potentially pregnant lovebird

[melz]

hey there. so i have a pair of lovebirds which got on fine until they started breeding. im not 100% sure on their gender but surely they are female and male as their breeding behaviour (intercourse) showed so. also the suspected female looks bigger, her droppings are bigger and filled with water and around her entrance it seems bigger as if shes preparing to lay an egg. im new to this whole lovebirds being pregnant situation so i want to ensure everything is okay and this is normal. so my question is, does it seem normal for the 2 to become aggro towards eachother? my 'male' lovebird seems to be attacking the female everytime she tries to enter the nestbox. they fight as soon as she goes in until one of them comes out. they're also aggro towards me and normally they never are. i purchased them 2 months apart from the same breeder and purchased them tamed so usually they would roam the house and such but they're obsessed with the nesting box. is there anything i should be concerned about? anything to do or contact the vet just incase? thanks

 

[noodles123]

Why did you give them a nestbox? If you are wanting them to breed, a nest-box is what you would provide. The reason that I am always telling people to avoid boxes, huts, shadowy spaces= it gets them in a nesting mood and changes hormones. If they lay eggs and you want to keep the babies, just know that it can be very complicated and expensive. If not, you can stealthily remove the eggs and boil them (allow to cool, put a dot on the boiled eggs so you know what is what if another shows up). You do not want to remove the eggs without returning them because the female needs to have access to them until she loses interest completely. You can also buy some pretty legitimate looking dummy eggs if you don't like the idea of real eggs sitting in there: http://dummyeggs.com/



Breeding can be complicated. Do you want these eggs to hatch? Remember, siblings will mate eventually so you will need to house these guys separately if you hatch them and they survive. Parents also can be awful to the babies sometimes.



Make sure the female has a calcium source and look out for straining when pooping, major changes to droppings, lack of appetite, lethargy etc. If you see a bulge, the egg should pass within 24-48 hours. If it doesn't or you start seeing any odd behavior, I'd be concerned about egg-binding.


I know love birds can be aggressive, but not sure if it poses a threat or not without seeing it. I also haven't ever owned a lovebird

 

[itzjbean]

You should have done more research before attempting breeding! It's very alarming that you are referring to them as being 'pregnant'. Birds can't be pregnant, they can lay eggs, and that's it.

The breeding is not called intercourse, but mating. Lovebirds are prolific breeders, and tend to have a lot of babies in a short amount of time.

Have your birds been checked by a vet to ensure they are at the very least, healthy?

How old are they? Small birds under 1 shouldn't breed as they are not mature enough to support reproduction yet.

Why did you get them a nestbox without making sure they are both female and male, and have done proper thorough research? Your statements show me that you know very little, if any, especially with the 'pregnant' thing. Can I ask how old you are? Are you sure you want to be taking on breeding birds?

Aggression can happen and it can often lead to dead birds. This is why you screen lovebird couples before placing a nest box in the cage with them, to see how they live together first before introducing any hormonal triggers for reproduction. If they are aggressive towards each other like with the male not letting her into the nestbox, I'm sorry to say but it may not work out very well for this couple, and you could run into terrible heartbreak by witnessing attacking until eventual death by one bird or to the babies.

I'm a cockatile breeder and I don't ever put a nestbox in unless I have all my supplies ready and full intentions to remove babies from the nest after 2 weeks to handfeed with intentions of raising healthy, happy, tame babies. So let me ask you this...what are you intentions with this clutch? Will they be your pets? Will be be selling them? Will you be committed to separating femaels and males to ensure siblings can't mate with each other (it happens all the time!) What will you do if the parents abandon or neglect the babies? Are you ready to step in to handle ALL care around the clock? Hope you don't work or go to school out of the house because they'll need your 24/7 attention.


Honestly I would take the nestbox out so the pair can get to know each other better.

Always remember....

BIRDS DON'T HAVE TO REPRODUCE TO LIVE A HAPPY, FULFILLED LIFE!!!

 

[Laurasea]

Itzy,
You have great information to share. But you are coming off as attacking and belittling the poster in my my opinion.

This same information could have been shared without that.

Melz,
Welcome to the forum.

I'm worried about egg binding. Because of seeing the vebt enlarged and the change in poops.
Hopefully she will lay that egg. If she becomes sleep or weak, or stops eating, or becoming fluffed. Get her to the vet right away, as egg binding is an emergency and life and death.

You might also call your breeder and ask for guidance. Best wishes

 

[itzjbean]

Agree to disagree!

I have seen and replied to hundreds of posts over the years of novice breeders who run into it thinking its a piece of cake, and when hey ask basic, simple questions they SHOULD HAVE KNOWN before this venture, it is extremely concerning for ME, a breeder, to see. Not going to beat around the bush to not hurt feelings - these birds already seem to be in trouble.

It is my belief that these birds and the person who owns them by what they said in their post, are not fit to breed at this current time as they do not know enough about it to do it successfully nor do the birds seem to be ready to breed without hurting each other.

 

[Laurasea]

What i see is a new member, who doesn't have all the experience or knowledge yet. Who joined us seeking knowledge, and trying to learn. WHO is concerned and wants to help her birds.

 

[Scott]

Welcome to you and your pair of lovebirds! I admire your intent to purchase two birds for companionship, however introducing a nestbox triggers all manner of hormonal and breeding instincts. Smaller species inherently reproduce at a high rate to perpetuate their flocks.

I'd respectfully recommend removing the nestbox and seeking veterinary assistance (if possible) to determine if female is about to lay an egg. As others have stated, breeding pairs can be aggressive and females die from "egg binding." If you wish to pursue breeding, please read this excellent thread: http://www.parrotforums.com/breeding-raising-parrots/54987-before-i-start-breed.html

 

[wrench13]

I once had a girlfriend who said she was potentially pregnant !!!