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 Doves, as living creatures, deserve to be
treated with love and respect, as you would want to be
treated yourself. The more gentle and careful you are in
handling your doves, or any other animal, the better the
relationship you build and your act will benefit from it in
many ways! Your doves are your assistants, not only because
they look beautiful, but a flying bird is the perfect
misdirection for many things. (Think about it ... )
If weather permits (50oF to 100oF),
a walk-in outside cage is preferable, the bigger the better.
I recommend a minimum of 7x7x7 ft. for two to six doves. The
cage should provide for sunlight and shade, and be rainproof
and wind-proof; therefore, it should not face North. Use
strong fencing wire, 1/2 in. square (which will prevent the
doves from slipping their heads through the mesh). You will
be amazed how fast a cat can be ... The wire should be
strong enough that noone will be able to break in, even with
pliers; that will make it safe from children and vicious
animals. Also a lock on the door is recommended.
PERCHES
Perches, made from dowel 1/2 to I inch in
diameter, should be placed at eye level and not above one
another or over food or water. The perches should be placed
in the sun and in the shade. They can be easily cleaned with
sandpaper when dirty. Do not use water, as a wet perch is a
health hazard to the birds' feet.
FOOD
Use dove mix or dove diet. Provide grit,
preferably with minerals and dried fruit. Oyster shells or
egg shells are good and should be ground into little pieces
(not powder). Doves like grass, lettuce, greens and apples
cut into small pieces. Hard-boiled eggs cut into small
pieces are a real treat. Food and water should be raised
about one foot from the floor to protect from worms and
insects.
WATER
For drinking water, use a chicken water
feeder with bottled water (tap water becomes dirty and
bottled water doesn't need to be changed every day). A
pointed cover on top will prevent the doves from standing on
it will keep the water clean.(Figure
#1) Put a pan of water (especially in hot weather) about
2 inches deep and about 16 inches in diameter in the cage.
This will be used as a bath by the doves.
FIGURE 1- click image to enlarge
When getting new doves, powder the birds
with "3x1 powder" used for dogs and cats. Powder under the
wings and under the tail to get rid of mites and other
parasites. I don't recommend spray as it makes the feathers
sticky and dirty and it takes some time for the doves to
recover from the shock of the spray... your doves will hate
you less if you use powder.
I recommend not trying to handle new doves
for the first three weeks you have them. When entering the
cage for feeding, move slowly, talk to the birds softly, and
they will learn to trust you. Eventually they will become
curious and will land on your head and arms and will begin
to eat from your hand. This is the beginning of the training
process. Take good care of the doves and they will take good
care of you.
Do not clip or cut the feathers. It weakens
the doves and makes them more susceptible to illness. Also,
it detracts from the beauty of the dove and affects the
balance and the performance of the dove. The audience, even
unconsciously, will notice this and feel pity for the poor
creature. Most importantly, your dove will hate you
File nails regularly with a nail file,
filing only the sharp tip of the nail. Put the dove in a
dove bag with the feet protruding out. I file the nails
under a strong light, being careful not to get too close to
the veins. (Figure
#2)
FIGURE 2- click image to enlarge
Have a veterinarian check your doves
regularly for worms, lack of vitamins or calcium, etc. Keep
your doves healthy and clean, be extremely gentle handling
them and they will enlighten your act for many years to
come. (My best doves have worked in my show for over 15
years.)
TRAVEL
Always carry your doves inside the car
maintained at an appropriate temperature. Never carry them
in the trunk, and never leave the doves in a closed car in
the sun. It only takes a few seconds for the heat to kill a
dove. When you are comfortable the doves are comfortable.
TRAVELING TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
First call the country's consulate and find
out the specific regulations in that country If you travel
with your birds they do not require quarantine. Contact the
USDA (Department of Agriculture) office in your area for
forms to fill out (the dates of your travel, the route you
are traveling, and airlines and flight numbers). After you
mail this form back to the USDA office, they will send you a
permit to import. With this form, you go to your local
veterinarian who will check your doves and issue you a
health certificate which you must carry along with the USDA
form. Keep these forms easily accessible, because you will
be asked to present them for every flight and for the
customs authorities. If you fly domestic, you will only need
a health certificate from your local vet.
You will prevent problems by calling the
airlines in advance and informing them that you are
traveling with birds. The airlines will ask you for the
weight and the size of your kennel. Since the airlines
charge the same fee for a pet carrier regardless of size, I
recommend a big dog carrier, which gives the doves plenty of
space to walk around or stand on the perches (place the
perches 4-1/2 inches above the mesh in order to keep the
doves' tails clean). I also put the raised mesh on a
newspaper on the floor. The mesh is 1/2 inch square and sits
1-1/2 inches above the floor of the carrier. This will help
to keep the birds clean. (Figure
#3) Covering the cage with black cloth protects the
birds from wind, rain and curious children.
FIGURE 3- click image to enlarge
HOTELS
The first thing I do after arriving is set up
a room for the birds. For perches I usually place broom
sticks over the bathtub. Two broom sticks, placed one on top
of the other, can be adjusted to just fit between the walls
above the bath tub. They can then be taped together and
wedged in place. Newspapers in the bath will make cleaning
up easier. However, it is easy to clean the bathtub by
simply soaking the bottom in water for ten minutes and then
just washing it. Keep the bathroom as dark as possible
(cover windows, put a towel under the door, etc.). This will
prevent the doves from flying and hurting themselves. Always
cover the toilet seat. If a dove falls in, it can not get
out and will eventually die.
If you go for more than one night, use a
bigger space for the doves so that they can fly, take a bath
and clean themselves for a few hours a day. I try to make
their surroundings as comfortable and as much like home as
possible. I usually find an unused clean room in the
theater. I tape newspaper on the floor, set up the two
broomsticks as described above, and put some clean sand
(preferably sea sand) on the floor. It helps to keep the
doves clean.
SHIPS
On ships, I build a cage from fishing net
(brought by me) outside on one of the "no passengers" decks
usually on the crew deck. Do not leave the doves unattended
on the deck. No doubt the best cage I had on a ship was the
outdoor racquetball court on the "SS Norway" It was huge,
net covered, had great lighting and no people were around
after midnight.
On land, the best cage was supplied to me by
Greg Wilson, a real animal lover, who had a big walk-in cage
beautifully made by the Japanese crew for a sports-arena
tour in Japan. This cage was transported and reassembled in
each city arena. Thank you, Greg ... my doves and I are very
grateful. For putting up with my doves, I also want to thank
Ron Wilson for the Magic Cruises to the Bahamas, Tahiti, and
all the other beautiful islands;
Mark and Nani Wilson for
Curacao; Dale Salwak for the "Stars of Magic" shows; Peter
Pit for Europe;
Greg Wilson and Fukai for Japan; Manfred and
Vicki Thumm for Germany; Bill Herz for the 8 A.M. industrial
shows; Gustavo Lorgia for South America; Domenico Dante for
Italy, Johnny Lom for Sweden; Tina Lenert, Mike Caveney and
Luis De Matos for Portugal; Enrique Gonzales for Chile;
Kevin James for Argentina; Terry Seabrooke for England; and
Mark Kornhouser and Deborah Kim for letting the doves trash
your house in Lake Tahoe. One important rule is to always
clean the facilities thoroughly. You do not want people to
even suspect you had doves there. This will keep the door
open for you and other magicians to work and/or stay there
again.
Several years ago, I arrived at the Landmark
Hotel in Las Vegas to participate in the Magic 0lympics,
produced by Max Maven, which was taped by Japanese
television. I left the doves in a cage in my room and went
to check the stage. When I came back, I realized that the
cage door was open, the champagne that had been in glasses
left on the table had magically disappeared, and drunk doves
were everywhere. In the show that night, the doves, instead
of flying to my hands, flew to the chandelier, the scenery
and any other spot but my hands, except for one bird that
kept flying to my hands wherever I put her. (It wasn't so
funny then) David, please don't drink and fly.
I hope that these notes on the care and
use of doves will be of help to you. Doves can enhance your
act tremendously, if you remember that "Doves are
performers, too!"
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