Can ringneck doves and bobwhite quail be housed together?

Question

I would like to build a small outdoor aviary and am wondering if ringnecks and bobwhite would do ok together or if they would give each other diseases/fight/etc? Could you add pigeons to the mix?

Answer 1

Yes, all three are fine together. Make sure you have plenty of perches and/or nest boxes so the doves and the pigeons won't fight for a nest or a spot to sit. What type of pigeons are you planning on putting together?
Pigeons and doves can get the same general diseases, and quail have a lot in common too. I'd just advise that you worm them often and put a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per gallon once a week to keep them nice and healthy. Also, provide baths for the pigeons and doves in a shallow pan when it is warm (which I doubt would be anytime soon, but when spring comes around it will work good). As for medicines that you might want to have on hand, if you have a Tractor Supply around...you could see if they have Ivomec (Ivermec) and Terramycin-343. Both work well and I have them around all the time. I figured it would be easier to go get simple things in the same day than ordering something off the internet and waiting for it to come. Ivermec kills interal and external parasites, and Terramycin is just a broad anti-biotic. You can put some of that Ivermec in the bath water or drinking water.
Since it is cold out, make sure you have a covered area. We have flight cages for our pigeons (we keep quail in it too) that are on the ground so they can pick around. It's pretty much like an aviary since it is all wire with the ground as its floor. We always have the back end covered on all sides with a roof. This is where the nest boxes and the majority of the perches are, as well as the food to keep it dry. The covered sides (you can just use a tarp if you'd like) keeps the cold drafts/elements out for the winter, which makes it easier on the doves. Something you need to have in your aviary during the winter is flat perches for the doves. Doves are susceptible to getting frostbite on their toes. With perches your normal stick-like perches, the doves have to wrap their toes around it and the tips get cold and frostbit. However, with a flat surface to sit on (other than the ground of course), they can sit on their feet and warm them with their body. If you have nest boxes, that'll be good enough for them to sit on. Otherwise you could just put a strip of wood across the back (or wherever your draft-free area is) and up high off the ground.
Hope everything works out well :)
- Becky

Answer 2

I have housed ringneck doves and a pigeon and domestic quail together. It worked fine. The only trouble was keeping the mice out because there was seed on the floor. The pigeon mated with a ringneck dove and they produced a hybrid. They are not even the same genus, let alone the same species! But I have the hybrid here in my aviary to prove it. The affection between the daddy pigeon and the chick was really sweet.

Answer 3

cool!

Answer 4

i dotn c why not