I am thinking of getting a love bird, but have been told that they should be kept in pairs. Can I get two of the same sex, or does it have to be a male and a female?
Could anyone please tell me of any good web sites or books which would help me to learn about love birds, and how to care for them. Thank you. ************************************************************* 06-30-02, 10:35 PM JerseyTomater http://shell.pubnix.net/~mhagen/docu/car_love.html
"The Lovebird Handbook" (Barron's Pet Handbooks) by Vera Appleyard
"Lovebirds: Everything About Housing, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, and Diseases: With a Special Chapter, Understanding Lovebirds" by Matthew M. Vriends
Be forewarned lovebirds can be LOUD !
07-02-02, 11:53 AM Chicabird You dont HAVE to get two lovebirds- one will be just fine.
If you're getting them so that they will be friendly to you and cuddly and nice you will probably want to get just ONE from a breeder-or a really young one from a pet shop...*(not REALLY young...just not one thats been there forever..) you'll want a younger bird. *either sex is good...Or you could possibly get two females.
Or if you want to get more than one bird in a cage...- you could get two females- both would be nice. A male and a female of the right age in a cage together WILL breed- you'll have to take the eggs out of the cage unless you want to start breeding lovebirds. Two males in the same cage will fight.
08-31-02, 10:57 PM Wildflower63 I don't think it matters what sex they are as if they get along well. From what I have found, they are aggressive birds that will not allow you to handle them as would a parakeet. Be very careful about what type of seed you feed them. I had a female malnourished because of the seed I was buying. Their nutritional needs are very high. You may even have to vitamin supplement their food.
09-01-02, 01:18 AM babthrower Love birds are a challenge. They are noisy, they will nip your fingers (so not suitable for small children), they are very aggressive. They are hard to sex, if you get a pair of 'females' and they turn out to be 'males' and fight, you will have to keep them separate. I tried to introduce a new bird to Peaches when she lost her mate. In spite of spending weeks in ajacent cages, and seemingly becoming more and more affectionate, when I put them together they fought, and before I could get them separated Peaches had a throat bite which caused swelling so bad she had to be rushed to the vet. Bill: over $700 for intensive care, intubation, pure oxygen, etc. She survived, and recovered fully. When I built them an outdoor aviary with lots of nests and space they got along well, and eventually bonded.
03-31-03, 04:53 AM Wildflower63 Completely agree with the above post. These birds are so agressive that all you can realistically do is look at them. Do not try to finger train them unles you would like it bitten off.
04-24-03, 06:30 AM Wildflower63 Question for Bab: How do the birds withstand an outdoor avairy in Canada? These are tropical birds. Do your birds stay out doors all year or do you have to bring them in for cold weather?
My lovebird adores going outside. Wow, are they loud! You can hear him seven houses down the street. We all know what he sounds like. No mistaking him for quiet.
04-24-03, 08:19 PM Kirby Lynn If you still are interested in lovebirds, I'd recommend that unless you want little baby lovebirds, don't buy a male and female. Even if you have one bird for quite some time, if you introduce a new friend to him/her, once they discover each other, you're totally out of the picture. Don't expect to ever have your same birdy-friend again.
I'm going through this with my beloved cockatiel, Sunny--except he doesn't have a bird friend, he has a small bathroom paper cup. Roll Eyes He used to play with the things, so I kept giving them to him, and now they've become *much more.*
04-25-03, 02:50 AM Wildflower63 His female partner died. The bird about flipped as soon as her body was removed. They required attention from each other. Now, he is very hyper and demands a lot of attention. There is definitely a lot more bird/person interaction than before. I even have to play bird noises on mp3 on the computer. He is very demanding!
That is why I am wondering if a female of the same breed as his other female that died would trick him by appearance and he would accept her. He is a peach face. She was another breed of love bird with different coloring. I found one of the same breed.
Should I try it? These are very aggressive birds. I don't want to end up with Bab's vet bill, but wonder how easy it is to trick these guys.
11-13-03, 06:27 PM Windchime I have a pair of lovebirds that were given to me. The female is the most aggressive bird I've ever owned. Very territorial about her cage, and the male. I sometimes use a shield to protect my hand when changing her food and water. At one time the male was in with her but she started chasing him and not letting him eat, so I had to separate them. They spent all their time trying to breed and lay eggs. The male is doing better now that he can take a breather1
Unless you want a bird to cuddle regularly, I think the idea of two females is a very good one.
03-30-05, 01:40 PM nkybirds Do you have an outdoor aviary? Im wanting to build one but looking for info on it please let me know. ***For your own safety, please do not post email addresses in open forums. Registered members can view your email address in your profile, if you wish to provide it.
quote: Originally posted by Wildflower63: I don't think it matters what sex they are as if they get along well. From what I have found, they are aggressive birds that will not allow you to handle them as would a parakeet. Be very careful about what type of seed you feed them. I had a female malnourished because of the seed I was buying. Their nutritional needs are very high. You may even have to vitamin supplement their food.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Karrow, 03-30-05 01:51 PM
04-04-05, 05:15 AM piggins nkybirds
Here's a link to a three page article on outdoor aviaries. Has good information on what to use and what not to use.
