I need some advice on my lovebirds please.
I have two lovebirds who are 10 months old now and they haven't laid any eggs yet. should they have by now??
The paper at the bottom of the cage has been shredded and put into a pile is this a sign that they are ready to breed? Should I clean the cage out and remove the paper they have shredded?
Please help im new to the lovebird buisness thank you x x
2006-09-14 01:30:58 · 12 answers · asked by Claire 1 in Pets ➔ Birds
I only have one pair of lovebirds in the cage. I have a slight feeling that both my birds are male which will solve the problem why i'm not getting any eggs. :(
2006-09-14 01:52:15 · update #1
Well it's official I have a male and a female lovebird :o)
2006-09-14 11:22:47 · update #2
just give them time...nature will happen when it happens good luck!
2006-09-14 01:40:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Love Birds are hard to sex... they are one of only a few birds where the coloring doesn't distinguish male/female. Have you taken them to a Vet to determine if they are a mating pair? I'm not sure to tell you what to look for when you express the vent feathers... yup, get them sexed by a Vet - DNA works best.
It is better to buy a proven pair or a bonded pair from a reputable dealer. A little research up front can prevent disappointment down the road. Know the age of the birds you are purchasing and when the last time they had a clutch and the number of clutches that they have had total. It is best to limit a pair to 3 clutches per year even if hand-feeding the chicks. When you find a pair, and hopefully they will be a pair, I have bought what was advertised as a proven pair to only have 2 egg laying females. Typically it is the male that feeds the female. Copulation will occur throughout the day and last only seconds. Provide a large cage for your pair. I use 20" x 20" x 24" cages with the nest box on the outside to provide more interior room and it is easier to check the nest box contents. Lovebirds should be paired individually and never in a colony situation.
2006-09-14 01:40:59 · answer #2 · answered by tampico 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is possible that you have two males because males also shred paper. But I have known it to take as long as two years for a female to lay her first egg-though this is rare.
In the bird world a pair just means two birds regardless of the sexes. A TRUE pair is a male and a female. A PROVEN BREEDER pair is a male and female who have previously bred and had hatched live young. The lingo can be confusing to someone new to the business.
Good luck!
2006-09-14 03:17:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
About half (if not more) of Birds naturally produce eggs, regardless of if they have a mate and are fertile. It will deplete her calcium, Most bird foods take into account that the females will be producing eggs, so it shouldn't be life threatening. Especially if you supply the proper calcium supplement. be it a Calcium hunk or whatever is appropriate for your species of bird. If you think her egg laying gets excessive, You may check with your vet, as some birds will get a hormone imbalance when they don't have another bird of the opposite sex around to regulate their fertility cycle. If you do get a male and don't want baby birds just take the eggs away when she has them, either sell/give them to a breeder who wants to incubate them, or break them.
2016-03-27 00:59:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
get a nesting box.place it on cage not low.make sure they have a large enough cage, if you are not sure of there sex you have to take them to a vet and get dna tested, for sex.usually the largest is male.if a liteno it is probubly a male,tenmonths is a little young be patient . if one takes paper and puts it under its back tail feathers it isa her, most lovebirds chewpaper in long even shreads,but females do it more, and get into it longer. if in a inside room make sure lights stay on for even amounts of time every day, so as not to confuse them,
2006-09-14 11:12:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Reasons they are not breeding
Obviously are they are true pair? You say u found out they were.
( how was this done, just curious?)
Size of housing, should be larger than 80cm in length
Is there are nesting box inside? You should have one of these.
Provide cuttlefish all year round (to provide calcium, for strong egg shells, and healthy young chicks)
Are they getting the right nutrition?
(fresh vegetables, and fruits, breads)
Fresh corn, snow peas, spinach mung beans, apples, pears, endive, chicory, parsley, celery, carrot tops, multigrain breads etc.
No avocado , No lettuce.
Worming every 6 months
Good luck
IM me if u need any more info.
susanmclaren1@yahoo.com.au
2006-09-15 02:56:50 · answer #6 · answered by jordancassandra 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, yes they probably should have laid by now, but they are young. Also, try removing the shredded paper, ink can bleed into the eggshell as it is porous, leading to high mortality to embryo's.
Use PLAIN WHITE pine shavings. NOT the Hamster kind. The Ceder as well can poison the chicks.
2006-09-14 03:31:35 · answer #7 · answered by cantrellpets 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how many birds have you got in that cage? usually when the cage is overcrowded the females dont lay eggs. seperate a pair and keep them in a bigger cage with nesting boxes and the female will lay eggs. make sure to mix a bit of honey into the birdseed before feeding them
2006-09-14 01:42:44 · answer #8 · answered by walking stick 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
well you have to make sure that one is a daddy lovebird and one is a mommy lovebird.
Then put on some Sinatra music and leave the room.
2006-09-14 01:53:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
May be your Lovebirds don't Love each other try introducing an other pair.
2006-09-14 01:39:49 · answer #10 · answered by BABU K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they could both be either male or female. Their is a difference in the color of their beaks. Read some books and you'll come to know it.
2006-09-14 06:43:06 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋