Help wanted!!

[vrnkstxx]

Hi guys!
4 days ago i bought a turquoise lovebird from a breeder. First of all can you help me determine her age since the breeder was unsure.
Now to proceed with my concerns. To start it off she was very happy and exploring her cage when we got her. The next day she was flying out of the cage for 6h and everything seemed well. However the last three days she is more quiet, doesn’t go out of the cage as much and is generally napping a lot. This could be due to the gloomy weather but i’m not sure. Also she had some missing feathers around her neck that she is starting to grow. She eats and drinks water rather normally, her poop is a nice green color and her breathing seems normal. Is there a chance she is sick or is she still adjusting?
https://postimg.cc/TywYpB46
https://postimg.cc/MXz3VxYV

 

[Anansi]

I'm not sure about her age, but hopefully one of our members more familiar with lovebirds specifically will be along to help in that regard.

As for your concerns, generally speaking it's not uncommon for a bird's behavior to change significantly once she has begun to settle into her new environs. However, lethargy and possible feather plucking are potentially reasons for concern. In my opinion, you're better off safe than sorry and should take her in to see a vet. A Certified Avian Vet if at all possible.

You mentioned that she was flying about in your home for 6 hours before this change. Is it possible she had a moment to ingest something she shouldn't have? Something to consider. I'm hoping all turns out to be okay with her. Please keep us updated.

She's beautiful, btw.

 

[bug_n_flock]

Omg she is adorable!!!!! I think she is pretty young still due to the dark coloring on her beak.

Is she fully weaned? I agree that a vet would be a good idea, but hopefully she is just still settling in and the gloomy weather playing a part too.



Gosh she is so cute!! I love lovebird faces, just so sweet. Enjoy her!!

 

[Littleredbeak]

She is adorable!what your describing doesn’t sound normal . Is she still eating and drinking? Does she like apples? I would Ccall the breeder and tell them her behavior and see what advice they offer. If you don’t already have a vet see who they recommend.

The light tree she is perched on what is it called and where did you get it!?

 

[vrnkstxx]

She is adorable!what your describing doesn’t sound normal . Is she still eating and drinking? Does she like apples? I would Ccall the breeder and tell them her behavior and see what advice they offer. If you don’t already have a vet see who they recommend.

The light tree she is perched on what is it called and where did you get it!?

Yes, she is eating and drinking a lot! We learned that she is a little baby so we are slowly introducing fruits and vegetables to her. I did indeed contact the breeder and he said that since she is so small flying around for 2-4h is pretty normal for her since she doesn’t have a lot of condition yet. The breeder said its rather normal, since she needs time to warm up to us. She isn’t hand fed either, so she isn’t so tame. She is comfortable around me mostly, scared of my family.

 

[abababa]

It sounds a bit like the breeder is questionable - they don't know the age but know the gender? Gender is a lot harder to reliably identify than a birth date... irresponsible breeders have been known to just say a bird is whatever gender the purchaser wants, because by the time they complain they're long gone.

Fortunately, it's not the case you asked for a male (which are less risk/work, due to egg-laying issues in females); and you can roughly age him/her from the dark area on the beak, which means it's still forming. If I had to ballpark I'd say about 4-8 months.

Considering that's a relatively old age to be separated from 'the flock', it's not unusual if (s)he's a bit depressed/stressed as a result. It is a bit unusual for a bird to be sedentary during the day, as they're usually either up or asleep, without much middle ground (actually, their middle ground is bird-sleep, which is half their brain sleeping, and generally looks more like 'awake' to a human).

It doesn't necessarily sound like illness (though it's something to be mindful of if you've just got her, because being with other birds is the main way of catching something), but you do want to keep a close eye out for feather-plucking. You're doing the right thing in interacting a lot, without pressuring for it, since this will help distract the bird from self-harm (which is often worst if the bird is lonely) without causing additional stress.

If you are a new owner you do, if you haven't already, need to very carefully read the long, long list of things toxic to birds. Then, check everything in the environment bearing this in mind. For example, most people know teflon is lethal, but many don't realise some hairdryers contain teflon, and blow it at them playfully giving a lethal dose. The majority of deaths for new owners aren't infection (birds are quite robust, and since they're naturally limited to a small environment, it's low-risk), but poisoning.

 

[CharlieChick]

As far as I think, your lovebird is not even a complete 1 year old since he/she has a black mark on his/her beak.

As for your question, I'd say it's normal considering you recently bought her home, but is your bird continues to behave like that for 5 days or more, than definitely take it to an avian vet. Sleepiness and inactivity is a very common symptom of sickness, the more you wait, the worse it will get!. So take your birb to an avian vet.