Anyone keep doves?

[Nudibranch]

And would you recommend them?
I'd quite like a couple of pairs. But how do you keep them from flying away? Feeding presumably!
I have a large storeroom/shed at one end of the stable block which would probably make a nice roost for them; they could be contained for a while to get used to their home and then come and go if I made a small entrance high up.
My only reservation is that I can remember Hugh FW shooting them for a pie or something as his neighbour had become swamped. Would I be likely to end up with dozens?!

 

[Arzada]

And would you recommend them?

No. See below

My only reservation is that I can remember Hugh FW shooting them for a pie or something as his neighbour had become swamped. Would I be likely to end up with dozens?!

Yes. They breed like crazy. Your entire neighbourhood of suitable perches will be populated too. Until someone gets out the gun.

 

[druid]

We have some, they came with the house. The local Buzzards keep our population under control. Uusally we have 8-12 but down to 7 currently. They hatch several clutches a year given a chance but are pretty crap parents.

 

[Nudibranch]

Possibly worth mentioning, we are very rural and have no immediate neighbours. Although I don't know how far they'd decide to travel!

 

[druid]

Ours have a roost/cote but spend 95% of their time on the house roof or security lights

We are rural too

 

[Petalpoos]

I bought 6 white doves and I kept them in a large enclosure for the first few weeks. They had 6 babies, but removing the enclosure coincided with the local sparrowhawks breeding. Sadly they were all eaten bar 2 of the youngsters, they flew away. The female sparrowhawk came each day and picked one off.Very upsetting.

The dovecote subsequently became a home for jackdaws and a pair of barn owls. One year the sparrowhawks thought they might nest there, but the jackdaws thought not