The Peck and Yank Dove Toy.

Ok so doves aren’t the brainiest of birds compared to parrots or so you think.
Doves do have intelligence but they use it a bit differently. For the most part they’re more impulsive and also little Romeos. But they’re also inquisitive little birds finding out what new thing tastes good, what would make a great nest spot, or material and if a predator is ready to pounce or just eaten and not interested.

I designed this little toy on what the doves love doing best, pecking and exploring the world around them.  Well, besides being all lovey dovey.

Warning! This toy is not suitable for parrots of any kind since they can break apart things and eat the plastic.

Stuff you'll need;
Some kind of plastic egg shaped container or those plastic Easter eggs
Twine, string or yarn
Large and small beads both plastic and wooden ones, what ever you have or get
Some long plastic deely things with beads on them. Not sure what they’re called but you can find them at most dollar stores (They’re used for weddings and things)
A jingle bell you can get from craft stores, art stores or dollar stores
Some clear plastic string or fishing line
Some various acrylic paint (Tea shirt paint works best.)
Acrylic clear coat for protection
Scissors
One nail for melting a plastic hole or two
Tweezers like the one you find in a toolbox or pliers
One candle
A glass of water
Epoxy glue

Cut several strings or strands of yarn est. It really doesn’t matter how much so long as you have a small bundle.  Make sure they are fairly neutral in colour since doves find large amounts of bright colour threatening especially the colour red. So you may want to stick to whites, beige and related. Tie them together in the middle with another piece of string.

Cut a piece of plastic fishing line. In the middle of that fishing string tie a small bead to that and then fold the string so that you have two strands now. On that, string in some more beads and make it colourful. Put on several beads. It doesn’t matter how many you place or use on the string.

Please bear with me, it’s been awhile since I made this thing so I may have forgotten the order or something so this part may be a bit dicey. Take some of those beaded deely things with the beads 2 or 3 of them and twist the wiry parts together. Then take the string, twine or other, bundle and bend it over the beaded things. Take one of the wire strands from the beaded thing and twist it tightly over the lower part of the bundle of string till you get a tassel. If you still have wire after winding it to make the tassel, just add that back to the other free wires of the beaded things. On one of the wires of the beaded things, which are now part of the tassel, add the plastic string of beads you made earlier and twist that on to the top part of the tassel. Place the completed tassel aside.

Light your candle. Take a small plastic container or Easter egg and burn/melt a large hole at the bottom of the thing and two smaller ones at the top with the nail using your tweezers or pliers. Let the egg or container cool. Also when you’re finished, don’t for get to blow out your candle and toss the nail in to a glass of water so you don’t cause a fire and or burn your self.

Open up the modified Easter egg again or container and push the string and beaded bundle thing though the bottom hole you made. Using the medal ties, tie it off. Do not cut it. The tassel thing should fit snug in the hole.

Tie a bell so that it can jingle in the middle of the egg or container. It should be suspended in the middle of the egg or container.

Pull the rest of the wire ties through the top egg half or container holes. This should close the egg or container. Then make a loop out of the remaining wire ties.

Pour and mix epoxy on some surface that you don’t mind getting dirty like an old block of wood covered with aluminium foil.  Mix the two components of the epoxy well, cover the crack where the egg or container opens, in other words the seam. Hang the toy and let dry over night. You can also glue the holes as well.

Tie a string to the loop at the top of the toy if you wish.This is helpful for hanging the toy in the future in the dove’s cage or aviary.

Now you can paint dots all over the egg or container part of the toy in stages, which will represent or look like seeds. Also make it colourful. Let the paint dry in stages.

When you’re finished with painting, clear coat the egg or container part.  Let it dry.  You can clear coat with an airbrush or your favourite can of clear coat spray.

Place in your bird’s cage or aviary.  And let the doves get use to it.

After the doves realize the toy is not going to get them they will get curious and start to explore it by pecking the dots and pulling on the various things that hang down and jingle the bell in the toy. It may take several days for then to get use to it so be patient. Also pigeons may also enjoy this since they’re in the same family but since I never really owned a pigeon I’m not sure how true this is. You have to try this your self. Let me know please.

Here is my youngest dove and the first dove to try out the new toy. The rest of the flock followed up. He first started to explore the string, then picked up the beaded things, pecked at the dots and the rest.