it's been a long time!

[lucky melatonin]

hey guys, sorry i've been away for awhile, just been super busy, but i'm back and have got plenty of news.

my little fellas starting mating a couple of weeks ago, as i expected they would sooner or later....i got miss dude a nest box and she has been busy, busy laying eggs this past week. we've already got 3!!!! it would be 4, but unfortunately, one fell to the bottom of the cage somehow. she stays in that nest box all day though, so i'm excited to see what happens, but VERY nervous because i've never done any of this before. francis is taking very good care of her, he sits on the outside perch of the nest box and feeds her. he gets in there with her sometimes, but not too often. she does come out on her own occasionally and gets water and cuttlebone, but i rarely see her actually eat other than what francis gives her. any prayers and advice are welcome because i want the best for these little guys if they turn out fertile. i'm going to candle them about day 10, so sometime at the end of this week to see if they are. i'll keep you guys posted! :wink:

[thebubbleking]

Best of luck keep us updated and as soon as momma bird lets you post some pictures!
Peeping you in our prayers!

[spiritwolf46]

Congratulatioins!!!!! I sure hope all is well with the birdies and the eggs. :)

[michael]

hey guys, sorry i've been away for awhile, just been super busy, but i'm back and have got plenty of news.

my little fellas starting mating a couple of weeks ago, as i expected they would sooner or later....i got miss dude a nest box and she has been busy, busy laying eggs this past week. we've already got 3!!!! it would be 4, but unfortunately, one fell to the bottom of the cage somehow. she stays in that nest box all day though, so i'm excited to see what happens, but VERY nervous because i've never done any of this before. francis is taking very good care of her, he sits on the outside perch of the nest box and feeds her. he gets in there with her sometimes, but not too often. she does come out on her own occasionally and gets water and cuttlebone, but i rarely see her actually eat other than what francis gives her. any prayers and advice are welcome because i want the best for these little guys if they turn out fertile. i'm going to candle them about day 10, so sometime at the end of this week to see if they are. i'll keep you guys posted! :wink:

Hi Emily, Francis and "The Dude". Sounds like you may be having some big changes coming your way...or perhaps rather some little ones instead :rolleyes:.

I'm sure even with plenty of lovebird breeding information at hand, having feelings of the "nervous fidma syndrome" could get heavy at times. Hopefully your decision in allowing their breeding activity to continue towards full term is a religious one. While there is still time to advert to measures that prevent the production of baby lovebirds, regardless of your decision I think it may be necessary to address the difficulties associated with the excessive production of eggs.

Breeding is indeed a wonderful experience and can carry on without much difficulty or human intervention. Certainly this is what we would hope for. If in the event things don't go as planned though, it may be necessary to take measures that require great care while at the least having emergency vet care and sound advice at hand. Please, do your best to ask specific questions here "ahead of time" so as to allow time for reasonable preparation.

Are you sure you can follow through with having baby lovebirds with a busy schedule yet still care for them? Are you keeping any babies should they hatch, or are you planning on rehoming them at a later date? I will add it can be heart wrenching to part with any lovebird, especially babies born under the care of both you and your already loving pair.

At this point it will be important to make sure their diet is sufficient and supportive of their breeding activity. It may also be more helpful if you can give us a total rundown of their dietary intake at the present time. My suggestion is to post or repost this along with any questions you may have in the "Lovebird Breeding" forum. This will help ensure that those members with the most "hands on" experience will advise you in providing the best possible care for Francis, The Dude, and their eggs/or soon to be hatchlings. Prayers that all goes well.................:)

[lucky melatonin]

yeah, so far so good. they have a pretty well balanced diet. they eat lots of veggies, mainly fresh carrots, broccoli and kale. whole wheat organic bread. as well as plenty of cuttlebone and a good seed mix. they don't eat pellets, so i stopped offering. they just leave them there. so i figure the diet is pretty good.

i bought a few books and have been reading everything about handfeeding and care if my intervention is neccessary. sometimes the times vary according to different breeders on when they should be fed...so it confuses me figuring which advice is best. i don't mind taking care of them although i am busy, plus my boyfriend is helping me so i'm not alone. regardless of how busy i get, i'm always dedicated to the care of my birds, so that's not a problem. if it goes as well as i hope, i wouldn't mind them breeding. they are still tame and social....but if it doesn't turn out well, i'm not sure how to address the breeding issue.

[beckyg]

Have you candled the eggs to see if they are fertile? Congrats btw and I hope everything goes well! :)

[lucky melatonin]

i'm going to do that tomorrow. i read day 9 after they are laid is the best overall time for a first peak because i don't want to disturb her too much. so i'll let you guys know tomorrow!