefer the strength and durability of welded wire. Look for greater details on flights in the future. I hope to provide photos, designs and material lists in much greater detail.
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Feeding Diamond Doves is fairly simple. Fresh water, small grit, a variety of small seeds and some soft foods will suit them very well. Give them fresh, clean water always and often. Provide a small bird grit or finely crushed eggshells to help with digestion and some minerals. I keep cuttle bone available at all times. A good brand finch mix will do, however I like to add other grains as well. I add more white millet as they seem to eat this the most. I'll also add at times, niger, safflower, hemp and spray millet sticks. I feel Diamond Doves can thrive on a diet of just seeds, but I think soft foods help them to live and breed even better. I provide soft foods at least once a week, but be careful not to leave it in the cage too long to allow spoiling or contamination. Soft foods they enjoy include: moistened bread crumbs, cornbread, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and moistened game bird crumbles. Occasionally they will eat chopped greens. I do not provide live food as I feel they do well without it. Be sure to clean all food and water containers often and well! worm your birds 2 to 3 times a year, especially if the flights are dirt floored.
Within favorable conditions, Diamond Doves breed readily in captivity. So much so, that they are sometimes used as foster parents for the young of other small foreign doves. They are monogamous, keeping the same mate for life if allowed. They will however mate with another bird if introduced by the keeper. The males court the hens with their cooing and display of dipping their head towards the ground, puffing their breasts and fanning their tails. The hens will also quietly coo to the males from time to time. A loose nest of dried grasses is made. The hen lays two creamy white eggs and both birds alternate in incubating them for approx. 11-15 days. After hatching, the young are completely dependent on the parents. Both male and hen feed the young a rich "pigeon milk" which they regurgitate. Growing quickly, the young can fly at around 11-12 days of age. They can be left with the parents as long as they do not interfere with subsequent nesting. Sexes of the young can usually be determined around 6-8 weeks of age, and they are capable of breeding themselves at 4-5 months. Many good breeding pair will raise six or so clutches through a season.