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No idea what to do with Lovie

Csolis22

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Hi all,

I have a single female lovie, who this entire year has shown such weird behavior, she used to lay eggs but now she doesn’t.
instead she just regurgitates on every single toy and eats it non stop every other day.
I have taken her to the vet every month, and they’ve run every exam imaginable and it all comes out perfect and she hasn’t lost any weight or anything.
We’ve even tried antibiotics just to be safe and this behavior does not stop.
She gets fluffed up and naps, acts normal and plays, eats and drinks and starts regurgitation with all her favorite toys and perches and then goes back to sleep.
It reached the point where my vet said if we keep giving her medications we’ll do more harm than good and it really looks like she just wants a family.
And it’s been a few weeks since her last vet visit and the little behavior continues and freaks me out, but the vet said it’s normal for her and to try to just fix the mating obsession.
If she isn’t eating or drinking water, she’s regurgitating on all her toys, or just sleeping all day fluffed up.

have any of you gone through this?
It’s very stressful cause I’m always thinking she’s sick but she’s extremely healthy. I don’t know what to do.
 

Zara

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I don´t really understand why you/the vet is medicating her for regurgitating on toys.

My youngest (sex still unknown) does this daily. He goes through spurts of mating with his soft whale toy. But he will spend the day playing with other toys, or flying.

What is your birds set up like? Does she have a large cage? Are there lots of toys offering variety?
Additional foraging activities can help keep her entertained doing something rather than just eat/sleep.
What about shredding?

It is good that you kept an eye on weight - that is the number one concern when talking about regurgitating on toys.
 

Csolis22

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I don´t really understand why you/the vet is medicating her for regurgitating on toys.

My youngest (sex still unknown) does this daily. He goes through spurts of mating with his soft whale toy. But he will spend the day playing with other toys, or flying.

What is your birds set up like? Does she have a large cage? Are there lots of toys offering variety?
Additional foraging activities can help keep her entertained doing something rather than just eat/sleep.
What about shredding?

It is good that you kept an eye on weight - that is the number one concern when talking about regurgitating on toys.
he wanted me to medicate her because he was worried it could’ve been a crop infection since it’s been going on for almost a year, but we discarded that after because her exams are all super clear and healthy. She’s four years old.

she has a large variety of toys in her cage but he suggested I remove the shredding toys to discourage this behavior but it’s not working instead she just gets bored and Keeps sleeping all day if not eating or drinking water.

it’s very odd to me because she’s also molting now so she’s super uncomfortable and fluffed up while she’s sleeping, she looks spiked. But while playing she’s normal.

she also hangs out at the bottom of the cage when I’m near by to get my attention and starts regurgitating and eats it again while fluffing up to me. And then will just eat from her bowl for long periods-of time and continue napping.
 

Zara

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it really looks like she just wants a family.
More like, a parter.
She is seeking you out to regurgitate for you. You reject her so she goes to her toys.

he suggested I remove the shredding toys to discourage this behavior but it’s not working
I used to think that was the way... remove all shreddables, but now I don´t. I let them shred and I clean it all up at night. I haven´t found it increase eggs at all.
Do you have a picture of her cage and toys?
What sort of foraging are you offering?

Does she let you scritch or preen her? Pin feathers are uncomfortable, extra bathing opportunities or a helping hand always helps :)
 

Csolis22

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More like, a parter.
She is seeking you out to regurgitate for you. You reject her so she goes to her toys.


I used to think that was the way... remove all shreddables, but now I don´t. I let them shred and I clean it all up at night. I haven´t found it increase eggs at all.
Do you have a picture of her cage and toys?
What sort of foraging are you offering?

Does she let you scritch or preen her? Pin feathers are uncomfortable, extra bathing opportunities or a helping hand always helps :)

I don’t have a good picture at hand but if you’ll see below those are all her toys and there’s more perches at the bottom.
I’m offering nutriberries for foraging and she loves them and I’m giving her a vet recommended pellet diet as well.
She does let me preen her but lately she’s been very grumpy with me and gets angry but still let’s me preen her but attacks me after.
I should help her bathe, I haven’t done that recently.

buts it’s so stressful because I keep wanting to run back to the vet but even he says we’ve exhausted everything and that it seems really just behavioral.

DBC04B57-2A01-4CE3-BCAD-0CC961595415.png
 

Zara

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I have a hen who doesn´t like to play with toys. It´s rare I see her playing. But she does like to forage - and she´s really good at it. She also enjoys sitting on her swing, the same one in your picture. But she has a partner that encourages her to play with toys and they follow each other around too.

I would definitely give her some shreddables, and add foraging.

Here is some info on foraging and some DIYS you can make;

As for shreddables, go for palm leave plaits, seagrass, popsicle sticks, balsa, very thin soft pine. I am surprised she doesn´t shred those wicker balls.

How much time does she spend out of ther cage flying?
 

budgieluv3

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What are the cage dimensions? I don't know if this could be a factor, I don't really know lovies, but the cage is a big part of their daily life.
 

Ripshod

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I haven't seen it mentioned but does she get a chance to fly and explore?
 

Csolis22

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What are the cage dimensions? I don't know if this could be a factor, I don't really know lovies, but the cage is a big part of their daily life.
These are her cage dimensions:
Dimensions: 16" L x 14" W x 18" H
 

Csolis22

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I haven't seen it mentioned but does she get a chance to fly and explore?
Yes; I’ll pull her out of her cage but she gets bored easily and just wants to return back to her cage so when she flies she flies right back in there.
 

Csolis22

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I have a hen who doesn´t like to play with toys. It´s rare I see her playing. But she does like to forage - and she´s really good at it. She also enjoys sitting on her swing, the same one in your picture. But she has a partner that encourages her to play with toys and they follow each other around too.

I would definitely give her some shreddables, and add foraging.

Here is some info on foraging and some DIYS you can make;

As for shreddables, go for palm leave plaits, seagrass, popsicle sticks, balsa, very thin soft pine. I am surprised she doesn´t shred those wicker balls.

How much time does she spend out of ther cage flying?
im gonna trythis, thank you so so much for the resources.
She spends about 30 mins flying. Out of cage.
But I’m worried like I checked her again now and she regurgitated and wiped her head all over it and it’s caked on her.
I hate freaking out, but it worries me that something could happen to her :(
 

Zara

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Offer her a bath, or try to clean her up. Be sure you are cleaning those toys or whatever she is regurgitating on regularly.
30 minutes is not long, is that her choice? Or is that what is offered?
I encourage my odler girl to leave her cage, by setting up some treats on the play stand on my coffee table. She has to fly over to get the treat.
 

Kassiani

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I don't have a lovie, but I do have two fairly cage content budgies. I've started to work on recall training with them at least twice a day. They have to fly to my hand from the cage, I tell them Good Boys, and then they can nibble a piece of millet. I tell the "OK" and they return to their cage. I change where I stand, how far away, where the cage (on wheels) is located, etc. The more I've done this, the braver they have become. I now find myself with a couple of little whirlwinds over my head in the kitchen from time to time. It's been great exercise for them!

I'm sorry she's just so constantly hormonal. I wish I had some experience to share, but the boys have been relatively low key as far as that is concerned.
 

Csolis22

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Offer her a bath, or try to clean her up. Be sure you are cleaning those toys or whatever she is regurgitating on regularly.
30 minutes is not long, is that her choice? Or is that what is offered?
I encourage my odler girl to leave her cage, by setting up some treats on the play stand on my coffee table. She has to fly over to get the treat.
I cleaned her up.
I generally give her cage a deep clean every couple of days.
It’s her choice, after a while she gets uncomfortable and just wants to go back in her cage. But when I take her out she acts normal and active and playful.
Below is how she looks every morning after I uncover her. But when I walk close to her she comes up to me and fluffs her feathers. Once I fill her bowl she just spends the rest of her time eating and goes on her too perch and fluffs up like this again and takes a nap.
It worries me but she’s been doing this for months now.
D3558F06-0596-4384-ACCD-032C45DC1CB4.jpeg
 

Zara

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But when I take her out she acts normal and active and playful.
If she is more playful and active out of her cage, I would try to encourage her to be out more.
I don´t know for sure, but it sounds like she is lonely or bored.

@fluffypoptarts
 

sunnysmom

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How much sleep does she get?
 

Csolis22

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How much sleep does she get?
I cover her cage at 8pm usually and we both wake up around 7am, however she does sleep in my room and I keep my lights on until midnight sometimes and watch videos on my laptop. I’m not sure if this might affect her
 

Zara

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I cover her cage at 8pm usually and we both wake up around 7am
A 12/12 is minimum for lovebirds.
I put hormonal birds on 13/11 or even 14/10.
 

sunnysmom

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I cover her cage at 8pm usually and we both wake up around 7am, however she does sleep in my room and I keep my lights on until midnight sometimes and watch videos on my laptop. I’m not sure if this might affect her
I agree with @Zara . I don't think she's getting enough sleep/darkness. That can make a bird hormonal as the shortened periods of darkness can make them think it's "spring" and time to mate, etc. Is she covered? If not and you have your lights on until midnight, she's not getting nearly enough darkness. And as already suggested, hormonal birds can due with even more darkness - an extra 2 hours for a couple weeks to try to get their hormones back in check.
 

Zara

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however she does sleep in my room and I keep my lights on until midnight sometimes and watch videos on my laptop
To add, maybe you could buy a lamp to use so you can turn the main lights off, and headphones for your laptop, and also cover her cage with a sheet (I use duvet covers for some of my cages). That would work :)
 
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