In this article we will see some ideas which will help to know more about lovebirds...
Breeding Management
Before we thing about breeding of lovebirds the first things you have to do is to make sure we have a male and a female Lovebird. A pair of same sex will bond and act the same as a true pair that consists of a male and a female.
Sexing
Sex determination in Lovebird is difficult. At maturity ( Around one year), it may show behaviors of whether it is male or female, it includes ripping up paper and stuffing it into her feathers (female behavior) or regurgitating for its owners (male behavior: the male feeds the nesting female). This behavior is not a reliable indicator. A hen is usually a little broader and often perches with her legs a little further apart than a cock does. Her pelvic bones can be a little further apart and you may be able to feel the difference by gently feeling with your little finger. The only sure method is DNA testing but it is costly.
Sexing
Sex determination in Lovebird is difficult. At maturity ( Around one year), it may show behaviors of whether it is male or female, it includes ripping up paper and stuffing it into her feathers (female behavior) or regurgitating for its owners (male behavior: the male feeds the nesting female). This behavior is not a reliable indicator. A hen is usually a little broader and often perches with her legs a little further apart than a cock does. Her pelvic bones can be a little further apart and you may be able to feel the difference by gently feeling with your little finger. The only sure method is DNA testing but it is costly.
Nesting and Nest Box
Nesting behavior is mainly in female birds and the female will carry nesting material into the nest in various ways. Once the lovebirds start constructing their nest, mating will follow. During this time, the lovebirds will mate repeatedly. Eggs follow 3–5 days later. The female will spend hours inside her nesting box before eggs are laid. Once the first egg is laid, a new egg will follow every other day until the clutch is complete, typically at four to six eggs. Without a nest, lovebirds will not produce eggs.
The warmer months of the year is best to breeding in lovebirds. If we do not want to breed, the best way to avoid the breeding is supply of boxes containing a layer of peat only and not additional nesting materials.
Many Varieties of nest boxes are suitable for lovebirds, ranging from hollowed outgo logs to square timber fashioned out of unplanned timber. A good average size nest box for lovebirds is a box with a dimension of 25 cm height, 20 cm width and 15 cm depth. The box should be constructed out of timber at least 2 cm thick to stand up to the whittling activities of the birds and to retain thermal temperature.
The entrance opening is about 5 cm in diameter, is made near the top of the box and a small perch about 7 cm long should be placed just below this. Lovebirds require a high humidity in the nest during incubation. Preferred nesting materials include the bark of trees and pieces of straw. Non poisonous tree branches should be placed near the nest box such .as branches from fruit trees. The birds will soon busy themselves stripping the plant material and tucking it under their wings and taking it to the nest. Additional material should be made available throughout nesting period as the hen will replenish the nest at regular intervals and the added material will help maintain humidity and temperature. Do make sure not to give any poisonous or chemically treated (insecticides / fertilizer) plant material to your birds for nesting.
Feeding During Breeding Season
In this time adult birds have to be fed a good diet consisting of a seed/ pellet base along with fruits and vegetables. Sprouted seeds contain much more nutrition than dry seeds and you may wish to add some of those to their diet. Hard boiled eggs that are mashed up with the eggs shells provide good nutrition.
Egg Laying and Incubation
The female will not start to incubate in earnest until the second or third egg is laid. The hen does all of the incubating but the cock will feed the hen during the day and roost with her at night. The incubation period is about 23 ± 2 days in which time you should not disturb unless it is an emergency. As soon as you think the eggs are hatched, you can have a look at the chicks by opening the hinged door or whatever door you have, limit these inspections to the minimum and preferably, do it when the hen is absent
Both male and female will feed the chicks which will grow rapidly. Extra food should be made available with a good supply of soaked seed and green food. Some chicks will be ready to leave the nest in six weeks although the majority takes about seven or eight weeks to fledge.
Caring of Chicks
If we plan on hand feeding these chicks, the time to take them from the parents is approximately 2 weeks of age. This is the time that they will accept food willingly yet they have had time with their parents to give them a good start.
Never handfed a bird, you should not start without watching and learning from an experienced breeder. It is much too easy for an inexperienced hand feeder to make a mistake that could cause the death of a tiny baby.
Most breeders will allow the hen to feed the babies from hatching to the age of 2 or 3 weeks. From there, they will pull the babies out of the nest and place them in a brooder for hand feeding. Most Lovebirds need to be handfed until they are between 6 and 8 weeks old, when you can begin to wean them onto millet, soft pellets, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
The warmer months of the year is best to breeding in lovebirds. If we do not want to breed, the best way to avoid the breeding is supply of boxes containing a layer of peat only and not additional nesting materials.
Many Varieties of nest boxes are suitable for lovebirds, ranging from hollowed outgo logs to square timber fashioned out of unplanned timber. A good average size nest box for lovebirds is a box with a dimension of 25 cm height, 20 cm width and 15 cm depth. The box should be constructed out of timber at least 2 cm thick to stand up to the whittling activities of the birds and to retain thermal temperature.
The entrance opening is about 5 cm in diameter, is made near the top of the box and a small perch about 7 cm long should be placed just below this. Lovebirds require a high humidity in the nest during incubation. Preferred nesting materials include the bark of trees and pieces of straw. Non poisonous tree branches should be placed near the nest box such .as branches from fruit trees. The birds will soon busy themselves stripping the plant material and tucking it under their wings and taking it to the nest. Additional material should be made available throughout nesting period as the hen will replenish the nest at regular intervals and the added material will help maintain humidity and temperature. Do make sure not to give any poisonous or chemically treated (insecticides / fertilizer) plant material to your birds for nesting.
Feeding During Breeding Season
In this time adult birds have to be fed a good diet consisting of a seed/ pellet base along with fruits and vegetables. Sprouted seeds contain much more nutrition than dry seeds and you may wish to add some of those to their diet. Hard boiled eggs that are mashed up with the eggs shells provide good nutrition.
Egg Laying and Incubation
The female will not start to incubate in earnest until the second or third egg is laid. The hen does all of the incubating but the cock will feed the hen during the day and roost with her at night. The incubation period is about 23 ± 2 days in which time you should not disturb unless it is an emergency. As soon as you think the eggs are hatched, you can have a look at the chicks by opening the hinged door or whatever door you have, limit these inspections to the minimum and preferably, do it when the hen is absent
Both male and female will feed the chicks which will grow rapidly. Extra food should be made available with a good supply of soaked seed and green food. Some chicks will be ready to leave the nest in six weeks although the majority takes about seven or eight weeks to fledge.
Caring of Chicks
If we plan on hand feeding these chicks, the time to take them from the parents is approximately 2 weeks of age. This is the time that they will accept food willingly yet they have had time with their parents to give them a good start.
Never handfed a bird, you should not start without watching and learning from an experienced breeder. It is much too easy for an inexperienced hand feeder to make a mistake that could cause the death of a tiny baby.
Most breeders will allow the hen to feed the babies from hatching to the age of 2 or 3 weeks. From there, they will pull the babies out of the nest and place them in a brooder for hand feeding. Most Lovebirds need to be handfed until they are between 6 and 8 weeks old, when you can begin to wean them onto millet, soft pellets, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
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