Arty what should do about this egg? She was sitting on it on the bottom of her cage which looked so uncomfortable being there is a grate. I wasn't quite sure what to do so I took a dish and put some small seed in it and placed the egg in that and then set that on the cage floor and she went and sat on the egg right away. She looks much more comfortable now but i'm worried as to when she will get tired of the egg and if she will eat and drink enough being she has been sitting on the egg all day long. Any suggestions as to what to do about this egg?

All will be fine, she will discard the egg when she feels it is time.
There should be another egg to follow soon, Doves lay 2 eggs per clutch.
It might be best to remove the bowl and egg-s when she does give up, this could take up to 14-18 days or so.
If she continues to lay eggs, it maybe best to keep any egg shells from breakfast and nuke them for one minute, crush them up and offer them to her, this will help her replace the calcium used laying.
Or offer Oyster shell grit along side her seed.

awwww my poor baby, she's being such a good mommy to her egg even though there is no way it could be fertile. Thanks so much Arty, she already gets oyster shell grit along with her seed as I figured it would be good for them regardless of egg laying or not. I still can't believe Patrick is a SHE!!! I hope she doesn't become a chronic egg layer, has me a bit worried.

Please don't even think that....you know the old saying....
Lets just pray the egg laying thing stops....

She is so vocal for a female, always flittering her wings and cooing like mad that's why I was sure she was a he but that egg definately proves me wrong. I will take a picture of her tomorrow sitting on her precious egg that way you can all see how beautiful she is. I just adore her and all of our other birds too of course. Thanks so much!

I know what ya mean, every Dove I have cared for here the female is sooo timid, hardly ever cooing while the male will cooo all through the night, this is why I also thought she was a he....
And females will rarely coo when sitting on eggs, nothing like alerting a stray cat to your nest by coooing.
Both parents take turns sitting on the eggs, also when feeding but as you have said the egg is more than likely not fertile.
She may discard the egg sooner, specially if she gets off the egg to go eat...after awhile....they know the egg won't develop.
Now watch, your little girl, I said was a boy.....prove me wrong again by only laying one egg....

Arty I think she views me as her mate, she loves attention from me and before she laid her egg would even run up to the front of the cage and coo like crazy and flutter her wings. If I put my hand into her cage she would run over and rub her beak all over my hand as if asking me to feed her or something. She seems very hormonal and must be being she laid that egg. She loves to be touched and held also and i'm wondering if I should stop touching her? I love her so much but definately don't want to contribute to more egg laying. I am not holding or touching her now of course being she's very occupied with her egg but I want what's best for her and if touching her is making her hormonal then I guess I will have to cease doing that. I love that she trusts me so much, what wonderful birds. I'm also wondering if putting the other bird next to her made her hormonal enough to lay also? Are doves normally really hormonal and prone to laying eggs?

All of mothers little creations are here to re-produce, you may have a young male there placed by her side, its hard to say.
I have several mated Pigeons out in the loft, some are successful breeders, some aren't.
We have female Cockatiels here that will lay eggs just hearing the males song, they don't even need to be near the males.
We love our birds, but there are no-nos when it comes to stimulation, touch (should-could) be limited to the head and neck area, when stroking any bird the full length of there body will stimulate them and one will see mating activity shortly after doing so.
Nesting material, this material can be anything in caged birds, in the wild, birds round up sticks and hay, straw, grass and what humans leave behind such as cloth and string and such things.
Caged birds and TOYS, we have found that any toy provided that has fringe or cotton strings, even those heavy ropes wrapped with cotton strings will stimulate a lonely male and or female.
Those cute little buddy huts we humans provide our birds to sleep in, these huts can prove to be very stimulating to a lonely bird that needs to do what mother has intended them to do, mate and re-produce.
By all means, birds do bond with there human, when there (mating) needs are not met, one may find a very aggressive bird, as if there saying, "hey there's more to do here".
The bird may begin to "bite" and there are many other issues that will follow when the birds needs are not met.
With the chronic egg layer, one will find many forms of stimulation, (sun light) (warmth) even a spray misting can stimulate.
There's a (upset) in the birds natural (re-productive) system, most birds re-produce each year, they find a mate and make babies, now lets take that ability away, then lets add human stimulation such as stroking, kissing, and there are other forms, then add frilly toys and such things that can tell the bird "hey, I can make a nest out of that", or "I can rub my little behind against that to Stimulate myself".
Mankind goes through the very same issues, a lonely human may resort to Masturbation, even Rape to full fill his her needs.
As humans we do our best to teach our children about sex, we try and teach them to be independent first, find a good job, buy a home, get settled, then think about a mate and babies.
Build the nest first...then the babies....
Now try telling that to a bird that could live 30 yrs caged up with no mate!
Oh, you will find those (that know more) they will say it can be done, would you like that to happen to you?
To spend your entire life alone?
Its a crazy world Deb, We can learn all there is to learn about (stimulation) and try and avoid it, or we can do the (I will find my friend a mate thing) and then scream when there's birds all over the place.
My father once told me at a very young age, Arty, no animal was intended to be kept as a pet, "now our home is full of birds".
and 2 (kitties).
I know you wish to "meet your birds needs", but hopefully understanding that "you will never completely meet there needs", will help you to help them.
Imagine a completely different world where you the Human are not dominate, you are not at the top of the food chain, and the species that is has just placed you in a cage, took your ability to mate with your own species away, imagine the frustration as you do your best to tell your capture what your needs are!
I would love to end the PET trade, no animal should be kept as a pet.....but this will never happen.......
In the mean time, I fully understand, "I can't meet all there needs", but, "I sure can try".