Socializing and introducing lovebird babies

[merrin091]

Greetings bird lovers
I own a lovebird and a budgie and well, they mated and now I have two lovebird-budgie babies. What do you call them? Budgebirds, Lovegies? Anyway, they're 8 weeks old now and I have already put them out from the box to explore their cage and stuff and I will return them in at night for sleeping. I have tried socializing them this afternoon, and they've been such angels. They snuggle in my hand and thy jump on my shirt to climb and rest on my shoulder like a pirate's parrot (~Arr). Should I wait for a week before I introduce some veggies and fruits to them? I also want to show them some toys, I'm thinking of making a small pen for them to play in at some times of the day while I socialize with them. Will a metal dish lined with a soft cloth with toys do? I pick them up from beneath their feet, then I let them snuggle on the palm of my hand while I pet their heads and rub underneath their wings or their chest with my finger, is that proper socializing?
Sorry for my oh-so many questions but this is just the first time I've had baby birds and I want them to turn out to be lovable, well-tamed budgebirds I need all the help I can get. I'll post some pictures soon when I get my hands on a cam

And for the benefit of everyone, I did not intend to cross-breed my birds, we originally had lovebirds but the female killed the male so my uncle bought three budgies and the two died and only one survived. Pretty sad and awful, and I also plan to keep the babies, I'm not going to sell them.

 

[Feather]

I had no idea it was even possible for lovebirds and budgies to crossbreed. Now I'm a little concerned about Swan's tendency to hang out with loves all day every day. I'm very curious to see photos, though!

I'm not a breeder, so I think I'd better leave your questions for someone with experience in that department. Good luck!

ETA: I'd call them lovebugs.

 

[Ashleigh]

Im not a breeder so im not sure sorry, im sure someone here can help you out.

I can't wait to see pics of these guys, do they look more like a lovebird or a budgie? Hehe im so curious to see what they look like.

Btw I agree with Lovebugs

 

[merrin091]

Well the lovebugs look like lovebirds but their feather patterns are that of a budgie can lovebirds store her previous mate's sperm for ling periods of time before using them? Cause one of the babies looks exactly like the teal colored budgie we mated with the lovebird before it died, so our lovebird female had two mates, originally a teal budgie but he died and the female lovie was left with the yellow budge. Yÿ

 

[HelenVanessaDavies]

How weird! Lovebugs sounds gorgeous though. Pictures?and if you don't mind me saying that little lovie of yours is abit of a hussy

 

[Anne & Gang]

wow...have no idea of your answer but would love to see pics of them!!

 

[merrin091]

Wow you guys are so excited to see a cross bred lovebird... No one has answered my question yet anyway, you guys wait for my pictures

 

[JLcribber]

And for the benefit of everyone, I did not intend to cross-breed my birds

That's not really a true statement because you let them incubate and hatch.

Those birds now have mixed genetics that would never happen in nature. There's no telling what will happen and a good chance they will develop some problems if something is not already wrong inside.

Please don't let this happen again. Your playing with life.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I don't know about this. Any pictures? At 8 weeks they should be flying around fully formed and sizes of adults. They aren't still in the nest box. And lovies and budgies cannot hybrid.

 

[Mizzely]

I've never raised baby birds, so I don''t know how to answer your questions but yes, we are all interested in pics! I was unaware that a hybrid of these species was possible.

 

[wonderb]

OK, I'm not a breeder but since no one yet has answered your questions I will take a stab! First, are you hand feeding or letting the parents raise the babies?

Should I wait for a week before I introduce some veggies and fruits to them? Once they are fully feathered you can start putting dishes of veggies and cooked foods for them, they will just taste and play around with it at first and that's normal.

I also want to show them some toys, I'm thinking of making a small pen for them to play in at some times of the day while I socialize with them. Will a metal dish lined with a soft cloth with toys do? When you take them out to handle them, you can put toys out for them too. If they are in a brooder instead of a nest box you can put a toy or two in there too.

I pick them up from beneath their feet, then I let them snuggle on the palm of my hand while I pet their heads and rub underneath their wings or their chest with my finger, is that proper socializing? Sounds good to me. If the parents are feeding them still, just be careful to not have them out too much. Especially if they are not yet feathered because then they cannot regulate their own body temperature yet.

Now we need PICTURES!!

 

[Erin1979]

Here is someone else claiming that their lovebird and budgie mated
http://forums.avianavenue.com/bird-boulevard/59184-possible-breed-lovebirds-budgies-together.html

I'm curious, what exactly killed your other birds?

 

[65sunnyday]

I remember reading somewhere that some parrots can store semen for some time before fertilizing eggs (& I think the parrot mentioned was a lovebird.) What are their hatchdates? Please keep us updated, with pics! Since your female has killed before, you might want to separate her & the chicks from the other birds as, with humans, killing is easier the 2nd time around, & if she feels threatened in any way, she might kill her babies, too

 

[Erin1979]

Here is a little bit of information about sperm storage, so it is possible. I found a ton of information while googling.

Female sperm storage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://people.eku.edu/ritchisong/avianreproduction.html

I agree that if one of your birds is killing the others, I would separate her from the others.

 

[Anneka]

Budgies do not breed with other species. Certain different parrot species can but not budgies.

 

[Mizzely]

Budgies do not breed with other species. Certain different parrot species can but not budgies.

Not that they don't try though Budgie mating with Cockatiel ~ Paratiel or Cockakeet ~ - YouTube

 

[Erin1979]

My female budgie is always trying to get busy with my female parrotlet.

 

[merrin091]

Oh well, I really did not intend to cross breed at all! So if you feel bad about those babies, I do too, but there's nothing we could do, there already there. I will post some pictures later so stay tuned All I know is that we had two male budgies in with my female lovebirds, and soon enough, they had chicks with budgie patterns, I don't know what that means if they had cross bred or it was just genetics but I do not plan to sell their babies, I will keep them, so don't worry about finding the chicks home cause they are home... with us

 

[merrin091]

Well, the female killed her mate, I know it's natural but not before, so I gave the male lovvy a cruel death by being soooo inexperienced. Now, I know better by separating the male one when things heats up. The female lovebird has had three mates, the first one was her original partner which she killed after laying clutches of infertile eggs, the second one a teal lovebird-looking-budgie-feather-patterned male who she also fought with and killed the time round I wasn't there and she's now with my yellow-green budgie who she tried to kill too, but two deaths is enough so now I separate them. I did separate the teal lovebird and the female lovebird and only join them during mating season but I don't know why she still killed him. Yes I am as sad as you guys , and no I don't play with life.

 

[Feather]

That's so devastating. Is she caged alone, now? If not, I strongly suggest just keeping the female separated from other birds, period. She doesn't need a mate, and the sounds and sights of the other birds in the room should be plenty for her. No sense risking another male or any chicks' lives.