Train your lovebird to be a good companion

A lovebird is really a cute, loving, and fun companion for just any bird lover. It lives for conversation with people and its fellow birds. The lovebirds aren't, however, without their own faults. In fact several are known to be quite opposing for their endearing name. In case you do not provide enough training of love bird, they will frequently become temperamental as well as develop behavioral issues. It is essential that you should spend ample of your time with such kind of bird. Proper training of love bird will make sure using a lovebird that likes to spend time along with you. Here are a few common problems associated with Love birds, along with some ideas for getting rid of them.

Some species of lovebirds tend to be more vocal than others, but all makes some noise. This is particularly true in the early mornings, evenings, or when the bird is actually excited. If the love bird’s needs are satisfied and you will find no signs of underlying health issues, the screeching is most likely an effort to get attracted. And while you should give your lovebird lots of attention, you can’t be anticipated to spend every day playing with it. Training your lovebird politely is an effective method to combat this issue.
When your lovebird screams, don’t give it any positive or negative signs. Try not to look at it, and go away from the room if you are able to. Return when it's become quiet, and provide attention when it does anything much more positive. Many lovebirds don't talk, so you might have to settle with whistling, wing flapping, or a technique.

Whenever a lovebird plucks its feathers, it might be having a health related issue that needs instant medical attention. It’s better to take a plucking bird to the vet, just to remain on the safe side. If you do not find any such medical problems, the plucking may be probably due to any kind of emotional problem. Lovebirds may often pluck once they are not getting the required attention. Training your bird more regularly might solve this type of issue. Love bird training begins with you making the dedication for your lovebird.
A gnaw from the lovebird is less painful than that of a large bird. Nevertheless, it is an undesirable behavior and really must be treated accordingly. If there have been no activities which cause the lovebird to fear, he may end up being using biting to obtain what he desires.

A quick nip will get your interest, right? Consider the situation under which your bird bites can help you determine about training the lovebird. Do not respond to the bite by shouting and tugging away - this can only strengthen the actual behavior. Instead, stay quiet and drive your hand towards the bird. Once the bird doesn’t get a response, he'll understand that it serves no purpose. Training a lovebird may be very rewarding when the training steps are adopted.

Opaline lovebirds: A worthy choice for your pet

Opaline is really a new mutation among the peach-face love birds. It had been discovered in 1997. There have been number of mutations within peach-face love birds formerly, but they were all created by new color combinations apart from the pied mutation, that produces an uneven colored pattern on the bird. The colors are on the opaline lovebirds in the predictable though a new pattern. Therefore, it's known as a "pattern" mutation. Opaline lovebird mutations are also present in other birds, but this specific opaline mutation is particularly interesting as it is the first found in a non-Australian bird. It's a classic incident in the history of aviculture.

The opaline lovebirds tend to be little bundles of happiness. They have the entire personality of birds and also convenient to keep as pets for their size. The lovebirds are miniature clowns, singing for hours at any time. They like to hang from toys or dance upon your shoulder. You have to watch your shirt buttons! They like to pull them away from your clothes!

Lots of people believe lovebirds should be kept as couples. This is not true. A single lovebird makes a much better pet as it bonds for you rather than to a different lovebird. While you can easily keep a set of lovebirds tame, but if you plan on spending plenty of time with your bird you may keep it on it single. Nevertheless, if you work extended hours and don't know whether you would have considerable time for your lovebird, it is suggested that you provide him/her a friend. This would keep the lovebirds cheerful and stop boredom. It is essential to understand that though lovebirds really are a small bird, they have the similar intelligence and abilities like a few of the larger birds. They will never cease amazing you using their ability to flee from their very own cages. You need to put a copper wire on the doors to have them in, though occasionally they learn how to unwind the cable and open the doorway! At times lovebirds will attempt to be the tiny bosses of the household. It is recommended that you use the same type of gentle dominance training which's used for bigger birds.

Are you buying bird that you are able to teach to speak? Lovebirds may learn how to mimic sounds and speech sometimes. However, it is generally not advised that you buy some species only due to the expectation that it'll speak. Thus, if that's your only reason behind buying a lovebird, then you should definitely reconsider as the bird could become abandoned due to your disappointment. In general estimation, opaline lovebirds help to make good pets even though they do not speak a word. The lovebirds screech all day long; never producing an audio that anyone may understand, except to be simply 'noisy chat’.  They will provide you entertainment for hours. If you choose to buy an opaline lovebird for a pet, you definitely have made an outstanding choice!

Things to consider while getting a love bird cage

Love birds may be magnificent pets and like any other pet they might need suitable housing. Bird cages are simply cages for maintaining pet birds though there are specific factors that should be taken into account before buying the cage. Size of the lovebird cage is an essential criterion. It should offer adequate space for the birds so that they can walk around or flap their wings easily.

Keep in mind that there are things like perches, toys and bowls which have to be added in the lovebird cage and all of them take up much room.

The kind of bird you've would decide how big cage necessary, large birds will evidently need a much larger cage than the usual budgie. If the love bird cage you choose on is too small it may cause significant stress upon your pet lovebird resulting in a number of very uncomfortable problems. These can sometimes make your pet bird taking out its own feathers or even becoming noisy and gloomy.

The love bird cage you buy must be of top quality, it must not have any sharp edges or parts that may come loose. It is more preferable to buy a cage that won't rust, is simple to clean and is non-toxic in nature. Quality bird cages produced from stainless steel are the ideal choice and would not really chip. As the bird cage might need cleaning regularly, make sure that it possesses a detachable grid on the bottom for accumulating bird droppings.

The form of a love bird cage might have more of the psychological influence on your pet than you understand. There’s some debate regarding this subject but a few vets think that circular cages a not really a good option. This is due to the fact that some designs may restrict the quantity of usable space the pet bird has.

Many birds desire to be at eye degree with people thus giving them much more opportunities for interaction. A bird cage stand may provide them this benefit. A proper cage stand prevents your lovebird from feeling lonely as well as offers it with better ventilation. Moreover, if your lovebirds love getting together with people, they can certainly do so in a more comfortable way. Keeping the cage on the ground may expose your own birds to many dangers. By getting a stand, you can designate a specific place within your home that will permanently accommodate the bird cage.

You need to possess a lovebird cage which has got sufficient space for a variety of other items to maintain your pet lovebird joyful and amused. It is essential to possess a variety of playthings including a swing for the bird, and it's also important to have a few perches, food as well as water bowls. It is a good idea to visit the veterinarian because they will be able to recommend you on any requirements which are desirable for the specific bird you'll need a love bird cage for. There are veterinarians who focus on bird care and also they are loaded with information.

All you need to know about lovebirds

Whenever you are raising lovebirds as your pets, it is quite natural you already know a few of the lovebird information regarding these adorable creatures prior to getting them. But the thing is you might not really completely understand sufficient lovebird information that will assist in caring for the lovebirds. There are nine types of the lovebird, one from Madagascar while eight others from the African continent. They may grow up to seven inches long and live for many years.

Choosing to consider a couple of these lovebirds would depend on the type of lifestyle you lead. Buying two birds would allow for a better investment in your part, as they would each have companionship with the other, thus fulfilling their urge to interact. Though, if there's something that might concern you, it will be the expense. If you think that you'll be spending a whole fortune, you must honestly think about whether getting a lovebird will be a good choice for you.

Favorably, lovebird owners ought to know supplementary lovebird information. You must understand the character of the bird and its behavior. They're playful, loving as well as intellectual. With adequate socialization and good care, lovebirds may develop strong connections or interaction with their owner. To help to make these birds much more sociable and much less aggressive, experts suggest that caretakers should obtain a pair for their lonely pet. They might also give playthings or toys. To know about the character of lovebirds, gather more lovebird information, like their colors and mutations. The African lovebird has about nine species including the Madagascar lovebird, Masked, Peach faced, Abyssinian, Fischer's, Nyasa, black-cheeked and red-faced lovebird.

Each one of the species exhibits diverse markings and colors. The most ordinary may be the Peach-faced with its green, blue and yellow-colored body accentuated having a bright rush of peach near the head. Mutation of color, that are widely popular amongst lovebird enthusiasts, are also done on some species such as the peach-faced lovebirds basic piece of lovebird information that caretakers should bear in mind is their food habits. Just as other pet animals, they can't live without food or water. They must be fed on the high-quality diet such as pellets, to be alternated with various vegetables and fruit, mainly the green vegetables.
Here is really very helpful lovebird information that lovebirds require sufficient exercise. They must be given enough space for climbing and flying. Therefore, you should know you need to have significant room in the cage for all of them. They like to munch and you will support a type of exercise for them of this nature.

You may supply toys or wood so that they are able to exercise their jaw's muscle. These friendly little birds are actually thrilling and attention-grabbing. These traits make them extremely popular in the world of birds and amongst pet lovers. To include more to these lovebird information, remember that these birds require regular socialization. They may become aggressive when inappropriately looked after.

Naming a love bird depend on its nature...

It’s all within the name! Simply put Lovebirds tend to be more likely than not likely to love you and obtain very attached to you. While this is a good thing it could be taken too much. Firstly, you should choose some cute love bird names. Giving a name to your pet will be thrilling and confusing at the same moment. To some bird owners, this part is as simple as eating cake. For others however, getting a love bird name may be as difficult as solving a math. It is quite necessary for the birds to get accustomed to their names. You may call them Harry and Julie. 

One of the most typical problems owners face with their lovebirds is commonly him getting temperamental when you do not give the interest he thinks he should get, or potentially the attention he's been receiving till now.

There is a good debate taking place on the topic whether Lovebirds should end up being purchased as a couple or as single. A few experts say that pairing lovebirds may detract from relationships with human, whereas others say that some Love Birds when paired can immediately turn one another on. While the question continues to be unanswered, the general opinion is that lovebirds help to make great pets. They're in the parrot family and therefore are considered quite smart, active, entertaining and extremely social pets. It is said that they need regular attention to keep them secure because of their tiny size.

Another essential fact is that since they're very inquisitive and incredibly active, they are susceptible to accidents. For instance, when they drink water, they play in their water bowls, and when let from the cage, can be drowned in the bathroom or toilet. They also prefer to explore enclosed places in your house, mostly drawers or other closet which might be ajar. In truth, Love Birds generally die from accidents in your home than by falling ill.

Bonding with the person is an additional feature of Lovebirds which may also be harmful to their own health. They may sit near you and you don’t realize they're there, and by mistake sit on them. Or they might be following you round the house and can certainly be stepped upon.

So it is essential to train your lovebird from developing manners that could ultimately hurt them. Training them will prevent bad habits like biting. Attention to the lovebird should be provided daily in order to bond with the owner.

These birds especially love cradling and cuddling, but it's also wise to be aware they are able to just as easily cuddle into your clothes which doesn't bode well on their behalf.

I recommend not naming your love birds until you meet it. You may make a list of names if you want, especially the names you like for birds. Do not pick one love bird name, although you may have a favorite, until the lovebird actually arrives. You will have to understand your lovebird's personality steadily, over some days, and then choose your love bird name! This actually is the best way to start.

Lovebird Diet - Points to ponder

   

 Love bird diet need a variety of food to keep them healthy. Yes!!! A proper lovebird diet consists of greens especially mint and coriander leaves. Apart from this, lovebirds need formulated parrot pellets, cocktail seed mix, vegetables and fresh fruits. You can provide sprouted meals of broccoli, bean, alfalfa that is available from the supermarket.

      You should provide adequate water twice daily after removing the contaminated water bowls. Try to provide fresh lovebird diet to them. You can get more details about lovebird diet here...

Baby Lovebirds Caring Tips

Congratulations!!! So your lovebird is nesting now. Then, this is high time to get to know about baby lovebirds caring tips. If you haven’t cared your baby lovebirds well, you’ll lose them that could be a discouraging experience.

Once you notice the baby lovebirds coming out of the nest, this is the time you should intervene. If you allow the baby birds along with the parents more than couple of weeks, the male bird will try to peck these little birds. Remove them and rear the young ones in a sizable plastic-type reptile container for first few weeks.

You should pull out the entire clutch at 10 days old; if you want them to hand rear. Feed the infant birds with syringes along with provision of adult food such as millets and greens. Fill the syringes half way with baby lovebird liquid feed. You should pull the syringe out about 3-5 seconds of feeding. Wipe the beak with a tissue paper or soft cloth, then again start feeding. Stop feeding once you feel that the crop is full. You should place the hand-held syringe on the RIGHT side of the beak to push the feed on left side, otherwise the bird will get choke.

Initially hand feed your bird with guidance from an experienced trainer. You can buy baby bird formula available commercially.

As we know very well that the baby birds are fed with regurgitated food by its mother in nature, you should provide them with warm food (103 F). Check the food thoroughly after warm up in order to avoid hot spots and stuff like that. If the food is too warm and fed the baby lovebirds unnoticed, then there is possibility of CROP BURN.

If the baby birds stop wanting the syringes, this clearly shows that they are completely independent. Now you can sell them to any other owner after completely examining that there are no health issues. 

Tips for successful lovebirds breeding

A healthy lovebird is a good breeder in near future. Hence it is mandatory to improve the health of your lovebirds in your cage. Here the few steps that will help you to maximize the breeding potentiality of your lovebirds.

Age of breeding

 As a lovebird’s breeder, you should know the age of your lovebird. The lovebird between 1 and 5 years old is suitable for breeding. The sex ratio should be 1 male for 5 females.

Nest boxes

Nest box plays an important role in breeding lovebirds. Nest box should be of 12 inches x 12 inches x 12 inches. The entrance hole in the nest box should be of 3 inches diameter.

Nutritional care

During breeding season, you should feed the lovebirds with fresh fruits, vegetables, and greens (Coriander leaves).  Supplementation with calcium is essential for the hens that are going to lay eggs.

Sexing of lovebirds

Do you know lovebirds are sexually monomorphic? It is very difficult to differentiate male and female as the species look alike. DNA sexing is the only way to ascertain the sex of the bird.

Laying of eggs

Female lovebirds will lay at least 3 to 7 eggs on alternate days.  In general, they will lay eggs after 5-7 days of mating.

Period of Incubation

Lovebirds will incubate the eggs for 23 days. You should calculate the days of incubation start from the day on which the hen sits on the egg continuously

Hatchling care

Both sexes will take part in hatchling rising by feeding the chicks daily. Extra feed such as green food and soaked seeds (millets) are of best choice. In general chicks will come out of the nest box at the age of six weeks. No chicks will remain in the nest box after eight weeks of age. The young ones will make use of nest box for night stay for two more weeks. You should keep in mind that once the young one learned to feed independently, it should be move on to another cage, otherwise the male will try to kill the offspring. 

Swollen head in lovebirds- Why?

One of my client rang me up two days back with a symptom of swollen head in her lovebird. Immediately I rushed and inspected the bird, it showed following symptoms: -

1. Ruffled feather
2. Swollen ear lobes
3. Swollen head
4. Lacrimation (watering of eyes)
5. Rotten smell nasal discharge

 This clearly suggestive of infectious coryza.  Infectious coryza is a specific respiratory disease in pet birds that occurs most often in semi-mature or adult birds caused by Hemophilus paragallinarum bacterium.

Transmission is by contact between birds. Other predisposing factors include ingestion of contaminated food stuff and water, and inhalation of infected aerosols. Improving the hygiene, and proper disposal of dead birds are the measures to prevent infectious coryza.

Antibiotics such as tetracycline, enrofloxacin may be useful to prevent further spread of this disease of head swelling in lovebirds..

Breeding Love birds – a Daunting task?

In fact the breeding of the love birds is loads of fun, many are not aware of this. Breeding the love bird is addictive, challenging but also educational and emotionally fulfilling. The breeding is not a cheap affair. Breeding is expensive, frustrating, heart breaking and tiring. The good and bad, both are the part of the love bird breeding. The good thing is that the person will be fascinated about the birds and he will love to lose sleep in order to learn more about the birds. The person should have lot of money to spend on the bird, cage, food and the vet bills.

If earning the money is the motive of love bird breeding then one should keep away from the breeding activity. The efficient love bird breeders are just breaking even. Few others are making very less profit. There are hardly any who are making a living out of it. There is belief that working in taco bell will give more than having love breeding unit. So if are really interested in love bird breeding, you can go ahead.

There are few questions that are required to be answered. How serious you are in love bird breeding? Do you want to have just one or two pairs of birds or want to have big aviary? What will you do with the hatched birds? Do you have sufficient time to take care of the chicks or will you leave the chicks to their parents to care? Do you have any plan for selling the chicks? There is a common belief among the breeders that selling the chicks is difficult job than rearing the birds.

It always better to have plan in place for you and for the birds. You should have alternate plan to tackle the adversity if there is anything. You should be aware of the goals to be reached and the limitations that are there. The number of birds you want to have should be decided well in advance. You should have clear plan about of the colour of the love bird you want to produce. You should know from where you should get the birds for your requirement. The cost required for purchase of the seed stock, feed, equipment, other appliances etc. You should be aware of the number of chicks that you will be producing and the price at which you will be selling them in the market. You should be aware of the marketing channel.

The best thing for the new breeder is that to start the thing very small. Increasing the size of the aviary is much easier than decreasing the size of the aviary. If you start the small unit then there is a chance that you will learn the business with ease and lot more attention can be paid to the breeding activity. Many breeders loose their interest in the breeding activity if they do not have the perfect plan in place to sell the produce. Hence it is advised that you should have the perfect plan before the start of the breeding activity.

Lovebirds Cage painting Tips

Have you ever painted lovebirds cage? Yes!!! Most of us think that it is highly dangerous to paint the cage with normally available paints as it is injurious to health of the birds. If you want to give perfect lovebirds care, you should read this article on Lovebirds cage painting.

Nowadays almost all the paints sold in US are edible when dry. Medias are crying hue and cry about this fact of painting birds cage should be be taken very seriously. The government assure that all paints available to residential home owners lack zinc or lead. So, you can paint any color to your lovebirds cage.

The best paint to apply over lovebirds cage is Powder-coated baked on finishes. A dry powder is sprayed onto the surface in a new cage.

Is it good to separate the pair of lovebirds?

This situation arises with my friend. One of the lovebird always shouting like anything to call the birds outside from his home. The other lovebird that is silent started to shout once the other one shout. He tried to separate these two by giving one to his friend. Do you think this will solve this lovebirds care problem? I don't think so!

I feel its much better to keep them together. I asked him whether he tried any alternatives? I adviced him to change the cage position as well as rearranging furniture so to act as sound barriers.

The major reason for the birds are louder are as follows-

1. when they may be bored. So give them new toys, things to destroy, chew on etc.

2. Go outside and see how loud they really are. Ask neighbors also...

3. Try to get a new home.

It is not at all advisable to separate them. Separation will definitely worsen the situation as the remaining bird will call for it's mate.

Get to Know about Masked Lovebirds

The pet owners just love the lovebirds like anything. One should not get fooled by their size. Lovebirds are true parrots. As these birds are very small in size, their accommodation can be small as well; hence the expense is very much less compared to the full size parrots. Lovebirds care is utmost important for a pet bird owner

Most of the species of lovebirds are native of Africa and Madagascar. As the name suggests these birds love their partner very much and remain close to each other hours together. These love birds do fight savagely with their own species at the time of breeding. Though these birds are small, they can adjust with most climates. As these lovebirds are quiet and good breeders in captivity, these birds are ideal aviary birds. The lovebirds can not talk but are very intelligent creatures. These lovebirds can survive up to ten years and no longer than that.

The lovebirds are very popular exhibition birds. There are more numbers bird club in United States of America which is very much interested in love birds. Peach faced, Fischers and masked love birds are bred by many. The other species are generally termed as rare as they are unknown to aviary. They are nyasal love bird, Madagascar love bird, black cheeked love bird, Abyssinian love bird, red faced love birds,black collared love bird, and black masked love birds.

The head of the black masked love bird is black and plumage colour is green. The collar will be yellow in colour. The other important characteristic of this species is white ring that encircles both the eyes. In addition to traditional green, so many other colour morphs are also noted in few birds. Blue morph is the most popular in western hemisphere. The first mutation is the blue mutation that came in existence from the wild stock. Albinos, pastel blue, and cinnamon pied are the other colour mutations that are bred in United States of America. Pastel blue is a mixture of dilute green and blue.

The Black masked lovebirds are native of Africa. These love birds can also be found on the islands of north east Tanzania. These love birds are hardy species and the Australian breeders, most of them propagate these birds in colony system. The masked love birds tend to dip pieces of their nesting material in the water in order to soften them and to retain the humidity in their nest

Understanding Lovebirds Care

The love birds are affectionate pet. As these birds are very small, these birds can be maintained with ease. You won’t be requiring more space to have them in house. Love birds are very tough birds and are resistant to many diseases that threaten the larger parrots and cockatiels. These love birds are welcome in any house as these birds are cheerful and have gorgeous coloring. Love birds are good breeders and the breeding is very simple without much complication.

The love birds are easy to care. But it is the duty of the pet owner to get the much needed details about the birds from the breeder. The breeder should spell out the health guarantees and the kind of feed required for that particular type of love bird. The seed feeding should be avoided as much as possible. Formulated diets such as Hagen tropican granules are considered best as they contain vitamins and minerals that are required for the birds. It is hard to balance the diet with seeds as love birds are fussy eaters. The love birds can be fed fruits, fresh greens and vegetables. These food stuffs can be chopped and fed to the love birds. The wet food should be removed as and when noticed in order to avoid spoilage. Fresh corn is the most favorite food for most of the love birds.

The love birds should be taken to the avian specialist within the first week of the purchase. The vet will test the birds for psittacosis. Psittacosis can be transmitted to human beings too and hence one should be careful about it. The good news is that psittacosis is not common in love birds.

The numbers of love birds that can be purchased totally depend on the pet owner. There is no restriction on the numbers love birds to be kept as pet. If the owner has the time, money, space in the house, he or she can go in for any number of love birds. In general people buy the love birds in pairs as they can be bred in future. Besides the love birds will be happy with a partner. Identifying the sex is not all that easy in love birds as both male and female resemble closely. The pet retailer should provide the information about the sex of the love birds.

The new arrival should be kept in separate cage for a period of 30 days in case there were birds already in the house. The new arrival should be provided clean cage in the quite corner of the house.

How to Stop Lovebird Biting?

The love birds are very small birds; there is no doubt about it. But their bite is very painful. Those who got the bite are simply shocked, betrayed and dismayed. Biting is not rare, and is one of the few common problems one has to face while rearing the love birds. Let us discuss about the love bird biting and few tips to sort the issue out

Babies and beaks

Like any other species the love birds baby too will explore with its beak. The beaks of the baby love bird will be very sensitive. Hence one should never play with it any time. The flicking or pulling the beak will be highly dangerous and hence discouraged in total. The baby love birds may use the beak for grip purpose. You should never mistake this as bite. The beak for the love bird is almost like the hand for them. The love bird’s babies who are on the formula feed should not be permitted to explore their beak. Once the birds are weaned and are socializing, the bird is permitted to explore the beak.

Nibbling juvenile

The love birds start using their beak for nibbling before biting. If you find the love birds biting the finger all of a sudden without any provocation, then you should enquire the owner about the birds. They will invariably tell you that their birds has been nibbling their finger for long time.
Hence, if you are first time love bird owner, then please be informed that the nibbling activity should be discouraged from the beginning. The birds should be admonished as NO BITING firmly and the birds should be getting rid of the shoulder or ear where she is sitting at the time of biting. Few birds will not obey and correct their behaviour immediately. One should not get tired and should continue the practice till the birds start behaving well.

Distraction method

Distracting the bird is the best method to stop nibbling. Unscented Kleenex or untanned leather will be enough to distract the love birds from biting the finger. At times the love birds may be wary of the thing that you offer to them. One need to play with the item as if it is the toy and the love bird that is watching this will attempt to bite it and will soon forget biting your finger by shear distraction.

Holding the beak

If the love bird is not stopping the habit of biting even after your best efforts, one can think of holding the beak method. As per this method the love bird beak should be held between the thumb and finger gently and NO BITING should be shouted. Make sure the beak is not damaged in the process.

Time out

Some birds may not change the biting habit that easily. For such birds time out cage method will be of immense help. Time out cage is a small cage which is used commonly to teach a lesson. If the love bird is biting you in spite of the reminders, then take the love bird out and give him no bite command. Let the birds be kept in time out cage for few minutes let us say five minutes. This time out cage will have only a cup of water and no toys in it. When the love bird is in the time out cage, then there should not be any talking, scolding or discussion with the bird.

How to train lovebirds- the first step to successfully train a love bird

Are you the first time love bird owner? Do you want to know the ways and means of training a love bird? There are few steps one need to follow to train the love birds. Here is little information about the love bird training.

Gain trust

Gaining the love birds trust is first and fore most things in training the love bird. This is very much required if the love birds has not handled by anyone already. If the love bird is having any unwanted behaviour, then gaining the trust of the need of the hour. Biting is one such unwanted behaviour. Gaining the trust is easy. All one needs is little patience. The process should be started slowly.

To start with the love bird can be made to touch the tip of a small object like pencil or small stick. If the love bird can do that successfully, the birds should be treated or praised. Every time the bird responds positively, treat it again and again. Then proceed to touch command. For touch command one should use the finger or hand. The bird will slowly start trusting you. You also there after will handle the love bird with confidence. Gaining the trust of the love bird is the most crucial aspect in training the love birds as discussed already. Once that part is crossed, the rest of the thing will be easy.

Rewarding the love bird often

Once the trust is gained then one can move on to other new skill development. Stopping the unwanted sounds, coming to the owner as and when called, mimicking the sounds made by the owner etc are some of the new skills that can be taught to the love birds. Every time the bird obeys your command, the love bird needs to be rewarded with its favourite food or toy.

The key in love bird training is positive reinforcement. One should be aware of the love bird treat and one should have them in hand in sufficient quantity always. Nuts, millets, sun flower seeds etc are the treats that are liked by most of the love birds. Some love birds will prefer the love of the owner more than anything. Each love birds should treated as per its liking if they respond to the training well.

Perfect one skill at a time

The love birds are tiny little birds and hence do not try to teach them so many thing at a time. One should start with one skill at a time and the training should continue till the bird perfects it. Once the bird has perfected the skill, and then the other skill training should be attempted. Putting a ball in the loop, waving and turning around are some of the skills that can be taught to the love birds which will make them busy and chase away their boredom. If one tries to teach so many tricks at a time, then the bird will get confused and may not pick up anything and hence such practice should be avoided.

Baby Lovebirds – How to care?

The love birds are very small and hence the baby love birds are tiny. Caring the baby love bird is not all that easy. If you are a starter here are few suggestions in this article about caring the baby love birds

Where to place them?

Sizable plastic type reptile container is considered best for the baby love birds for few weeks of their early life. The space provided for the baby love birds should be sufficient for their growth and at the same time the baby love birds needs to be safe there. The bottom of the pot should be lined with cage liner. The untreated papers should be used as towels above that. The cleaning on daily basis will be easy if these untreated papers are used. The food should be kept at the one end of the box and the space for cuddling should be at the other end. This way the possible clutter of the food part can be prevented.

When to take over for the babies parents?

The pet owner must know when the parents of the baby bird are allowed to take care, which is the first and foremost thing he should know. The entire clutch can be pulled out once the youngest baby love birds is about ten days old. The eldest baby love birds should be 16- 17 days at that time. If the baby love birds are older than 17 days then the hand feeding is bit difficult. If the love birds hatching is far apart and if the older baby love birds is older than 17 days by the time the younger baby love birds is 10 days old, then do not hesitate to remove the clutch two times.

Weaning

Abundance weaning approach is the most popular weaning method. This way the baby birds will be fed with syringe while there will be sufficient adult food also. This way the baby love birds will be motivated to eat the food themselves. As the days pass the baby love birds will slowly avoid the syringe feeding and will start eating their food on their own. It is always recommended that the weaned love birds are observed for some days for any health issues. Only on confirmation that there is no health issue the lovebirds should be sold.

Feeding from your hand

As discussed earlier, hand feeding is the best for first few weeks. Hand feeding is not all that easy and hence experienced trainers help is required instead of attempting is all by your self. The love bird baby food is available in pet stores and the same should be used for the baby love birds. For syringe feeding O –ring plastic syringe needs to be used. The baby love birds prefer warm food as they are used to regurgitated food. The ideal temperature required is 103 degree Fahrenheit. In case the food is warmed, care is taken to stir properly for uniform distribution of temperature to avoid heat burn.

What to Feed my Lovebirds?

Lovebirds are such a wonderful creature and there is hardly anybody who does not love these tiny birds. These birds as the name suggest love to remain in pairs. These lovebirds spend hours together sitting side by side to its partner.

These birds are in fact smaller version of parrots. They grow to the size of 5 inches and can live for 15 years. Though these lovebirds are small, there is no shortage of activity and noise level. Many like to have these lovely creatures at home as pet. But most f them are not aware what to be fed to them. Here is little information about the feed for lovebirds.

The lovebirds like to feed on fresh and organic foods as they want to live close to the nature as much as possible. The love bird’s food can be pellets of fruits, vegetables and seeds. In wild the lovebirds mainly feed on seeds.

The parrots love to have variety of foods instead of feeding on the same food. Hence one should change the feed every day as there is a lot to be added in the food list such as cooked beans, pasta, fresh grains, brown rice, sprout, wheat grass, non toxic flowers etc.

There are many different verities of lovebirds right from red head to black collar and each species will have different liking when it comes to food. One should be aware of this fact. The black collared lovebirds are fond of fig fruit.

The food provided can be in the form of pellets or the food can be provided by soaking the same in water in order to soften the food. The food that is soft will be digested easily by the lovebirds. The water dish provided must be very clean. The water provided to the love bird should be free from contamination. The water bowls should be cleaned every day in order to avoid bacteria build up.

As discussed earlier, raw fruits and vegetables are good for the health of the lovebirds. But some birds will be very choosy about their food and such lovebirds are to be cared more and their specific requirement should be met with.

One has to be careful while providing the cooked food to the lovebirds. The cooked food should be allowed to cool before feeding. For example the cooked potato will be very hot and if provided as it is before cooling, the poor creature will get its beak damaged and at times the birds may die if the digestive system is damaged too badly. The food that was not consumed by the love bird for more than 24 hours should be removed from the cage and should be thrown out in the dust bin. There should not be any re heating and re using.

The lovebirds are very active and social animals. These birds are likely to slip in to boredom if not properly engaged. The boredom will lead to feather plucking, biting and screaming. One should aim at providing interactive way of feeding the lovebirds. Using food finding toys in case of pellets and skewers in case of fresh foods are recommended to keep the lovebirds in good spirit and to chase the boredom.

Things to think before rearing love birds

The love birds are named thus as these tiny birds love to interact and stay in pairs. These birds love to stay with her partner for long time. These birds sit side by side with the partner hours together. The name of these birds means "inseparables” in French and German.

These love birds are small parrots but these birds can make loud noises. Though these birds are small, they are aggressive in nature. Hence the pet owner should keep watchful eyes when these love birds are allowed to socialize with other animals, birds and other human beings.

Of late more and more people are opting for love bird rearing. But there are lot questions that need to be answered. The love birds are attention seeking creatures. Hence one should have sufficient time for spending time with these lovely creatures. These birds slip in to boredom if not proper attention and affection is paid which will affect the over all health of the birds. The boredom will lead to plucking of the feathers.

These animals should be fed properly and required water should be provided. There are so many health problems for these love birds just as the case of so many other animals. Hence there should be avian specialist help nearby. The love birds should be rushed to the specialist in case of any health issues.

The house should have large and safe space for these love birds. The lovebird rearing should be long time commitment. The households and the neighbours should be adjustable with the noise and the scream these little creatures make. If all those mentioned above is met with then one can think of rearing love bird without any hesitation. For the information, the average size of the love bird is 5 inch and the average life span is 15 years.

Grooming and hygiene of love birds

Grooming and hygiene of the love birds is very important as lot many people are allergic to the danders that comes out from the love birds. The love birds should be bathed in order to avoid this dander problem.

In winter months the love birds should be bathed -3-5 times and in summer months the love birds should be bathed 5-7 times at least. If the love bird of your likes to bath more often and the same should be encouraged as the birds will be clean and the plumage will look healthy and the allergy problems are reduced further.

There are many ways of bathing and each and every bird has their own preference. The love birds can bath as they wish in the wild but in captivity there are few limitations. Here are few ways in bathing the love birds in captivity. An extra bowel of water can be kept in the cage. The bowel can be seen hanging or can be kept at the bottom of the cage. The love birds can be sprayed with water using a bottle. If the aviary is kept outside, the love birds can bath in natural rain water. Some love birds prefer hot water, some prefer warm water and some other birds prefer cold water.

Clipping the flight feathers should never be practised in love birds as this will prevent the love birds from exercising [flying]. The love bird will only be walking and climbing around in the cage. The love birds love flying as it is their natural instinct.

The love birds also like to spend time with the pet owners. The love birds in general crave for attention. In you feel that clipping is necessary, and then you need to consult the avian specialist. If required, the nail and beak trimming can be done, but the professional help is required for this. The bamboo perches, if provided in the cage, then there is a possibility of natural way.

Lovebirds Behaviour & Interaction

The love birds are lovely creatures to be kept as pet at home. One requires this kind of pet to get relieved from the tension of day to day life. People prefer Love birds as they are very easy to maintain and the expense incurred is very less compared to the other animals like dog, cat etc. all one require is the little time to spend with these little creatures in order to chase out the boredom they get in to if not attended by the any one of the family members.

As we all know the love birds are very social animal and long for affection and attention all the times. Love birds in wild live in large flocks. Love birds can learn word and phrases very well though they are said to be not good when it comes to mimicking.

Love birds require different types of toys that are chewable. Love birds also enjoy puzzle toys that challenge the birds. The love birds are very quick in learning the tricks and words. The love birds are very friendly and love to assist the family be it small or large. The love birds will more favour the person in the family who spends more time with them. The bite of the love is small and the noise level is less. As the result these birds are highly suitable for apartments.

Habitat maintenance – the love bird’s cage should be changed at least one time in a week. The cleaning and the disinfection of the cage should be done as much as possible. The love bird’s weight should be monitored on daily basis which will help one to identify whether the birds are ill or not. The love birds are very good at disguising the illness; hence it is difficult to find out if the love birds are ill.

Housing of Lovebirds

For love birds the out door aviary is the best. The biggest advantage of the out door aviary is that the love birds will get the natural sun light which is very essential for the feathers and also for the over all health of the love birds. In case the out door aviary is not feasible because of the climate, then in door aviary can be planned but the same should be supported by full spectrum lighting.

Love birds will enjoy very much if they are housed at high traffic area of the house as they will get enough of interaction. The cage of the love bird should have enough space for flying which will improve the over all health of the love birds. Flying is a kind of exercise for the love birds. Besides the love birds will become obese if not proper exercise is performed.

As far as the cage size is concerned, larger the space more will be the comfort. The bar space should be not less than one inch. The diameter and the texture of the perches are very important to avoid the foot sores and arthritis problems. The main perch should be of wood and this perch will be used by the love birds most of the time. Sandy perch is used by the love birds at night for sleeping and hence these perches should be placed at reasonable height. The gate should be made of metal and the same should be positioned at the bottom so that cage cleaning will be easy. The love birds will be kept clean from their own droppings.

Here are few recommendations for the love bird housing. They are cage, cage liner, organic pellet, treats, mineral block, food -finding toys, interactive training tools and courses, variety of perches and shred able toys, bird perch scale.

Common Health Issues of Lovebirds

One should know the signs of healthy love birds only then he or she will understand the health signs and the health issues of love birds. Here are the signs of healthy love birds. The love bird should be active, alert, vocal and social. The eyes should be dry so also the nostrils. The love birds should drink water and eat the food regularly through out the day. The love birds should have well groomed, smooth and colourful feathers. The love bird should fly as and when the chance is provided if it is healthy. The love birds that are not well will refuse to fly even if there is a chance. Let us discuss here few common health issues of love birds.

Diarrhoea- if there is no faecal formation in the stool then you can confirm that the love bird has diarrhoea. The causes for diarrhoea in love bird may be parasite infestation and too much of fruit in the diet. One can think of reducing the fruit quantity in the diet if there is diarrhoea. But it is always better to consult the opinion of avian specialist if the love birds are found to have diarrhoea.

Feather plucking and mutilation- the love birds start plucking if there is extreme boredom. The feather plucking happens if the love birds are provided unhealthy diet. The love birds pluck the feather in an attempt to clean the feather as they are not allowed to bathe very often.

Proventicular dilatation disease- the affected love birds will show signs of depression, lose weight abruptly and there will undigested food particles in the stool. The avian specialist should be consulted at the earliest in order to save the birds.

Obesity- the causes of obesity are unhealthy diet, lack of proper exercise, poor feeding etc. The fat content of the food should be minimized. The food provided should have sufficient protein, vitamins, minerals etc. The love bird should be active as much as possible. The in house flight training is the best option as it will take care of the exercise option.

Red flags-The affected love birds will have the following signs. They will be swelling of the beak, soiled feather, coughing, wheezing, discoloured stools etc. such birds should be rushed to the avian specialist for treatment at the earliest.