Turtle doves are native to southern parts of Europe, western Asia and North Africa, and in order to keep a turtle dove for sale you need to be aware of the proper methods of care to ensure their health and happiness over their lifetime. Turtle doves can live from 10 to 12 years, so it’s important to learn how best to care for them.
Turtle doves need appropriate housing. Choose a rectangular cage with bars that are close enough together so that the dove cannot fit its head between them. If the cage has a wire bottom, cover it with paper, because turtle doves do often spend a good deal of time on the ground. Also, make the cage partially enclosed because this will help the doves feel safer and have a sense of security.
Turtle doves need a balanced and healthy diet. Buy a commercially-produced seed mix and supplement it with vegetables (lettuce, spinach) and fruits (berries, apples) – however make sure that the fruits and vegetables are only supplements to the seed mix which should form the main part of the dove’s diet.
Provide supplements such as grit and gravel to help digestion. Add vitamins to the water, and crushed oyster shell or cuttlebone for calcium, which is essential for all birds.
Allow the dove to bathe either in a shallow basin of water, a dust bath, or by misting it with a soft spray of lukewarm water once a week.
Make sure to clean food bowls and water bowls daily. Once a week, disinfect the entire cage to avoid illness. Also, ensure that your turtle dove gets at least half an hour every day outside of the cage so that it can fly around and therefore exercise – if you don’t do this it will get depressed and possibly ill as a result.