Experience raising 2 lovebird babys as a beginner with ParrotForums

[ini3vm]

We're going to their cage today. they know how to step up even without having treats(by treats I mean their formula). I kept them a bit far away from me and tried calling their names they try to fly and come to me lol. they aren't scared of hands. but sometimes they don't like to step up they'd rather explore the house than step up lol. I'm happy. I'm guessing this is they way to tame them? Now they're sleeping and cuddling with each other. and I heard kiwi chatter like the lovebird chatter not the baby sounds but the adult chatter thingy the sound was like this (edit: not my video)

from this video lol but little different.

 

[ini3vm]

we got a ladder ,a swing and a cage with wooden perches. There were only few toys there :/ so we took them..

 

[ini3vm]

Hello Everybody. I recently have been trying to wean kiwi and kiko. weaning them seems hard. I already saw few articles about weaning. We have Bird seeds at home. I tried giving them a 'solid-ish' mixture of the formula but they wouldn't eat it. I also tried mixing seeds to the 'solid-ish' formula and they wouldn't eat it . they only eat things that are coming out of the syringe.. they are around 8 weeks old..I've heard weaning should be started at 5 weeks. i really dont know..any tips will be appreciated ty

 

[ini3vm]

oh also I tried banana. they really liked it. Banana+Formula in syringe. mushed bananas by the way..

 

[ini3vm]

oop forgot to mention this but they can somewhat fly now! they can descend. but they can't ascend yet only like 20 centimeters above the floor lol

 

[wrench13]

THey will take formula until they don't. Dont try to force them, let them decide on their own. Keep offering solid food though ( and should be more veggies and fruits rather than seeds!). THis is called abundance weaning and is the best way to wean them.

 

[ini3vm]

ok ty. I've been doing this wrong. it seems like they can eat on their own but they don't know what to eat. like seeds are right next to them. but they dont recognize seed as their food. I'm confident that they know how to eat on their own. yesterday we kept a spoon with formula on it. they both themselves ate the formula lol. will do tysm

 

[BirdyBee]

ok ty. I've been doing this wrong. it seems like they can eat on their own but they don't know what to eat. like seeds are right next to them. but they dont recognize seed as their food. I'm confident that they know how to eat on their own. yesterday we kept a spoon with formula on it. they both themselves ate the formula lol. will do tysm

You can also pretend to eat it, maybe then they'll recognize it as food, or you can mix some formula with the solid foods.

 

[ini3vm]

I pretended to eat the seeds and they started to eat the seeds but they dont seem like eating the seeds instead they are breaking the seeds and putting it down..

 

[ini3vm]

also as of training and taming them. I do few long recalls before feeding. they try to fly to my hand but then they fall. then we do few stepups before feeding then start feeding. they also play on the ladders

 

[ini3vm]

I pretended to eat the seeds and they started to eat the seeds but they dont seem like eating the seeds instead they are breaking the seeds and putting it down..

is that a good thing? my dad said to make the seeds into a powder and replace it as the formula. but kiwi and kiko hated it
they didn't taste a bit. they immediately spitted it out. so then I added one spoon of the powder and 3 spoons of their formula and mixed it with water. they liked it. so the way I'm going right now is good? or bad. they know how to eat by their selves but they don't know what to eat. also is kiwi trying to trim her beak? do birds trim their beak? she is rubbing her beak. also I'm not compelling them to eat stuff. they eat what they want. Also tried bananas..

 

[BirdyBee]

is that a good thing? my dad said to make the seeds into a powder and replace it as the formula. but kiwi and kiko hated it
they didn't taste a bit. they immediately spitted it out. so then I added one spoon of the powder and 3 spoons of their formula and mixed it with water. they liked it. so the way I'm going right now is good? or bad. they know how to eat by their selves but they don't know what to eat. also is kiwi trying to trim her beak? do birds trim their beak? she is rubbing her beak. also I'm not compelling them to eat stuff. they eat what they want. Also tried bananas..

If they rub their beak, it means they are getting sleepy and./or that they are happy and content!

As for making the seed into a powder, try making it in a way that there is whole bits so that they get used to the hard pieces

 

[ini3vm]

okay thanks! Kiwi and kiko just ate seeds!!! The next thing I'm going to give them are veggies and fruits hopefully everything goes the same way! yayaya im so happy. they started flying as well not too much of ascending but they can do descends very well!

 

[ini3vm]

Thank you so much for all the help. all of you Thank you for caring. I hope you all have a good day!

 

[ini3vm]

OH MY GOD! they just flew. the first time kiko got stuck on a picture frame lol(by stuck i mean she was standing on top of it). she was scared to come down. but she it self came down her self. must have been scared. rightnow they are cuddlignw ith us

 

[ini3vm]

they did a lot of flying. they seem tired now. i'll let them take rest

 

[ini3vm]

also they ate about 5 ml of formula each and now they want seed. they weaned them selves LOL

 

[BirdyBee]

That's good!! I'm happy that they are eating by themselves now.

edit: and flying! Pipp(my cockatiel) flew for the first time at only 4 weeks old!

 

[ini3vm]

woah :O Flying at 4 weeks impressive . also can I give them water to drink?

 

[BirdyBee]

woah :O Flying at 4 weeks impressive . also can I give them water to drink?

Of course you can
It's very important for them to drink water at this stage as they aren't getting a lot of water from formula anymore