Lovebird possessive over food?

[Garet]

I know this little guy wasn't fed much in his old home (and had trouble getting into his food dish to get what he was fed).

Here, it's a different story. He's got two food dishes (one for seeds and pellets, the other for fruits and veggies), a millet stick, and a treat stick, as well as access to the food I put out for them during the day. What I've noticed is that he will go from his pile of seeds and pellets to Mimikyu's and scare her off, eat from hers, then go back to eating his own after a few moments. He's also nipped her over a noodle despite having his own. When he's not hungry, he's a perfect sweetheart with her.
He's also nipped me when I've tried putting a little more food out for him. He doesn't bite hard enough to break the skin, but I'd like to give him his apple chunks without worrying about him taking a chunk out of me.

I just want to know if this behavior will go away over time, if it needs to be trained out of him, or if this is normal behavior for Lovies? Mind you, he's only been here for a few days and was severely neglected by people who didn't know any better before coming home with me. He'll step up onto my fingers when he wants to (which is rare) and isn't used to being petted yet.

 

[fluffypoptarts]

Being possessive and territorial about food, toys, and cage (and their human!) is normal for lovebirds. If a bird trusts you, that can sometimes lessen or disappear. Females are more prone to it. Did he come with the other bird? Are they a true pairing? Be careful with keeping them in the same cage if he is being aggressive.

 

[Familyof12]

Our lovebird wasn't like that but our parrotlets sure are! How old is your baby? He may be going through hormones too. At that point, they get very very territorial and defend what is theirs (everything). Feed them separately for a while and supervise if they are together in case they behave badly and try to hurt one another.

I started feeing the budgies first before I let Carmen and Diablo out. The budgies get out about 30 minutes before the parrotlets. The food is all set up and in three areas of the room. No one wants to or has the energy to fly the big room and defend every plate of food. I also keep food inside their flight cages so they can go in and nibble. I keep the roundybush on top with the veggies, no seeds. I put some seed (very little) with more roundybush crumble inside the flight cage and sleep cages, they must make the effort to eat the seeds or forage for them.

Now they all eat together and pretty much get along but will not share the same strawberry or grape or a leaf of kale unless it is their mate and even then, they fight. Sometimes I think they just like fighting and it must be normal, they don't hurt each other, just kind of a society thing for birds.

Your lovie will come around. He'll know after a while that you put food out day after day and he will trust you and that there will be enough.

 

[Garet]

He's an older bird, and that's really all I know. The prior owners had him for about 5 years after he and a different tiel were left on their property. She unfortunately passed away a few months after they were found and taken in due to egg binding. He seems to be very energetic, so I don't think he's a senior bird yet.

They're only out of their cages when I'm in the room with them. He's currently preening her a few feet away from me and the food.

Mimikyu has her own food and treats in her new cage as well. I'll try setting up a few different food and water stations around the place to see if it helps. Would shallow tupperware dishes suffice, or should I get more food dishes?

 

[Garet]

Being possessive and territorial about food, toys, and cage (and their human!) is normal for lovebirds. If a bird trusts you, that can sometimes lessen or disappear. Females are more prone to it. Did he come with the other bird? Are they a true pairing? Be careful with keeping them in the same cage if he is being aggressive.

He didn't come with her and they're not a pairing. I got her in September and was given Guzma on Monday. They both have their own cages, so that's not a concern. She's got the larger cage and I put him in her old one that's about 2x2x1 (the one he was given to me in was 0.5x1x1~). Poor little guy lived in there with a different female cockatiel, who passed away well before I got him. 'She got pregnant and died' to quote the old owners.

 

[Familyof12]

I have these tiny little ceramic lead free dishes I got that are for sauces. I also have some that are really cute that I got form a Japanese supermarket that is like a "bento box" and I can put different foods into it. You could use anything that is safe for birds. Just make sure of the lead or other plastics that doesn't degrade. I believe Tupperware is one of them so they would work great!

 

[Garet]

I have these tiny little ceramic lead free dishes I got that are for sauces. I also have some that are really cute that I got form a Japanese supermarket that is like a "bento box" and I can put different foods into it. You could use anything that is safe for birds. Just make sure of the lead or other plastics that doesn't degrade. I believe Tupperware is one of them so they would work great!

Ooh, bento boxes would be adorable to have around the house. ;v; Until then, I'm going to see if I have tupperware lying around. Thanks for the great idea!

 

[Garet]

Annnnd she doesn't want to eat unless she's next to the pig who chases her away from her food |D -sighs-

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Sounds like your Mimikyu may be infatuated with Guzman. Are they DNA sexed? With lovies, the hen is dominant and the cock literally hen pecked. Behaviour days Guzman is the hen, the other, a cock.

 

[Garet]

Sounds like your Mimikyu may be infatuated with Guzman. Are they DNA sexed? With lovies, the hen is dominant and the cock literally hen pecked. Behaviour days Guzman is the hen, the other, a cock.

Mimikyu's a 3 1/2 pearl with all her pearl pattern. She doesn't whistle and isn't very cuddly. I'm pretty sure she's a girl, just based on her pattern.
As for him, I'm not entirely sure. I'm really just assuming he's a boy because they told me he was one, he's never laid an egg in the 5 years they had him, his plumage is bright and he doesn't tuck the messy paper strips he makes into his buttfeathers. Not that it really matters to me, tbh. He could be an alien in a feather boa and I'd still love him.
On the off-chance that he is a hen, he does have his own cuttlebone, no access to nesting sites, and I know what to look for in egg-binding. I also share eggs with my tiel when I cook 'em, and he's more than welcome to help her steal all my egg whites.
(Also gonna look around for a mineral block for him. The only one they had at the pet store I went to was for rabbits).

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

I was stupid and missed the fact Mimikyu is a cockatiel. Sorry. Sometimes I am stupid.

One thing I noticed is my lovebirds and cockatiels love foraging in the alfalfa sold in pet stores for rabbits and guinea pigs. They love the stuff, eating the seed heads they find, breaking the stems apart to get the soft white pith inside and it allows them to play with nesting material that is not paper.

 

[finchly]

I was stupid and missed the fact Mimikyu is a cockatiel. Sorry. Sometimes I am stupid.

One thing I noticed is my lovebirds and cockatiels love foraging in the alfalfa sold in pet stores for rabbits and guinea pigs. They love the stuff, eating the seed heads they find, breaking the stems apart to get the soft white pith inside and it allows them to play with nesting material that is not paper.

I'm glad you mentioned that alfalfa! I've been wondering if they wouldn't like to forage in it, and if it would be safe (not too dusty) for them.

 

[Garet]

I was stupid and missed the fact Mimikyu is a cockatiel. Sorry. Sometimes I am stupid.

One thing I noticed is my lovebirds and cockatiels love foraging in the alfalfa sold in pet stores for rabbits and guinea pigs. They love the stuff, eating the seed heads they find, breaking the stems apart to get the soft white pith inside and it allows them to play with nesting material that is not paper.

Ah, no, it's okay! Everyone makes mistakes. And it sounds like I'll have to make another trip to the pet store for some alfalfa. I've tried to get them to play with coconut fiber, but Mimikyu is disinterested and Guzma's never really had stuff to forage in before I got him (besides the dirty paper at the bottom of his cage), so he ignores it. But I can at least try.

I also have this thing called Holland Cova Raff? I got it at a bird show when it was recommended to me for my tiel, but I'm not sure if it's safe for them. Do you think he'd like it?

 

[finchly]

Is it a bird food??

 

[Garet]

Is it a bird food??

It apparently is? The package I have calls it 'soft yellow bird food', but I haven't seen it anywhere but the bird show I went to.

It has bread products, cereals, oils and fats, sugars, vegetable protein extracts, seeds, minerals, milk and milk products, and yeast.
Vitamin-wise, we're looking at Vitamin A, D3, E, Iron, Copper, Zink, Magnese Oxide, Iodine, Antioxidants, and Selenium.

Serving size is one teaspoon per day per bird.

The milk and yeast make me a little worried to give it to them, but it was cheap, so I picked it up on the off-chance it was good for 'em.

 

[finchly]

OH, yes! Egg food I believe. I give just a little of that along with their pellets. It has high protein, if I recall, plus the iodine, iron, and D3 make it extra good.

 

[Garet]

OH, yes! Egg food I believe. I give just a little of that along with their pellets. It has high protein, if I recall, plus the iodine, iron, and D3 make it extra good.

Great! Here's hopin these little butts will actually eat the stuff. Thank you so much for letting me know it's okay for them.

And my birds like it.