About Dennis

A dove basic needs include either a whole grain or pellet mix. There are some outstanding pellet mixes on the market designed specifically for pigeons, and, also, outstanding grain mixes. dove need a mix containing at least 13% protein. Pigeons also need supplements to their diets that include salts, minerals, and calcium. You can do this by purchasing each item individually, but probably the simplest way of providing these is with a pigeon grit mixture. There are many on the market, but be sure to ask for dove grit. Most other types of grit are nothing but stone. dove grit, though, includes oyster shell, salt and minerals. It wouldn't hurt to also pick up some water soluble vitamins and give them to the birds once or twice a week as indicated on the package or bottle.
As for water, pigeons are fairly unique in the bird world since they suck their liquid rather than letting it simply run down their throats as do most birds, including chickens. Pigeons need a water container with at least 1.5 inches (3.5 cm) of free standing water that they can drink from.