Lovebird Issues

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Lovebird Issues

by Carly
(California)

Lovebirds Tobi (left) & Cookie (right)

Hi! Its me again, um Tobi and Cookie normally get their wings cut by my mom but they grew back. How far should I cut them? I don't want them to be able to fly above 3-4 feet but i don't want them to have to walk on the ground and only lift themselves about 5 inches of the ground.

I thinking about breeding them but their cage only has 1 door. i could switch to a cage that is about 27x18x18 with about 5 door it its only temporary breeding cage. Is the cage big enough? Is there any way that I could hand tame their chicks? Do I have to handle the chicks so that they do not become hand shy?

Can i use palm leaves for bedding in the nest box? Or is it poisonous? And Tobi keeps picking his feathers so much that his stomach is bald. He does this for weeks, as soon as new ones grow back he picks them. I have no idea what to do.
It seems that every time I try to include a pic, it does not show on this website. If it does then just ignore this.

Comments for
Lovebird Issues

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Dec 15, 2011

Lovebird Issues
by: Linda

As Tracie said, please separate these two because from what I read they are in no kind of condition for breeding.

First issue is why your bird is plucking himself. This could be diet related or could be a sign of a physical issue. Both birds need to be checked for infections or other physical issues right away because you need to know if the plucking is physical or mental. Take them only to an Avian Vet because they are licensed and trained in the care of birds. Have them clip their wings. Only 4-6 of the long primary feathers need clipping which are the long ones at the ends of each wing. Do not clip any higher because this causes chronic pain and injury from hitting the floor too hard. The 4-6 primary flight feathers will allow your bird to glide gently and safety to the floor.

Diet is the most important aspect of getting birds in breeding condition or just healthy to have as pets. Your birds need to be eating organic pellets which are found here. The best is Harrisons, and it does not cost that much for just two small birds. It takes time to change from seeds to pellets and here is an article about how to go about it written by an Avian Vet:

Switching Birds To Pellets article

When you are ready to breed which won't be for at least a year after getting them onto a healthy diet, you'll need a cage much larger than you mentioned. They'll need a cage at least 3' by 3', and it needs to have a breeding door in it for the wooden nestbox which can be bought in stores or on the internet. The size needs to be for your size birds, and it has to hang outside the cage with only the perch and hole inside the cage, so you have access. If you buy the correct type of box, they have a portion of the floor that is concave to keep eggs from rolling all over, and you do not need to put anything in there. If you want to put something in it, use only unprinted shredded newspaper. You can find unprinted newspaper at your local newspaper office as they have ends of rolls for very little money. We use this paper for out bird's cage bottoms, and it is clean and cheap.

Linda
Find an Avian Vet

Dec 14, 2011

Lovebirds
by: Carlie

I do have experience breeding birds, I have successfully bred zebra finches and have had several chicks.My mother does have experience cutting budgerigar wings, she and I are just unsure how short to cut lovebirds wings. My grandmother also breeds budgerigars.

Dec 14, 2011

Clipping bird wings and breeding birds
by: Tracie

I don't suggest you cut your bird's wings alone the first time. If your bird struggles, you could accidentally hold the bird too tight and break their bones or mis-cut the wing and injure the bird.

I suggest you get your mom to come over, or take them to someone experienced that can help you do this for the first couple of times.

I also don't suggest you consider breeding the birds until you have visited IN PERSON with another breeder. Help them feed baby birds, ask them about all the emergencies that have come up, how much they pay in vet fees etc.

If you do not have experience in caring for breeding birds and their babies, you stand the chance of losing the hen and the babies. I suggest you separate these birds if they are male and female, so they don't start breeding before you are ready to care for babies 24/7 if they don't feed the chicks or start killing chicks.

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