How to get a bird to adjust to a new family?

[Speedingorange]

Well... as a few of you know we will shortly be the proud owners of two lovely lovebirds.

Both have been hand fed and hand raised to be used to being handled.

What steps would you advise taking to make sure they get on well with the new family once they arrive? shoudl we begin by letting them out of the cage? or will they fly away???

[Janie]

They will be fully weaned when you get them, right? That really is important.

I got my last two from a breeder and they had been pulled at 10 days, hand fed and socialized so when I picked them up at 10 weeks, I handled them immediately. I would not suggest that with a bird coming from a pet store who might not have been held much or ever. A lovie like that would need time to adjust and settle in to a new home before being handled. Even two that have been hand fed and socialized with still have to adjust to a new home, cage and toys but as far as holding them, I would do that from the beginning.

Are you picking them up directly from the breeder, at her home or aviary? If so, let the breeder show you how to hold them and also to tell you a little bit about what each one likes and doesn't like (they have such different personalities!). I held mine at the breeders home and played with them for at least an hour before putting them in their carrier and taking them home. They were by no means in love with me at first sight. Very friendly to the breeder and her family but I was a total stranger so I had to gain their trust and started doing that as soon as I met them.

I played with them together and then separately, too. For one on one play time I took the one lovie to a small bathroom, sat in the floor, and talked to him. Each one learned how to step-up during those sessions which lasted about 15 minutes, 4 times a day. Both of my birds had a "baby" clip, done by the breeder, the day I got them. That made it much easier for me! It was probably 2 to 3 weeks before my two babies really accepted me as part of their flock. They were friendly from the beginning but trust takes time.

I know that you want your birds to consider the whole family as part of their flock so I'd suggest that all members talk to them and socialize with them early on. It will be an exciting day when you bring them home so keep in mind that they'll need some quiet time and not too many humans in their face right at first.

Do find out what the breeder is feeding them (has weaned them to) and ask for a bag of that food and find out where you can purchase more. You can change brands gradually later on but it's best to have a weeks supply of what they are already used to eating. My breeder sent me home with a couple of pounds of the seed her babies were weaned to. With so many birds she had not spent time introducing them to fresh vegetables but I did, a couple of days after I got them, and they were open to trying everything! They especially loved the birdie cornbread. The sooner you offer fresh foods to them, the easier time you'll have getting them to try knew things and with two, if ONE tries it, the other will, too! :D

Good luck, I know it's a very exciting time for you! :)

[Kirby]

First off: CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW FAMILY MEMBERS!!!

The best thing to do would be to give them a few days to adjust to their new cage and surroundings. This amount of time will vary depending on the bird and their personality. During the adjustment time, you can develop a routine for feeding and going to bed, as well as have your entire family spend some time near the cage or in the same room as them so they get used to the variety of new people.
I would also make sure your two lovies' wings are clipped to prevent any fly-aways :)

I started off when I first had Kirby, by leaving him in his cage and staying in the same room and after a few days to allow him to get used to my voice. After a few days, I would open his cage door in my bedroom (I took down mirrors and covered my tv and windows) and just do my own thing, read a book, play on the computer and that allowed him to venture out on his own time if he wanted to. Eventually he was flying to my head and wanting to see what I was doing.

If you take it slow with your two that is the best way to go. Don't stick your hand into their cage, show that you respect their space and in return they will respect yours (they will still poop over everything though :p ) If they want to both come out of their cage to interact, then I would close their cage door and then be more interactive.

Despite them being hand raised, they might still act shyly or even aggresive to your hands as you and your family are unfamiliar to them. Have patience with them and you will be rewarded with Lovie Love.
I would have every family member interact with them and both lovies in turn, might end up having a favourite member over another, but don't get discouraged :) We have ALL gone through this process and a lot of us more than once

[Speedingorange]

the birds will be fully weened and ready to handle / will be used to being handled. i think they will be aprox 8 weeks old or so whenw e go to collect them from her house.

really is very exciting.

thanks for the advice, i will also be getting some food too from her enough for 2 weeks i think she said.

[Janie]

Eight weeks is young but not too young for hand fed babies to be fully weaned. The breeder should be sure that they are eating on their own for a full week before letting them go to another home. I would ask about that, just to be on the safe side. :)

[Speedingorange]

yeah i think when i spoke to her on the phone she said as soon as they are weened and eating happily on there own she would call us... so i guess that would imply that a week would pass. So you all think a slight wing clip would be a good idea at first?

[Janie]

so i guess that would imply that a week would pass. So you all think a slight wing clip would be a good idea at first?

Yes, yes, yes!!!!!!! :D You have no idea how quickly they can get away from you and into deep trouble if they are fully flighted! Matter of fact, I took my two for a full vet check the day after I got them and had the vet clip MORE! :lol It will be so much easier to teach them to step-up if they are clipped and I really do suggest that with two, you spend one on one time with each. They know and like each other and would be perfectly happy being with just each other. A tame lovie can revert to its wild ways in a short period of time so you really want them to get to know you, trust you, and consider you (and your family) as part of their flock.

Sometimes my two are allowed to be fully flighted but when they start to get an attitude and make me chase them to cage them, I clip them. They are 2 1/2 now and very bonded to me but a bird with full flight can be a handful! :D My older lovie is good as gold all the time and very, very laid back. For that reason, he hasn't had a wing clip in over two years and I can't imagine that I'd ever clip him again. But the other two.....YES, they will need a clip from time to time! :D

[Speedingorange]

hmmm ok, would this be something that my breeder should be able to do? i know its only a small portion of a few feathers you need to cut, as if you cut too much they may bleed?

and a small clip will hinder there flight, rather than stop it all together, as we certainly want them to be able to come and go between there cage and us, or from one person to another on there own accord

[Janie]

A good clip allows them to "glide" to the floor. They should not be able to get more than 3 to 5 feet of lift-off from the floor but should never "drop" to the floor. Ask the breeder if she knows how to clip. If she doesn't clip her birds my suggestion would be to find an avian vet to do it, at least in the beginning. There are directions here, in the Resource Library, on how to clip a bird but there is no way in the world I would have had the nerve to do it in the beginning. It wasn't till about a year ago that I decided I could do it myself and it really is easy but it took me some time to feel confident doing it. And, because my birds were so used to me and being held by me, it made it easier.

Do not let anyone tell you that it's OK to clip only one wing! That is always a huge mistake and throws off their balance. If you should end up using a vet for the clip and the vet wants to do only one wing on each, do not allow that.

[Speedingorange]

Note taken.

soooo much to remember.. aparently the birds are used to being driven around so they wont mind the 2.5 hour journey to get to my house from there home.

the lady im getting them off travels lots for her daughter, and keeps the chicks in the car with them to feed them etc lol

[Speedingorange]

Right, just spoken to sue, (the breeder)

she sugested moving all the toys towards the bottum of the cage to make them feel more comfortable? and less nervous? as things will be less spread out...

as they will have been used to a much smaller cage. and obviously a completeley diferent family.

and i will aparently be recieving some pics as soon of the young ones!!! :D