Female vs. Male question need info please!

[bbslovie]

Hi, we lost our lovie Peaches almost a month ago and decided we would like to adopt another lovie. The parrot place that our vet recommended hand raises babies and they had one baby lovie. We had it dna tested and found out it's a female. Peaches was a male so I know little to none about what to expect with a female. >o Her hatch date was 3/6 and will be ready to come home soon. :) Peaches was around two when he literally flew into our lives so we also have no idea what to expect from a baby either. :omg: Any help as to what to expect with a baby and a female would be greatly appreciated! :)

[lemonypickett]

From what I have read boys tend to be nicer, but many people on here have sweet females. I think I have a boy, but I am not sure. He (she?) is very sweet, but very bratty.

[bbslovie]

Thanks Laura, anyone else have any more information for me? They had another clutch and asked if I wanted to wait to see if one of the two in the new clutch is a boy. I need more info about females to help me decide! :confused:

[carrier]

My two are both boys, but from the information I have gathered here this is what I have learned:

Females can be very sweet and tame, yet they get hormonal when egg-laying time comes, and sometimes they can be very nasty when they are nesty! :rolleyes:

As a rule, I think girl lovies are a bit more difficult at times, but there are ALWAYS exceptions to rules! :rofl:

I'm sure I've been absolutely no help whatsoever....but I love my two boys.:nyah:

[Cindy N.]

Females can get nippy and territorial around their cages when they get broody. They can also bite harder. But, I have a very "tame" masked, named Sweety that actually helps me feed babies when I pull for handfeeding, whether masked or peachface. I also have Chitter, a peachface that is very tame, that started laying eggs on the bottom of her grated cage and started getting territorial with me at 9 months old. Unlike many people, I take the eggs away right in the morning that I know a female is going to lay and I change the perches and toys in her cage. Her body is already geared for the second one to be layed, so she lays the second one and I take that away from her also, right at first light. This has helped me stop territorial issues, and they learn that this is not a good place to lay.

I have one "tame" peachface that was very brutal when I first got her. Zoe (the green pied in my avitar) was allowed to brood eggs on the bottom of the cage in her former owner's home. However, I made sure not to give her anything that she could consider nesting material in her cage, I put her in a cage with a grate on the bottom, took any eggs she layed away and I have worked with her on her territorial issues. Instead of flying at me to bite from the cage door, she now sits and pretends to be tough, but then I bring my finger out for her and she steps up. Also, I find female PF are more noisy than males or any other lovebird species. However, I believe you can make this into your advantage and teach her to speak.

I would recommend that if you are going to get a female pet that you do not place any material in her cage that she may consider nesting material and get a cage with a grate on the bottom. You can allow her to shred things outside of her cage, but not inside her cage. Also, stick your hand in the cage to pick her up, right from the beginning. Pet her in the cage. Give her treats with your hands in the cage. At the first show of territorial aggression, change the placement of her cage and/or her perches and toys. And never show her your fear.

I hope this helps,

Cindy

[Janie]

Just my 2 cents but *I* prefer males because of the nesty hen behavior and the possibility of egg binding. Oliver was given to me when he was already about 7 and since he'd never laid an egg up until that time, it was safe to assume he was a male. After reading on this forum for 2 years I decided that when I got more lovies it would be males only for me. I found a breeder, found the bird I wanted (WF Violet) but that bird turned out to be a female so I took a pass and told the breeder (she always DNA'd her birds) to call me when she had a WF Violet male and another male of any color. About 4 months later I got my second two from her, brothers. I did pay to have the first one DNA'd, the one who turned out to be a hen, but she did not charge me for DNAing the second two.

All three of my lovies are very sweet and love attention. One, Big Boi, will bite but I've never once thought his bites were anything more than an over active beak exploring just a little too hard. He's a wonderful little lovie and would never bite me when I'm holding him, just when he finds a mole or freckle on the back of my neck! :D

I know there are some great hens on this forum and if one of my last two had turned out to be a hen after I got it (DNA on males is not 100%), that would have been fine but my personal choice is males.

[adibabee]

How exciting to be looking for a new lovie to bring home! We have a male and a female. Now, of course every bird has it's own personality but here's how it has been for us. Our female, Gracie, is definitely more nippy/bitey than our little male, Yoshi. Yoshi is a really affectionate little guy. Though I love them both for who they are, if I were to get another lovie, it would be a male for sure.

[thebubbleking]

Oh my someone must defend the hens!
I have both and altho my female is definately more nippy i have learned when and where she is most prone to get nippy at and it has helped tons, i find tho hens may be a bit more moody, they are smarter, craftier and keep the other birds in line lol
As far as noise my male is loder and vocalizes more then my hen but like everyone says each lovie weather male or female they have thier own distinct personality.
Oh and females tend not to gack on things or do the swishy dance on things to!

[Mummieeva]

I am going to say go and see all the birds and decide then. I am a believer in that when you see the bird for you that you will know. My only tame birds have been female. While they were nippy I loved them greatly.



Steph

[Pips mom]

I have a male that is nippy.....at least I think he's a male! quite sure! He never bites hard, so we don't care much, but the other birdies in the house do! When I went to go get Ivy, my newest addition, her former home had a huge beautiful bird room with lots of birds, two of them were female lovies......sweet as can be! They rode around on me for some of the time and I couldn't believe how sweet they were, and friendly! Much sweeter and better behaved than my little male monster! So I guess ya just never know how they'll turn out!