questions about possibly adding a new lovebird

[lucky melatonin]

so, i've been thinking a lot about getting another lovebird so francis will play a little more and have nonstop company, although i'm with him a lot. i might start working more, so i wouldn't be around as much. plus, i'd just love to have another one.

what are some things i need to do though?? does it matter if it's a female or male bird? does having the same mutation matter?? anything else i need to consider please let me know. i don't want to cause any problems or anything with his happiness, so i want the smoothest transition of all if i do this.

thanks.

[sphinxface]

How do you know when a love bird is lonely??

[lucky melatonin]

i know feather plucking is a sign of unhappiness. mine doesn't do this. nor does he seem lonely, because he constantly has me or someone with him *mostly me*...however, i think it would be a good thing for him to have something other than me. i think another lovebird would make his living more interesting than hanging out with me, although we have a good time. haha.

[sphinxface]

I think if anyone should get a second love bird it should be me... I don't think Beezle's any interested in being my friend :(

I should get a bigger cage first XD

[lucky melatonin]

aw, how long have you had him? it takes time, francis didn't velcro himself to me at first. he wouldn't even come near me!!! just be patient, and keep in mind that all lovebirds aren't as lovey as others. although, he may be, keep working with him. the outcome is well worth the wait.

[Janie]

Emily, the first thing I'd do is to be sure what sex Francis is. If Francis is a male, I'd get a male since they generally get along well together. No guarantees with any two getting along but two males are a far, far better bet than two females. If Francis is a female, you might consider a male and then decide what to do about future eggs that are bound to come. I've read here that it's best to place an older male with a hen. Having two females in separate cages is also an option and sometimes hens can live peacefully together in the same cage. They can keep each other company even if they are not sharing the same cage.

Oliver was a single lovie for 2 years when I decided I just HAD to have another lovie. Not really for him (I am home a lot and he gets plenty of attention) but for ME! :D I decided to get two instead of one because I assumed that Oliver would not accept or like another bird.....WRONG! He really likes both of them and the three get along very well. In my case, it has been a great addition. Oliver still loves his "momma time" but he's also very happy to be in the bird room with the boys and now I never feel guilty if I don't have enough time for him some days.

IMHO, birds love the company of other birds. They still love their humans but they really communicate with another bird. I have a feeling that Francis is ON YOU like Oliver was/is ON ME and much as we love 'em, we also need a break.

As far as getting the same species, I would. Whether it's a peachie or a Fischers or Masked lovie, I can't answer that one. I stuck with ALL peachies.

I wish you so much luck in you decision to add another one. When it works, it's heaven! :D Everyone winds up a winner! :happy:

[lucky melatonin]

ok, thanks so much. i wasn't sure what sexes got along and didn't or if it didn't matter. i can take him to get sexed, he just really does none of these female things i've read about, like nesting and stuffing. he tears paper, never stuffs.

another thing, i can never find a breeder nearby, except the occasional craigslist bird...so how would i know, before buying, if it was a male or female??

my boyfriend REALLY wants to get one of the yellow ones with the peach face. what are those called??

i'm planning to get a bigger cage anyhow (i was going to get one at christmas, but found a much larger and longer one i want instead), so i figure i might as well get him a buddy! (plus my boyfriend has liked francis so much, he wants one that can be "his"...haha!) but i do want them to be together. regardless if they don't get along, i will have an extra cage.

[Janie]

Emily, I did find a good breeder at a bird fair and told her what I wanted (a violet and any other color for the second one) and told her that I would only buy males. I paid her to have them DNA'd before I bought them. It was worth the $25. to me to be as sure as possible that I was getting two boys.

She had the most beautiful little violet baby with her the first time I met her. That little violet turned out to be a hen and I took a pass and waited till she had two males.

You will hear about hens that do get along and can even share the same cage but odds are strongly in favor of two males getting along much better than two hens. If Francis is a male (yes, I would definitely DNA him/her first) and you don't want to deal with eggs or babies, I would recommend a male buddy for him.