Weaning age?

[Jally]

I found a local breeder of black-masked lovies, which has been an amazing feat in itself, but when I asked if he had any lovies, he said that he had a lovie sitting on eggs and due to hatch any day now. He then emailed me again and said that one hatched yesterday and would be ready in 4 weeks.

Isn't that a little young? Does anyone think that he's going to either force wean or expect me to wean it? Which I am NOT comfortable even thinking about doing!

[LauraO]

It's hard to know exactly how each breeder sells their birds. I would email and ask a bunch of questions about weaning, handfeeding, socializing, the kinds of food they feed their babies, weaning, their set-up, and if you can visit the baby.

What you want is a well socialized healthy baby that is abundance weaned and one you can visit to begin building a relationship with. This kind of bird, regardless of mutation or breed, will give you the best chance of having a happy, healthy, well adjusted bird.

If this person does sell unweaned babies, don't let them talk you into taking the baby if you don't want to handfeed or have no experience. Breeders will tell you handfeeding is easy but IT IS NOT. Too many things can go wrong and it's very time consuming.

[linda040899]

Four weeks is way, way, way too young to be sold!!!! My guess is that the breeder will leave the baby with the parents for 4 weeks and then pull it for handfeeding the night before! Absolutely no way would I take a baby under these circumstances!!!!!!!

Parent fed babies are usually weaned and eating on their own by age 8 weeks. Properly fed, weaned, socialized ones take more like 11-12 weeks. This doesn't sound like a breeder you want to deal with. I wouldn't.

[Jally]

Thanks ladies. The breeder that I got Peanut from socialized him very well, sometimes I think too well LOL And, he didn't fully wean until 2 1/2 months old, even then the breeder waited until he was sure that he was fully weaned. I wish he was still breeding lovies. I think I may pass on this breeder...

[Elle]

what about getting an older bird? A rescue maybe? God knows there are so many of them out there in need of a good home. Some of them are very well socialised too.

Anyways, just a thought :)

[Jally]

There aren't any rescues in my area unless you count pet stores and craigslist LOL I don't know how Peanut would take to an older lovie. I thought he'd handle a baby better than an older one. Still thinking, though.