I'm not sure what to do...

[veimar]

I just want to hear about female lovebird owners. How do you keep your bird happy without a mate?
I have an adorable and affectionate rare color lovie, and as she is maturing (she is around 10-12 mo old) I noticed she is getting more and more frustrated. One of my budgies was trying to mate with her for some time, but then chose my gcc as his "master". She is trying to make a nest and offers the budgies to mate with her. I'm just so sorry for her and I really want her to be happy bird. She loves me and my hubby, but thankfully doesn't perceive any of us as her "mate".
So I'm kinda thinking of getting a same color mate for her which could be difficult. I'm not afraid of committing to raise the chicks, but I don't want to loose her sweet qualities as a pet... She never bites and is very smart. Selling the birds wouldn't be a problem here - they are quite in demand.
I also wonder how difficult is to raise lovebirds and do they HAVE to be hand fed (I'm generally against hand feeding and find it cruel). I have a rescued parent raised cockatiel who wasn't handled until 2 years of age, and he is probably sweeter than some other hand raised birds (he is sitting on my chest and giving me kisses as I type this). I'm pretty sure the lovie I have was not hand fed as well. I'm thinking about co-parenting and handling the babies on daily basis so they become tame.
Please share your ideas and experience. Thank you!!!

 

[cassiepengo]

Im no breeding expert but I do have a lovie who wants to mate. I think if you dont want babies, you can try to discourage her breeding behaiviour.but if your okay with baby birds, then you should her a mate. About the hand feeding thing, I tottallllly agree with you. Mommy knows best

 

[OOwl]

It's possible to have a female lovebird and not have her have a mate or raise chicks. I have a 14-year-old pet hen who has never had a mate. She's happy and healthy, totally feathered and looks like a young bird. She has a large cage, I rotate toys, feed her a well-rounded diet, including keeping a calcium source for her to utilize during any egg production (mostly occurred in the spring when she was younger). She's only laid a few eggs in her lifetime. I guess she was never quite dedicated to motherhood. All her life, she's been given regular out-of-cage time and has not been clipped in the past ten years or so. She loves everyone, including guests. She has never once bitten me or anyone AWAY from her cage. Most female lovies (and some males) are ridiculously territorial around their cage. My female has an invisible boundary around her cage that she defends. Outside that boundary, she's a totally different bird. So, I open the cage and wait for her to come to ME, which she always does. I've had her since she was just weaned (and she was hand fed by an excellent, caring breeder), and I think she's had a great life, even if that didn't include having a mate or chicks. I think the important factors in keeping her content with her life have been rotating her cage toys/swings/perches/ladders/boings, giving her toys she can "beat up" and expend her energy on (which she does on a daily basis), giving her healthy chew items, and giving her regular out-of-cage flight time. She's a favorite here with guests, who always want to hang out with her because she's so sweet and stable, never so much as offering a nip. Good luck with your choice. I wanted to mention if you decide to get a mate for your bird, you should be sure and have the bird you choose disease tested. Lovebirds can carry PBFD without looking sick, and a LOT of them do. You wouldn't want to bring that home to your flock.

 

[veimar]

Thank you for your responses! The thing is that I'm not sure that I DON'T want to get some babies from her. She has beautiful rare coloring (whiteface Australian cinnamon blue/violet) and has a very good personality. I kinda feel bad not allowing these wonderful traits to continue. I know some webpages with responsible parrot owners where I could possibly sell the babies.
But I understand all the dangers of breeding, and know (only in theory!) how difficult it is. I just want her to be happy.

 

[veimar]

OOwl, I just wanted to add, that Coco is not territorial at all - she runs to my hand and steps up in the cage, and I can even pet her there. She never bites... Reading a lot about lovebirds I realize how different she is.
The only thing that bothers me is her unnatural desire for kitchen cabinets - it was funny at first, but now I just feel sorry for her. As soon as I open any of the cabinets she flies right in, and oh, there she is territorial, sitting on the top of our vine glasses or pile of plates! I have to get her out with some large utensil because she attacks anything. She learned how to open the cabinets, and I have to supervise when she is out of cage. I know it's a nesting behavior, and it seems very strong. I wait a few more months, and if it wouldn't get any better, I probably start looking for a male...

 

[mh434]

Bear in mind that Lovies, if paired, tend to bond much more strongly with their new mate (regardless of sex) than they did with their humans. All our Lovies were hand-fed, hand-raised, and delightful with people...until they got cage mates. Then, they became only somewhat interested in their humans, and devoted to their cage mates. Lovies, in my experience, also tend to become fiercely cage-protective when paired.

Bear in mind, too, that not all Lovies get along (just as not all dogs get along). Caution & vigilant monitoring are called for, at least until their mutual bond is cemented.

I'd suggest putting the new arrival in another cage, beside Coco's cage, to let them "get acquainted", for a few days at least, before attempting to put them together. I've seen Lovies appear to get along at first, only to attempt (seriously) to kill each other after a day or two. Injuries & large vet bills follow (if you're lucky).

 

[TweeterKat]

Your lovie is gorgeous! Good luck!

 

[veimar]

Bear in mind that Lovies, if paired, tend to bond much more strongly with their new mate (regardless of sex) than they did with their humans. All our Lovies were hand-fed, hand-raised, and delightful with people...until they got cage mates. Then, they became only somewhat interested in their humans, and devoted to their cage mates. Lovies, in my experience, also tend to become fiercely cage-protective when paired.

Bear in mind, too, that not all Lovies get along (just as not all dogs get along). Caution & vigilant monitoring are called for, at least until their mutual bond is cemented.

I'd suggest putting the new arrival in another cage, beside Coco's cage, to let them "get acquainted", for a few days at least, before attempting to put them together. I've seen Lovies appear to get along at first, only to attempt (seriously) to kill each other after a day or two. Injuries & large vet bills follow (if you're lucky).

I'm aware of these things, thank you for reminding. It's a big risk... Especially if that color comes up only once in a while, and there is not too much of a choice. Considering the bonding I only want Coco to be happy - and if she'll have a good relationship with her mate I'd be very glad. Right now she is sort of bonded to us and to her fellow birds, but not to someone in particular. I don't think she considers anyone of us her mate. For now I just wait and see if her hormonal behavior would pass.