By: Shane Cruz
I am thinking about buying 2 doves. they're $15 each. i have alsways
wanted to do a dove act. my question is are they a lot of trouble to
keep. whats the difficulty in training them? if anyone can help it
would be appreciated.
By: Bizzaro.
So aside from the lack of a central brain system of any signifigant
size and the tendency to use the bathroom on everything doves are
relatively easy to take care of.. food water and clean cage..
oh yeah a muzzle.. they make this annoying laughing noie that will you keep you up at nightds and wanting you to have roast pigeon relative for thansgiving..
There are two methods for training them onstage.. one is to put them in the harness a little at a time each day like an hour.. to get them used to it.. and teach them to fly back to you? just produce them backwrads.. they fly right back at you if you throw them but first..
By: GARY
ok guys, im looking to aquire 2 female doves, to be kept in my bedroom
(in a large cage, not cramped) i want to get them used to me so i can
produce them as the finale to my manipulation act. i need as much info
as possible on the good and bad points of dove keeping/training. all
comments appreciated.
By: Michael Sibbernsen
Because of the breadth and specialized nature of the subject, I do not
think that this forum is an adequate place to gain formal knowledge.
Doves are a big investment (in many ways), and well worth the extra investment towards a proper education. Look into Tony Clarks excellent book and videos on the subject.
You will find both load and non-load dove magic, information on various harnesses and pockets, jacket tailoring, feeding and nutrition, habitat building, training, proper transport of, and much more.
Please look into these *before* getting the doves. You will find them quite enlightening and inspiring.
Also, you will want to re-think your idea of putting the doves in your bedroom. Believe me. Doves make a racket like you wouldn't belive, especially in the wee hours of the morning. As a matter of fact, mine are cooing from inside the other room, right now.
By: tom boehnlein
As Michael said Tony Clark's videos are an excellent resource he has
several on the use & care of doves. Additionally I would reccomend
keeping the doves either outside or an extremely well ventilated
area. Doves carry numerous bacteria that can cause illness, I found
this out about 25 years ago when I contracted a strain of pneumonia
from my doves, rare but it does & can happen.
Here is a site that can be of some assistance
http://www.magicauction.com/DoveHotline/DoveHotline.html
By: Daniel Adler-Golden
I have been doing magic for almost a year, and only do close-up
magic. I would like to start getting into dove magic, but I don't have
a pet store near me who sells java doves (i have heard these are the
ideal doves for magic). Anyawy, I was reading this book on how to take
care of doves, and it reccomended I build an outdoor aviary for
them. Now, living in Massachusetts, my one concrern is the winter. Is
it neccesary to build an aviary(or just use a cage), and what would I
do with them in the wineter? Any ideas on this or just suggestions
about dove magi would all be extremely helpfull.
By: Magic Duck
I am no expert on doves, but I do have ducks...who are tough as nails
and can waddle thru snow and ice as long as you keep the racoons and
foxes away.
Since doves are related to pigeons, or I think they are, I believe they are relatively hardy. I have friends who have wild doves in the Pacific NW and we get some rough winters. I am pretty sure however, that if winter took a turn for the worse you would need to get your doves indoors at some point. Many magicians I have known who have doves keep them in cages inside the house all the time, except letting them out in the room for exercise.
If you get doves, as with any animal, you really need to be serious about it. They are a hassle: cleaning cages, getting food, buying food and supplies, keeping them contained, dealing with health problems.
By: Charles Cagle
I have been reading the post as to Doves. I thought I could add some
insight to this.
I have been in magic for 60 years of which since the 60's i have done Gospel Magic all the time. My family and I traveled in boys and girls camps, for years.
As to Doves, I began raising them many years ago, I built a 6 ft x 8 ft flite cage, and tall enough so that I can go into the cage, to feed and care for them. When I got my first ones, I had a few that was the ring-necked doves, so over the years I bred this out and in the later years all I had was pure white doves.
I would produce 4 doves the first part when I was doing the shows that I did for civic groups for money raising purposes, then when my daughter did her routine with the mutilated parasol, I would slip off the stage, and make a coat change, where I would pick up 3 doves for the last portion. I used double silk production with invisible dove harness, I would get my 2 silks by making a single silk to another silk, then do the tie and produce two doves. I will not go into the different dove productions and vanishes that I use, but I have always loved to work with doves.
I began to color some of my doves, but I went back for there is nothing any prettier than a white dove.
Being in Gospel Magic, I do a routine, using the Dove in Balloon tray, where I use a balloon that is colored like the world, if I do not have this, I use a blue balloon instead, then I talk about the "Symbol of a Dove", as I am using dramatic Bible stories to enhance my lessons and shows.
Doves are a member of the pigeon family. The straight softbill hardened at the tip only and thick meaty legs makes them a way to tell them apart from other birds.
Doves are small pigeons.
They are the only bird that can drink water without tilting their heads back to swallow. (I refer to a sheep who does the same thing in drinking) I will not give my full patter here, but give you some of the background of the Dove.
In the book "Doves" by Michael W Goss, published by TFH publications, Inc , Neptune, NJ (this book is out of print).This is the finest book to be had for raising doves. Check with your local library and see if they have it in their archives.
Doves will not learn the wide range of tricks that other birds does. The do not have to be trained they love to be around their owner and become assistants to them and can be fed by hand when they become familiar.
Doves are exceptional a neat bird. They are monogamous, for they tend to adapt to families well.
I never did bring my birds in for the winter, but I had a heat lamp, that stayed on all of the time, during the night, I later put a timer on it so that during the day, it would not stay on but as I would put double plastic around the pen, and it was was closed in, to keep it from getting to hot of the day. It is important that you keep them fresh water, for this is essential for lovely birds. Make sure if the water freezes in winter, that you break up the ice, I would throw it out and put fresh water in. I kept rabbit feeder bottles with water in it, and the doves learned that they could put their beaks into the hole and would be able to get the water needed.
I treated them a lot with fresh lettuce, and to keep the feather looking great, I would place a bowl with peanut butter for them to snack on.
I had noticed that when they are setting, that I would find some eggs out of the clutch, and I later found out that this was their way of culling out birds that would be born with a defect.
There are a lot of other things that I have in my lesson on the Dove, but this message is getting too long.
By: Dan
I recently purchased two doves from the local pet shop. I have trained
them as far as perching and eating out of my hand, and so forth. Now,
i need to find a tuxedo (of course) for the act, and I was wondering
if anyone could reccomend a good place to find tuxedos, preferably
used and cheap.
Also, If anyone could give me advice on where to put loads, and what type, that would be helpful.
By: Glenn Lawrence
Please tell me you are not going to do a dove act in a "used, and
cheap" tuxedo, thus perpetuating the tired stereotype of magicians as
what Penn Jillette has called "greasy guys in tuxedos with birds."
Here's a tip- when you wear a used, cheap tuxedo, people know you're
wearing a used, cheap tuxedo. Now I realize maybe money is a problem,
but there's got to be some better alternative. Good luck to you.
By: Michael Sibbernsen
Before you go any further do yourself (and your doves) a favor and
purchase the following videos...
"Tony Clark Unmasks" I and II. These will teach you dove training techniques, proper dove care, and a number of both body-load and non body-load dove productions.
Tony Clark's "Behind the Seams" which describes costume preparation for dove work, dove holders, loop techniques, and more steals.
By: TJ
I swear the next standard bird act in a standard tux i see, i will
kill myself and many others.
Please, for the love of mankind, be original and dont do a standard dove routine ina standard tux, EVERY one does them, and 99% of them suck.
Find a more interesting less stereotypical character and be original with your dove magic and give it a purpose.
Sorry for such negativity, but i HATE dove work with a passion, because 99% of people suck at it.
By: Sailer
Certainly, don't buy a Tux that *looks* cheap.
I think many Tux rental shops sell used tuxes. Look in your big city yellow pages for Used and Vintage clothing stores.
After you buy one, consider taking it to a custom tailor and having it professionally fitted and altered.
By the way, it doesn't have to be a Tux. David Oliver does a fabulous bird act in a very nice double breasted suit.
By: Kevin O'Neil
Dan,
I sincerely hope that just because others don't like doves and tuxes that you won't be swayed to change your mind. Like all magic, it depends upon how well you present your act. I've never worked with doves myself, but please remember that it's the audience, not the jaded magician, that you want to impress.
Best of luck with your act.
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