Questions about my Love Birds

[Heather Cub Find all posts View Profile Close Heather]

I have a few questions about Love Birds. I have a pair of them that were given to me yesterday named Fred and Ethyl and they rub there beaks on the cage quite often especially when I start talking to them and they get excited. I am sure this is probably normal (I am dumb when it comes to birds but am learning :) ). Also for Love Birds they actually go at each other more often than I ever would have expected...is this normal? I am taking Ethyl to the vet next Friday because she is losing or plucking feathers from around her beak and under her wings, the woman who owned her said it has to do with mating (she layed eggs not too long ago) but I am still a little worried seeing they have been moved from home to home to home until coming here! I have never had birds but have also never seen a bird in a pet store that has no feathers on it's cheeks or under it's arms...doesn't seem right to me! Thanks in advance for all your help!

[kerryclair Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close kerryclair]

Hi Heather, I know VERY little about birds, but a friend has a lovebird and I asked her to pop in here and reply to you. She just adores her little critter....little thing was a rescue from a bad situation and she's really chanegd her life now...

Kerry

[Heather Cub Find all posts View Profile Close Heather]

Love Birds!

Thank you so much! I plan to go to the library today to get a book but it is always nice to get info from someone who has actually done it! My birds Fred and Ethyl were also a rescue from a family with 5 girls that tortured the birds and also hamsters that we had given them (we took the one that made it back too)! The birds are great so far...they are noisy but I like it (hubby doesn't so much...lol)! They are going to be so spoiled just has all our other animals are! I am taking the female to the vet next Friday (feather loss) just to be safe, they too said that it could just be from mating but better safe than sorry as I see it! Thank you for asking your friend to reply to me...it is so appreciated!

[Guest Close jen]

hey, i put this post up in the hello bit but saw it here to so ill post it again.

just thought i should post something about your lovebirds heather, i dont mean to cause you any alarm, but every aniaml i get is from animal homes. most of them have something up with them aswell. one of the most distrssing animals i had was when i first got red and partner. the problem with them was they had been in a very very noisy house of kids and had basically been terrorised by them. when i got them, red slowly became more and more unsociable, despite my greatest efforts to entertain him, and blue (his mate) kept plucking her feathers out.

when i spoke to one of my freinds who worked at a zoo, he informed she might be doing this because of the stress she had been through. the peeps in the zoo see it all the time in parrots, people keep parrots in small cages and dont give them any stimulation so through stress they tear their own feathers out, and seeing as it becomes habit the rarely stop doing it unless they are given proper help. i gave blue to the zoo she died about 4 years ago though. red is now a very chirpy chappy who has lived to a ripe age of 11 (pretty damn old for a finch ).

im not trying to scare you or anything but seeing as by the sounds of it they could be stressed, if she keeps pulling her feathers out for a while you might want to look at getting him help. it is rare in most birds (except parrots and other big birds kept in confined areas) but if it can happen to a finch i would guess it can happen to most birds.

i do hope they turn out ok, good luck

[Guest Close candice]

freaked out love birds

Hi, Heather, I am Kerry's friend with the lovebird, which is the most wonderful, intelligent, warm, and interesting pet i have ever had. first, are the birds afraid of you? If not, rubbing their bills on the cage, at least from my experience, indicates that they want out. My lovebird goes out all the time; they love to perch on your shoulder and go around the whole day with you; if you have their wings clipped, they LOVE to go outside with you. Of course, this takes care on your part, but my bird and I are inseparable, which is the way lovebirds like it. They are too intelligent to be left in a cage all day long. By the way, how big is your cage.

The feather problem is probably nerves. The birds need time to adjust, they need TONS of attention and sweet talk, and they need a proper diet. My book has a picture of a bird who was fed improperly and its feathers were horrible, falling out and spotted.

what is your diet for the birds? Do you cover them at night? All sorts of questions here....I'd love to help you.

[Heather Cub Find all posts View Profile Close Heather]

Love Birds

Their diet consist of a mix of nuts and seeds and other stuff...probably store bought I am guessing and each morning I have had them I get up and give them a small amount of apples, brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas and unsalted peanuts (which I was told is good for their feathers) that I shell for them. I am thinking that they did not get any attention for the past 2 and a half years that they were with this older woman, at least not being handled. Then they went to another home and then yet another that had children that terrorized them by poking them with the metal stick that locks the door on their cage and who knows what else and that is where I came in...I brought them home. I have 4 children but as we do they love animals and are great with them. they know right now that the birds need their peace and to be left be. The vet did tell me over the phone that having one lovebird compared to two is very different. He said that one is very affectionate and loving torwadrs their owner relying fully on them for love and nuturing but when their is two they are only interseted in each other and not anyone or anything else! They will let me clean and move things around in their cages but are scared and if I get to close they move towards the back of the cage but even with what the vet said I believe that they will come around eventually! We are going to the vet on Friday just to be safe and make sure the female is ok, the feather loss may just be stress but I want to be safe and I think I will get their wings clipped...that seems like a good start to making my new freinds happy, that way they can come out if they choose too! Any other suggestions you can offer would be great! Thank you so much...your help is very much appreciated! PS..No I do not cover the cage at night...I was told as one of the first things I was told to not cover their cage at night so I haven't plus they sleep well all night so I see no reason too unless I am supposed to!