Questions about my lovebird.

[Joyce]

I was given a lovebird a day ago. Her name is Lucy and she's 5. I don't know much about her past family, only that her mate died a while ago. When I got her and her belongings, it appears that she has only been fed seeds. Plus she's in a nesting box sitting on 5 infertile eggs. He first vet appointment that I am taking her to is a couple weeks away. So, I could really use some advice. I started today with mixing greens in with her seeds. I was wondering if it had to be done slowly like when you switch over a dog's food? Plus, should I remove the eggs and the nesting box? I also noticed that her stool was runny. Not sure if it's from the stress of being moved around. Not to mention, that I'm not sure what type of lovebird she is because her colors are unlike any of the ones I've seen.

 

[Zara]

Very beautiful! She is a Fischeri lovebird (Fischer´s).

How long has she been sitting on the eggs?

 

[Joyce]

Very beautiful! She is a Fischeri lovebird (Fischer´s).

How long has she been sitting on the eggs?

I don't know, I wasn't told when she laid them, or even if the previous owner had said. Some sites I read said to wait until she got board and others said to remove right away. I really don't want to stress her any more than necessary.

 

[Zara]

Removing straight away isn´t a good idea. Most lovebirds will re-lay lost eggs.

The best thing to do, is to let her incubate those eggs for up to and no more than 22 days. If you have a male (maybe in the future you bring home a buddy) then boiling laid eggs, marking with a Sharpie (branded pen) and putting back once cooled will help you prevent breeding. For lone females, they can just sit on the eggs they laid as they are.

If your bird stops incubating the eggs before the 22 days are up then great, remove the nest, rearrange the cage, move the perches around, move the food and water bowl too.

If your bird is still sitting on the eggs at 22 days, remove the eggs, the nest, and rearrange the cage like I said above.

As you don´t know when those eggs were laid, doing the math, today is the 18th, you got her on the 17th, so she started laying at the latest on the 9th. So use that date to count from. So Lucy has until the end of the month to abandon her nest of her own accord, if not, you will remove it all on the 1st, take the eggs the nest and give teh cage a nice rearrange. If you can rotate the cage, even better.
Be sure to monitor her closely, because we do not know when those eggs were laid, so she could have had them already for a few weeks, or who knows. Look for any limping, lethargy, loss of balance, loss of weight if you are able to track her weight, and in general for any signs of illness or that something is not right. Sitting for too long puts pressure on the legs and can impede blood circulation.

Once you remove the nest box this time, don´t put it back. Lovebirds enjoy a nice natural branch in the highest part of the cage to sleep on, they don´t need any nests, boxes or nooks, especially the hens.

You can also introduce some new toys or foraging activities into the cage, entice her out of the box, show her there are fun things to investigate out there.

 

[Zara]

I was wondering if it had to be done slowly like when you switch over a dog's food?

For now while she settles into your home, let her eat the food she is used to.
You can set up a second dish and offer some pellets or veggies, or have three food bowls one for each. See if she goes for any of the new stuff, this way she gets the choice without forcing her or taking away what she is used to or making her go hungry.
As you have her on eggs, she may not be very receptive to it, but you can still try.
In a week or so, you can remove the seed for 20 minutes to a half hour in the morning when you wake her, and have the pellet bowl there instead, then put the seeds back in.
It´s definitely a slow transition, but you can add as many new things as you like, just don´t take away her food all at once.

 

[Clueless]

@Zara you rock!

Thank you for your response to the OP. I read the eggs on the nest in her original post and my heart stopped. I remember how I felt when I first brought home the Amazons. So scary to have little feathered friends that relied on me. If there had been eggs? Oh gracious.....

For what it's worth @Joyce my Amazon Secret did break grinding and I thought it was like teeth chattering in humans. I'd race to the cage to see if she was cold.

 

[Zara]

@Zara you rock!

If there´s one thing I know a thing or two about, it´s lovebird eggs