Lovebird Fighting PLEASE HELP

[LovebirdLover]

I have 2 lovebirds. For a month i had these birds and i kept them in seperate cages. i noticed that my lovebird shredded paper today and it was a mess. i thought it was a sign that it was ready to mate. i let one of them out and they started dancing. one would chirp then the other. then they would move their heads up and down. i thought this was a good sign. I moved his cage right next to her and i put my female lovebird in the male cage. They were fighting what do i do.
I thought my lovebird was a male until she shredded paper. Also the one i think is a male is slightly bigger... Please help. I want them to breed a lot. And also wondering if tail bobbing can spread

 

[MarciaLove]

males will shred paper also and they might fight a little at first but as long as they arent harming eachother it should be fine if they are hurting eachother separate them right away! also how old are your birds?? you shouldnt breed them untill they are at leadt a year old and breeding is something that can be very tricky you need to do lots of research on it! and make sure they are on the right diet for breeding: fresh fruits/veggies, extra calcium, seed and pellet mix meant for breeding birds its hard work you must make sure you are prepared for it especially if they reject the chicks you will have to handfeed which is HARD and DANGEROUS! so many things can go wrong handfeeding leading to the death of the chicks but i do know you said you ahve handfed before so I hope you can deal with that should you have to. do A LOT of research before you try and get them to breed.

 

[LovebirdLover]

I plan on handfeeding. Like my smaller one i think female cuz rip paper went under the other bird and bit its butt?? and likethey fought and bit each orher toes... i did plenty of research and i know how much and when to handfeed the bird. I really wana do this but no luck with any pairs ):

 

[MarciaLove]

yea pairs are hard to get if they arent DNA sexed or bonded but biting toes is normal mine did it a lot when they first were put together it takes time lots of it.

 

[LovebirdLover]

How long will it take because mone has been in seperate cage for a month around . They didnt see each other but they hear the chirps. Also do you think i have a male and female?? i really hope i can do this breeding and hanfedd them.

 

[LovebirdLover]

My yellow prachface one mango is also running back and forth at the bottom of cage is this normal?

 

[BillsBirds]

With the questions you are asking, you sound like you do not know very much about them. I don't think you know enough about these birds to consider breeding. You should keep them apart until you know the answers to your questions. Breeding is not to be taken lightly. There are many things that can go wrong. And you seem to not have the knowledge to do it. This world is full of unwanted birds, bred by people who should not have been breeding. Please do your research before putting these birds, and their chicks, in jeopardy.

 

[LovebirdLover]

im just wondering if my bird is stressed because i moved the cage closer . Im just curiousnabout gender once they have their clutch i wouldnt have any questions . im taking babies out at 2 weeks and feeding it. Ive dont plenty of research

 

[MikeyTN]

In your post awhile back you said you were going to DNA them! Like BillsBirds says, you really don't know enough to start the breeding process!!!!! I think in your best interest is to keep them separated until you understand birds! You need to be observing and learning, not just ask questions and expect answers. Some answers are given to you partial, but YOU need to be the one that understand your birds! Otherwise we're only going in circles about the same issues you've had over and over. I used to breed Lovebirds many years ago and I learned to sex them and pair them up together. But at that time I understand birds, not just from reading about them, I did my own observation. Start learning more about them before you proceed please!

 

[MonicaMc]

"Tail bobbing" is a sign that the bird may be having difficulty breathing. The bird may have just exercised or the bird could genuinely be sick. If the bird is in fact sick, then depending on what the bird is sick with, then yes it's possible for the sick bird to make the other birds sick, too.

Generally speaking, females are larger than males and have a wider stance. It is in no way an accurate way of sexing them.



You say you are prepared to hand raise the chicks. If you do have a male and female, and they have chicks, do you have handfeeding formula on hand?

Where will you keep the chicks?

How will you keep them warm?

How often will you feed them?

How much will you feed them?

What will you feed them with?

How will you wean them?

And onto what will you wean them to?

 

[cdnbirdlover]

I love my Basil. I love playing with him and teaching him tricks. I love looking at pictures of baby lovies. But there is no way in the world that I, as a responsible adult with a family and a job and a house and an interest in all things scientific would ever want to be rearing birdie babies. This is not a job to be taken lightly. There are many experienced breeders on this forum who devote much time and energy to their breeding pairs. Heed their advice.

 

[MarciaLove]

I agree with BillsBirds you should know the answers to your questions before you breed. Also lovebirds are not sexually dimorphic meaning there is no 100% way to tell teh sex with ought getting them DNA sexed. Also they should have been able to see eachotehr hearing the chirps isnt enough this is my video (one of my first videos) on how to introduce lovebirds watch it and then watch part two so you can know what to do when getting them to live in the same cage [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh2FMhQn9ZQ]Introducing Lovebirds - YouTube[/ame]
Also you need to know all the answers to the questions MonicaMc asked if you dont know the answers dont breed yet even if you do I think you need more experience. Also yes tail bobbing can be because of exhaustion or sickness I remember you thought one of your birds was sick before right?? if you didnt take both your birds to the vet then please do it now! You may just not have a good breeding pair some birds arent fit mentally for breeding and if they are sick they shouldnt be breeding either.

 

[LovebirdLover]

I have everything setup already
I have the handfeeding formula and a homemade brooder
I will use a heating pad to keep them warm
4x a day at 2 weeks
feed them with that thing food thing i have it but idk what its caled
start putting food in at 5weeks soft food.
im going to take my bird to the vet this sat i have an appointment already and im dna testing
I have said it i would do it a while back but now i really am doing it lol

 

[MarciaLove]

ok good and I use Kaytee Exact handfeeding formula and use a syringe to feed make sure you test the temperature though because too hot and you will have burnt crop too cold and you could have slow crop and at two weeks I would feed 6 times a day. I also wouldnt pull the babies till they are 3 weeks old unless you have to but thats just me I know many people who pull sooner.

 

[LovebirdLover]

6 times a day?? i thought it was 4 times ??

 

[MarciaLove]

thats for 3 week olds it changes as they get older

 

[MikeyTN]

At 3weeks of age 4 times is enough at 7am, 12pm, 7pm, 12am

 

[MarciaLove]

this is the general rule i go on with my handfedings and I feed them at times it is best as I go to work most days

2 weeks old 6 feedings every 4 hours
3 weeks old: 4 feedings every 6 hours Just fill those crops until they look and feel like a full balloon.
4 weeks old: 3-4 feedings every 6-8 hours around this time the babies will start to chew on their bedding. This is the time to introduce “big bird” food Never drop their feedings to three until you know that they are eating the normal food on a regular basis.
5 weeks old: 2-3 feedings every 12-8 hours if some of the babies are screaming feed more often
At 5.5 weeks of age the babies will start to fly. Some babies at this time will take up to 8 cc or more of formula per feeding.
6 weeks old: 1-2 feeding per day (babies can feed from 7-10 ccs at this point.)
7 weeks old: A baby should wean at anytime now. If they do not cry for their evening feeding, then do not give it to them. At 7 weeks, we introduce cooked foods, fruits, sprouts, and veggies. The babies will see the adults eating the food and will follow their lead.
8 weeks old: Weaned. If you decide to clip, never clip a bird before they wean or before they take their first flight or they might not ever see a reason to get off the baby food and may not ever learn to fly. This is nature’s way: stop begging, get off Momma’s fat baby food, and fly! Even though socialization starts as early as two weeks, true socialization actually starts the week babies wean.
P.S. Some babies take longer to wean.
Always feed the baby from your right, to the left. Point the syringe into the beak on the right (your right) side of the beak, and slightly slant it towards the back of the throat. But just slightly. Let the baby pull away to breathe if it needs to. Support the baby’s head with your thumb and ring finger, while your middle finger supports the back of the head as you feed.

 

[crimson]

you need to address some issues even before attempting to start breeding
you've got two birds that you are assuming are male and female

without confirming both sexes will be a waste of your time
you also need to learn how to properly introduce two lovebirds. these birds are small, but packed with attitude. they are never afraid to take on one of their own, and rarely back down, until one gives up. Often the female is more aggressive.
do you even know how to treat a bird that has been wounded and bleeding?????
If you want to breed, you need to learn and observe even before they start making babies.
the other members make some very good points.
Breeding is not to be taken lightly and you better know what your doing.

I breed lovebirds and cockatiels. One of my female lovebirds went bolistic on my male while nesting and almost killed him. I came home to a bird near death, plenty of blood and 2 dead babies.
I nursed him back to health,this happened on a holiday when no vets were open. once I cleaned him up, he was more in shock from the attack than anything. it took a few days for him to even perch again. he had a small puncture wound to the neck,stomach, and two of his toes had been severley bitten. he had a cut on his head, and was a total mess.

I pulled the remaining babies at once,starting handfeeding them, was taking care of him at the same time, plus my other birds.
I sold her, and found him a good home after he had recovered.
that was my introduction to handfeeding.
You don't know EVER what is going to happen, so you NEED to be informed and prepared!!!

 

[LovebirdLover]

i thought at 2 weeks old 4 feedings. 6am, 10am, 2pm, 9 pm?
4 weeks old 6am 12 pm 9pm
6 weeks 6am 6 pm
7 weeks 5 pm