About Doves 4 Yall

I guess I’ve always loved birds. As a child I would watch and listen to them and try to identify their calls. That first robin of spring was eagerly awaited. As a baby boomer I watched all those 50’s movies with pigeons being raised on the roofs of city buildings, and their cooing and homing ability fascinated me. But when I saw a white dove release, I was completely hooked. I totally fell in love with these beautiful thoroughbreds of the sky as they soared overhead with the sun seeming to glow from those white feathers!

It started out simply, as most addictions do. I was given a few squeakers by some local pigeon racers to start my loft. If you had ever heard a baby pigeon beg for food from its parents, you would understand why they are called squeakers. But as it goes with all addictions, I needed more, so soon we had outgrown my small loft and small yard.

Living in town, I had to stand in just the right spot in the front yard to watch my birds fly because the tall trees around us blocked my view. Within a year, I had convinced my husband to move where we could have more room to raise and fly my birds — and, of course, for us too. He laughingly calls our home in the country the $200K pigeon loft, but to me it was worth every penny.

If you’re wondering why I use pigeon and dove interchangeably, it’s because the white doves used for a ceremonial release are white racing homing pigeons descended from Rock Doves. These amazing creatures have a way of being able to home, or find their loft, from great distances when released. No one knows exactly how they manage to do this, and scientists still study this phenomenon.

It wasn't long before we needed a larger loft, so my husband Ken, the reluctant carpenter, pitched right in. Luckily, doves are very easygoing about the aesthetics of their home. As long as they have shelter from wind and rain, enough food, and water, they are quite content and quickly begin raising little doves.

The hen lays two eggs in a clutch, and both parents take turns sitting on the eggs and feeding the young. Soon after leaving the nest, their training begins as I take them just a few yards from their loft and toss them — the term for a release by hand. They quickly learn to find their loft and can be taken farther afield.

The entire family enjoys the birds. While I had done white dove releases for friends and family for years, it was when rising gas and feed prices made the flock more expensive that I decided the birds had to start contributing to the budget. Fortunately, they seem to love their work as all eyes look up to watch their dramatic performance.

They help newlyweds celebrate on their wedding day and are just as adept at bringing peace and closure to the grieving as they bid farewell to a loved one. It is such an honor and privilege to share their beauty with others. It never loses the wonder for me as I watch my birds circle above. It’s hard to be down when you’re looking up.