New Jersey Finch Quest - Breeding Lovebirds

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Breeding lovebirds can be a rewarding, educational and overall challenging experience -- but it's EASY to get started. Provided you have a true and mature pair (at least 10 months or older), they will go down to the business of breeding pretty quickly.

The other side of the coin is that bird breeding can also become addictive, expensive, tiring, and heartbreaking. I loved taking care of my breeder lovebirds and especially hand feeding and socializing the babies. Lovebird chicks are so adorable; they love snuggling into your lap or your hand. They are trusting and ever so affectionate. I fell in love with every one of my babies.

The toughest part for me was to find good homes for them. You get rather attached to them, but you cannot keep them all. So the next step is to find good homes for them. I was very dismayed about not finding many homes I felt comfortable with. Many times I wondered if my baby was going to be okay, as I had to "compromise" when it came to what I understood to be a good home. In the end I stopped my birds from breeding by replacing their fertilized eggs with dummy eggs. This was the end of my breeding activity.

Last, but not least, forget about making money. Lovebirds are so plentiful that people pay very little for one -- notwithstanding the many hours a day you spend hand feeding, cleaning up after the breeder birds and chicks, and socializing the baby. In addition to which, good quality food and supplies are expensive. This is a labor of love, not one of making money. Then, of course, come the vet bills ... I don't know of any breeder who makes money with birds. You do it because you love it and you understand the work and cost associated with your hobby.

Sexing Your Lovebirds
Lovebirds are not sexually dimorphic, which means that you cannot visually tell if a lovebird is a male or a female. However, there are some subtle differences between males and females, but they are only SLIGHT differences and do not constitute a definite method of sexing lovebirds.

• Hens often have wider pelvics (as they have to pass eggs) and are usually a little broader than males and often perch with their legs a little further apart than cocks. Experienced breeders can quite often sex lovebirds by feeling their pelvic bones (under the tail). The male pelvic bones are closer together, feel pointier, less "flexible" than female pelvic bones. With some birds you can feel a distinct difference, others are "iffy" to say the best. Quite similarly to us humans, where some females are more "rounded" than others. It is not a definite method, but breeders are using it regularly -- understanding full well that it is not a sure method of sexing.

• Don't Trust Natural Pairings: Lovebirds don't always pair up male and female, but sometimes pair up with a same-sex lovebird. Breeders will find out about such pairing when both birds start laying eggs (10 or more eggs in a nesting box, or no eggs are laid at all. Of course, eggs laid by two paired females will be infertile.

• DNA Sexing: If you want to make sure that the lovebirds are the correct sex, you could use a DNA service to test it. There are feather and blood DNA sexing services available. You send in samples and get the results in days -- at a much lower cost than having your local vet do it.

• Nesting Behavior: One of the characteristics of an adult female lovebird is that they will tuck nesting material under their wings and carry it into their nest box. Males, or young females, will also try to do it, but usually the nesting material falls out very quickly. I have heard of the odd male who has mastered the art of "tucking and carrying" -- but I have never witnessed one myself. I have only seen adult females who were able to do that. It is a pretty good way of sexing a lovebird -- with accuracy maybe up to 80%.

Housing your Breeder Lovebirds
My recommendation is to start small when it comes to your breeding stock. Start with one pair and expand if you like at a later stage. Get a good-size breeding cage - a cage that is large enough for you to put the nesting box in. There is enough room for a cockatiel nesting box. There are smaller-version cages available, but I would use them for the babies or smaller birds (finches) - that don't need a big nesting box. The smaller breeder cages are all stackable, which makes them very convenient. The cage / aviary should be large enough for natural branches, toys -- I love creative, fun homes for my birds. They spend their lives (or most of their days in their cages) -- make it a fun environment. SPACE IS IMPORTANT. The lovebirds at the very least should be able to "beat their wings" without hitting something every time. They need to be able to climb and play for exercise. I have heard the theory that supplying toys and the like will distract birds from mating or parenting. This is not so. The happier a bird, the better a parent it will be. Besides, we are not talking about automatic "breeding machines" -- birds are living beings. They deserve better than being exploited without consideration of their happiness and welfare.

Nesting
I have always used a cockatiel nesting box; although at times they have settled down in a parakeet nesting box. But I always preferred them to use the cockatiel box. I provided my lovebirds palmfonds, tree twigs/branches, dried grass, leaves, spray millet, eucalyptus, shredded / unscented / white paper towels, and even newspaper to tear up and carry into their nesting box. Do make sure not to give any poisonous or chemically treated (insecticides / fertilizer) plant material to your birds.

Lovebird Mating & Parenting
Courtship begins when the male feeds the female; then mating will happen which may be lengthy and repeated several times a day for several days. The male climbs onto the females back, often holding on to her flight feathers for a good grip. Eggs can be laid as early as 3 to 10 days after mating, then one or more every other day. Typically the clutch contains 4 to 6 eggs. The incubation time is approximately 23 days and it can take up to 24 hours for a chick to work itself out of the egg. It's best not to interfere with the process. The egg sac contains needed nutrients for the chick to absorb. I was over-eager in the beginning and pulled the chick from the egg -- causing it to die. A common mistake that inexperienced breeders make. Nowadays I would only observe and assist only if I notice that the baby is in trouble. When a hen is brooding, she may not come out of the nest box very often. The male will go into the nest box and feed her. Once the babies have hatched, the female and female will feed them. I liked to provide mashed hard-boiled eggs to my parent birds to help them feed the chicks. They really LOVED it -- and it had the protein and calcium they needed for the chicks. I grind up egg shell (from boiled eggs) and provide it to my birds (breeders or not) -- as this is an excellent source of calcium for them. I also provide various soft foods to them. You will be amazed at how quickly the food disappears once there are babies to be fed. Always make sure to provide a constant supply of food, so that the parents can get on with their challenging job of feeding their babies.

• Chicks with yellow-white down are blue series babies, such as dutch blues, cream faces, etc.). If the chick has an orange down, this means it's a green series baby (normal green, lutinos, red-face, etc.).

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