I need a little advice

[Christina71]

I have a pair of lovebirds and for a couple of weeks they had been showing some signs of wanting to breed. Last week I looked at nests and considered getting one, but decided not to because I didn't want to encourage them yet. I do want to breed them, but want to be more experienced and have more of their trust first, and I also wanted to get a bigger cage first. Plus I would have a hard time hand feeding babies right now due to my job.

Anyway, I didn't get a nest and early today (actually yesterday) I noticed that the one I thought was the male had a swollen abdomen, so I looked it up online and learned that that was a sign that a bird may soon lay an egg, so I cut the end off of a tissue box and put it in the bottom of the cage with some newspaper and millet stems for them to shred. Later I was getting ready to put them in the bedroom for the night and saw one at the bottom of the cage (they never go down there) then I saw the egg. So, for now I put a paper towel in the tissue box and then gently put the egg into it, I laid shredded paper outside the box along with a few pieces of toilet tissue and some timothy hay so that the birds can build a nest if they want. I don't know if I did the right thing by moving the egg and if I should get a nest, or just leave it the way it is, and I don't know what the next step is. Any advice would be very helpful.

 

[atvchick95]

Leaving it the way it is, she'll just tear the box up and make a nest in the bottom of the cage - none of my female lovebirds get access to paper, boxes etc. For that very reason

I had 2 young (under 1 yr old)Siblings in a cage w/ no grate I was changing the paper 8-9 times a day! because they were tearing it up faster than I could put new paper in.

IF you want them to breed buy a wooden nest box (not a wicker one those are for canaries and finches and a lovebird would destroy it)

When i don't want mine to have eggs I just do not give them any thing they could use as a nest, Mine don't lay on a Grate, unless they were able to get to paper. to tear up and make a nest.

 

[Christina71]

Leaving it the way it is, she'll just tear the box up and make a nest in the bottom of the cage - none of my female lovebirds get access to paper, boxes etc. For that very reason

I had 2 young (under 1 yr old)Siblings in a cage w/ no grate I was changing the paper 8-9 times a day! because they were tearing it up faster than I could put new paper in.

IF you want them to breed buy a wooden nest box (not a wicker one those are for canaries and finches and a lovebird would destroy it)

When i don't want mine to have eggs I just do not give them any thing they could use as a nest, Mine don't lay on a Grate, unless they were able to get to paper. to tear up and make a nest.

my cage has a grate in it and she laid the egg on that, which is why I moved it into a tissue box because I was afraid she would break it while sitting on it. Before this the only things in the cage were the perches, toys, food and water...nothing at all to encourage egg laying, but she was determined to do it.

 

[Anne & Gang]

well now that she has laid it you have to leave it...20-30 days until she abandons.....but you dont know if it is fertile or not...I suggest you buy some f alse eggs to replace...birdsupplynh.com sells them....or you can boil the egg gently ....let it cool off and then replace it...a paper towel on top of the grate is fine...but you need to let them sit on the eggs or she will lay to replace and that is not good..

 

[Christina71]

well now that she has laid it you have to leave it...20-30 days until she abandons.....but you dont know if it is fertile or not...I suggest you buy some f alse eggs to replace...birdsupplynh.com sells them....or you can boil the egg gently ....let it cool off and then replace it...a paper towel on top of the grate is fine...but you need to let them sit on the eggs or she will lay to replace and that is not good..

I do plan on leaving the egg, I already know of an experienced bird owner who would like to have a lovebird. I would be able to hand raise, I just don't know if I would be able to handfeed and if Its too late to get a nesting box.

 

[AZReno]

Are you moving them from one room to another through out the day? If you plan on letting them breed and have chicks....STOP moving them, it's disruptive and can cause them to kill the chicks as their born.

If your sole goal is to handfeed and you think you will not be able to because of your job, then it would be best to not allow them to hatch.

If on the other hand, you decide you do want them to hatch, you could go ahead and get a nest box and put it in there with some material for nesting...toss the first egg. But you must decide what you can handle...have you handfed before? And if you think your job would not allow it then it's probably not a great idea.

 

[Christina71]

Are you moving them from one room to another through out the day? If you plan on letting them breed and have chicks....STOP moving them, it's disruptive and can cause them to kill the chicks as their born.

If your sole goal is to handfeed and you think you will not be able to because of your job, then it would be best to not allow them to hatch.

If on the other hand, you decide you do want them to hatch, you could go ahead and get a nest box and put it in there with some material for nesting...toss the first egg. But you must decide what you can handle...have you handfed before? And if you think your job would not allow it then it's probably not a great idea.

Thank you for the advice!
I usually only move them to clean the room they are in because I don't want them around the fumes and smell from the cleaning products, I have not moved them since the first egg was laid though because I was afraid it would damage the egg. I do have a nesting box in the cage now and the female seems do be doing well with the eggs. I do not plan to handfeed, but will have everything ready just in case I need to.
I did handfeed and raise a very young baby bird that I found in my yard last year from a couple days old until it was old enough to release. I enjoyed every minute, but was not working at that time.

 

[robin's my baby]

you could handle the babies daily if you dont want to feed but still get supplies if the parrents abonden them

 

[Christina71]

you could handle the babies daily if you dont want to feed but still get supplies if the parrents abonden them

Thanks for your reply, do you know how soon I should start to handle them? I'm definately getting the supplies in case I need them. I'm also trying to find out if I would be able to feed them when they get down to a couple feedings a day? I haven't found an answer to that anywhere.