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Homemade Feed for Doves

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Doves are commonly found throughout the country during the summer months, often making their nests near human habitation. Feeding doves in your backyard provides hours of entertainment as they gather at morning and evening to feed. Wild bird food sold in stores will often be wasted, but you can make homemade seed mixes doves will love.

Adult Birds

Making homemade food for doves is as easy as collecting wild grass and weed seeds in a paper bag throughout the summer from fields near your home. Place your cupped hand below the seeds on the grass stalk and pull upward and seeds will readily release into your hand. You also can blend millet, cracked corn, oats, milo and wheat and scatter on the ground, although these grains are more likely to attract rodents.

Baby Doves

In the wild, parents feed babies food regurgitated from their own crop. While squab or parrot formula available from a feed or pet store is ideal for babies under 21 days old, you also can make your own homemade formula using baby cereal, warmed and fed through a parrot syringe or eye dropper.