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Baby Lovebird

Tigergem

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Beverly
Hello. I am needing some advice please. I am bringing a 3 week old baby lovebird home on Sunday 24th April.
For how long must I handfeed him still?
How often must he be fed?
Does he need to drink water as well?
How old must he be to move him to a cage?
When do you start offering him seed and must that be millet?
Last question - at what age must I start feeding him fruit and veg and can you give me some examples of the type of fruit and veg?
Thank you for your help
 

Zara

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Three weeks old is incredibly young. They don´t even sell them that young here (where selling unweaned lovbirds is common).

I would suggest to find an older chick.

All of your questions tell us that you have no experience with raising a chick, and if done wrong can lead to illness or death.

 

Tigergem

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Beverly
Thank you for your reply. At what age do you suggest taking a chick home?
 

Zara

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At what age do you suggest taking a chick home?
Ideally one week after weaned would be perfect. Lovebirds wean at 6-8weeks old. At this age they are fully feathered and able to regulate their own body temperature so can go into a cage, plus they are eating on their own (just feed them the diet they are eating at the breeders to start with), and they are also quite active, fun and friendly at this age too.
Maybe contact the seller of the bird you were going to bring home, and ask that they care for the bird and you will collect them a week after they wean?
 
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Zara

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It´s unlikely a lovebird will wean before they are completely fully feathered (all pins preened open) and flighted. So any birds that are full of pin feathers, uncompletely feathered, or unflighted (naturally), will very likely not be weaned.
To tell the babies from the adults, the younger birds usually have more difused lines between colours on their plumage, whereas adults have sharp lines between colours. Some birds have black marks on their beaks as babies, that will depend on the mutation. I hope that helps :)
 
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