Soon to be new Rainbow Lorikeet owner

[veruka1973]

Hi, very soon I will be getting a rainbow lori he is 3 years old and was handfed. The lady I am getting him from is a breeder that I have known for a long time, She had plans to use him as a breeder but suddenly lost her female.

I have owned birds pretty much my entire life and currently have a double yellow head amazon, a congo african grey and a cockatiel.

I have never owned a lorikeet and am very excited to get him home with me but wanted to ask some other lori owners what to expect, she said he already talks some and is very sociable.

I have googled some stuff but keep getting conflicting answers about life span and diet.

Some articles said they only like 15 years or less which doesn't seem right to me.

I know they eat nectar and soft foods but could someone suggest the best products I could order online to feed him as his staple diet?

Any help is much appreciated. I want to give this little guy the best diet and environment I can.

 

[bgriffin70]

One offer of advice I can give is that reading the internet will drive you nuts! I, too, have found information varying from a-z and all in between... life span 5 - 45 years, etc. etc.

So; here is what we do with our lorikeet and she's been doing fine with this routine...

Morning... small bit of orange juice in one cup, morning nectar is a mix of Gerber baby food (fruits in the morning) and Blessing's lori nectar powder and water. Heated for 10 seconds in microwave and then served with Zupreem lori pellets sprinkled on top. I am dead serious; this bird is spoiled rotten!

Noon... fresh water given, nectar powder only dry in one dish beside her water.
Sometimes... a surprise of fresh broccoli, strawberries, fruits, veggies.
Note: just be sure to know what veggies and fruits lorikeets can have; some are dangerous, so be aware.

Evening... small bit of Pomegranate/Blueberry juice in one cup, evening nectar is again a mix of Gerber baby food (evenings consist of veggies; she loves sweet carrots and sweet potatoes!) and the Blessing's lori nectar powder and water.

Night-Night... another change of fresh water.

Lots of play time (hands on) and going outside from time to time; it's cold up here now so I have to watch the temps. Also, we play 'snuggle bird' in the evenings before bedtime; she loves to dig and weave her way through tunnels in the blankets I'll set out for her on the couch.

She has plenty of toys... balls, a hamster wheel to walk on; yes, a hamster wheel!

So there you go; not sure if it's 'sound' advice, but it's what we do. She has a blast, the down side is she gets hormonal and here of late has been one of those challenging times... she's getting bite-happy again and it can put a hurt on you!

Thanks and good luck!

 

[veruka1973]

Thankyou for your reply! that's exactly the kind of infor I was looking for, I have tried to read up about it online but there are so many different stories I was about to pull my hair out lol

 

[roosta]

Exciting! You'll get a lot of joy out of your Lorie...and given you have a CAG, that generally means you as the owner are more than likely going to have the time and patience and dedication to give your birds the attention they crave. I'm on the flipside, I have 1 Lorie, potentially looking at Grey's, but they are FAR too expensive here...$5.5K!