When will my lovebirds mate?
The best thing to do is let them build their own nest. I highly suggest you use news paper as nesting material for your lovebirds. Place news paper at the bottom of the cage as they will shred it up tuck it in their feathers and bring it to their nest box as nesting material. This is an indication that your birds have mated already. Remember, first they bond, mate, nest construction, then comes the eggs. They will make a mess during shredding stage, so continue putting fresh news paper in the cage and remove old shreded papers. They will continue doing this untill the babies hatch out of their eggs. Reason for shredding, it acts as an insulation by providing warmth for the babies and a stronger stable nest to AVOIDING SPLAY-LEGGED BABIES. Let them build the nest and DO NOT remove the nesting material from the box. My proven pair lovebirds are sitting on four eggs right now and should be hatching this week. I can show you a picture of their nest and height (quantity) of the news paper in their nestbox. You'll also get a chance to see the eggs or maybe the babies. PS. If you have a paper shredder, shred some news paper and put it in their nestbox to give them a head start. Remember, they will continue shredding.....
Why is my lovebird so obsessed with shredding paper?
My peachface lovebird who is 10 months old started getting really obsessed with shredding paper. Everytime he/she is outside the cage he looks for something to shred and doesn't stop until he makes a big mess. He has never built a nest. He used to eat alot and now he spent most of his time chewing and shredding his toys. He also looks likes he lost some weight too. Is this a female behavior? Is my lovebird going insane?
How could I tell which Love bird is a male and female?
You can't tell lovebirds apart sexually unless they are Abyssinian or Madagascan varieties and they're not common in the pet trade. Color means nothing, both sexes can be as bright or dull as the other, most behaviors are not good indicators either (both sexes will shred paper, can regurgitate food, etc), and the color of the beak (if one of yours has black on it, it just means that it's still a very young bird, they loose the black color once they're a few months old) only indicates if they're a green or blue series bird once they are mature in some cases. To tell them apart you'd have to have them DNA tested or surgically sexed. Some people say you can feel the width of the pelvic bones but that's not at all accurate. DNA sexing is easiest, cheapest and least invasive. You can bring the bird to the vet or do it yourself. Clip a nail a little short for a few drops of blood, or pluck a few chest feathers, in a few days you have the results.
My lovebird laid a egg, she has a mate with her, but I'm not sure that the eggs have babies in them.Help!!!!
Wow. Ok first of all, you more than likely won't be able to take the eggs to a vet. They need to be constantly warm and the movement and jarring around of moving them and taking them somewhere will more than likely kill anything in the eggs anyway. Then theres the issue that, you'd more than likely have to bring the mom with you to keep them incubated properly, with all the movement and bothering the eggs, she might decide to abandon them. If you call a vet, they're going to tell you to wait or candle the eggs. Which are really your best 2 options. You can wait roughly 21 days (I usually give them 30 just to be safe since they lay eggs every other day) and see if anything hatches. Or if you want you can candle the eggs. Wait until they are about a week old then you can find a small light. You want something that will go through the egg only, not all around it or you won't be able to see inside clearly. If you see small red veins starting to run through the egg and a small dark spot at one end, then the egg is fertile. If it just looks clear inside there is nothing there. Just b/c there is a mate doesn't guarantee the eggs will all be fertile. Candle them quickly- for a few reasons- you can easily overheat the egg with the light source from candling, they can easily get too cool if left uncovered for too long, and the longer you have them out the more stress you put on the mom (and depending on your bird she may or may not take well to having the eggs checked. I have one female that is fine with me checking the eggs every few days, while another I have to candle them once, then wait till they're supposed to start hatching b/c any interfering between then and she stops sitting on them.... ) There are lots of web sites that have pictures and techniques showing you how to candle an egg. It's pretty easy. Just make sure your hands are clean and you do it quickly. If the nest box if big enough you can just stick the light in there without actually picking up or moving the eggs.
HOW TO TELL IF LOVEBIRD READY TO BREED?
You have to be sure you have a male and female. You can't tell by looks or behaviors with lovebirds. Both sexes can look and act the same. DNA testing is quick, easy, and cheap if you're serious about breeding. Other than that the birds will be feeding one another, looking for a place to nest, shredding materials to try to bring to the nest (males and females will shred- so again not a good indicator of gender). If you have a nest box set up and provide lots of good nesting materials the birds should take care of it. Without knowing for certain if you have a male/female pair though you can end up with a male/male pair or female/female pair acting just like a male/female pair. They'll "mate" build a nest, feed one another, etc you just won't get any chicks.
How do lovebirds make their nests? What should be used as nests for pet lovebirds?
Lovebirds are cavity dwellers they make their home in holes in trees, rocks or shrubs in the wild. Some species nest in groups, while others pair off to build their nests away from the flock.Peach-faced lovebirds in Phoenix,Arizona often make their homes in cacti. Something like this:In urban settings, they might rely on anything from a tree to a crevice in a building.Different lovebird species build their nests in different ways.Fisher’s lovebirds (Agapornis fischeri) carry single strips of tree bark in their beaks. Peach-faced lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis), on the other hand, hide bark in their feathers. Scientists believe that the latter's more complex behavior is an ancestral trait, and have used this facet of lovebird nest-building as an example of the intersection of evolved and learned behavior.As for pet lovebirds, first you’ll have to consider the nestbox.It is better if it has a little raised platform at the entrance and a lower area for the hen to nest. That way it is less likely for eggs to be cracked if there’s ever a panicked rush into the nestbox because they dive on the raised platform first, then move down to the nesting area.Now, for the nesting material, humidity is very important for the successful hatching of lovebird eggs. So you can supply wet palm fronds as nesting material if the climate is too dry. You also use shredded, unscented, plain white paper towels, eucalyptus occasionally, and dried grasses. Lovebirds will use their own lost feathers for the nest too. Continue to supply nesting material even after the eggs are laid, as this keeps the nest fresher and keeps up the appropriate humidity level. You can also get nesting material at pet supply stores. Never give leaves of any poisonous plants or plants that have been treated with insecticides.Hope it helps!
How can i tell if my lovebird is pregnant?
i have two lovebirds, ones green and ones blue. i cant tell if they are male or female. but i have noticed that the blue one has gotten bigger and also the green one seems very protective over the blue one. it will try to bite me if i try to touch the blue bird. so i am wondering how can i tell if my lovebird is pregnant? I NEED HELP!!! thanks
Lovebird laid an egg, but won't incubate it, and has pushed it out of the nest?
Young inexperienced birds will be clumsy and maybe push an egg from a nest. They may not know how to act but their hormones will dictate what they do. She will not start to set until she lays a clutch of eggs. The male should be left in the cage as he will feed her and the babies when they hatch.