Two Lovies and dont know where to start!

[Nevadaleigh]

To be completely honest. My fiance has always loved birds. and my interest has always been there. Well he was on a site and found two free love birds with cage that a young boy (16) was giving away as he did not have time for them.. We went to see them, and fell in love with them. They came right to us. The one they said they could never get to socialize loved us. Needless to say we took them..

Now in reading everything we can in the past 24 hours . I dont know where to begin. They were hand raised, and would come to us when we first got them. The People we got them from got them as a pair. and told us that they believe one to be male and one to be female.

We have gone and got them a good mix of food as well as some fruit chunks (which they wont touch) as well we have gotten them toys and ladders etc. When we got them they litteraly had a food dish and a water dish and a branch to sit on in there cage.. Sad if I do say so myself.

But now that we have had them for 2 days. They wont even come out of there cage and sit on the top. They dont investigate there toys. Atleast not well we are watching. They do chirp at us alot, and we talk back to them . But if you get within 3 feet of the cage they go and hide and stop talking.

As well I am a stay at home mom. I have quite a bit of time. But not all my time to spend with them. My fiance on the other hand works upwards of 80 hours a week and is usually gone 5 days a week. I want them to know that there are certain times on the day dedicated to them . But want them to be ok on there own as well.

If someone could please help with some basic stuff and where to start that would be wonderful . Thank you

[Pips mom]

2 days is a very short time......they need time to get used to their new surroundings and new people. They have each other.....this should help alot with dealing with the adjustment. Lovebirds are very wary of everything and notice everything, very alert and you will notice that they watch everything that you do when around their cage. They just need time, just let them have a week or two to realize that this is their new home and if they don't feel like coming out right now, then just let them make that choice and accept it, and let them be......trust me, they'll be out causing trouble in no time!! :rofl::rotfl

[Pips mom]

Oh also.....I would get them some toys, a swing, stuff for them to chew. I have one who's a big wood chewer so I would make sure they have lots of things made of wood, like ladders to chew on. Lovebirds usually aren't too picky about toys.....anything that looks fun, colorful, cheery since this is what their personality is all about! Rope perches are also good perches to have and you usually find them pretty cheap, I know walmart has them.

[Nevadaleigh]

Thank you so much... as I read more on this site I am reading that alot.. was just worried.. as I sit and type tho I can hear them chirping cause I have left the room. As a mother of 4 the older three (13 11 and 8 ) are content to just sit and do there normal stuff around the birds.. My 1 and 1/2 year old will run up, we have the cage up where she cannot get to it. But she will run up and point and say birdy and try to sing to them.. Should I have them in a more quite room away from them and do this stuff on my own or should I just allow them to get use to the stuff that goes on around here as the normal. Cause well it is the way it is??? Any ideas and suggestions would be wonderful..

As well would love help maybe picking names for our birds!

Thanks Again

[linda040899]

Hi and welcome to Lovebirds Plus Community! If you need help, you have found the right site. Lovebirds are our passion and I can tell you now that the key word to your situation is love, patience and understanding!

They are new to you and your home. The first thing they have to learn is that you mean them no harm. That will only happen through experience. Think about how you feel when you are in a strange, new place. If they have never had toys before, they don't know how to play. It will take time for them to learn. Ditto with new food. They need to learn that it's edible or they won't touch it. Back up to square one and just socialize with them from outside of their cage. Just spend time near them, talking to them. Eat near their cage. Lovebirds are social eaters so you may find that they eat when you do.

Two days is a very short period of time when you are trying to form a trust relationship with them. Take it at their pace. Let them get used to you and come to you. Lovebirds are naturally curious so I can almost guarantee that it will happen!! :)

In the meantime, check out our Resource Library and read through our Behavior & Taming forums. We have the equivalent of an online book here.

[Pips mom]

A young child running up to the cage right now can scare them yes, I think I'd try to have them in a quieter area for now, as long as you interact with them and spend time talking to them. The flock eats together, so eating a meal near their cage shows them that you are comforable eating with them and that they are your flock and you'll notice alot that when you eat, they will also go and eat. You could have your child on your lap and read a book out loud to her and the birds. I have always tried to immate back the sounds and chirps of my birds. This will get them to see that you are trying to communicate with them. They are pretty smart little birds and will learn pretty quick that you like them and they are very social little birds so they usually respond fairly quickly to your offers of frienship. Try getting some good treats like millet and popcorn.....my Pip loves walnuts! Just enjoy them and stay relaxed and watch them as they start to learn to trust you. They are amazing little birds! so strong willed, determined and so full of fun! Mine make me laugh and smile each day!
Ohhh, and I am not very good at names....with Rudy, I picked a few names and posted them here and then had a vote and Rudy won! and the name really suits him!

[Nevadaleigh]

Thanks again so much and I think the idea of reading to her and them is great... She loves her story time and if that becomes her time and way of socializing with the birds for now, then I think that will be great. As I sit and type I have left there cage open. Of course I bird proofed the room and the baby is having her nap so no harm there as will I can see them from here.. and they have ventured out of there cage. they are just sitting on top but it is a good start and has with all your wonderful words of encouragement brought my fears down about them not being happy.. I truly understood more from the statement of think of how you would feel in a new enviroment not knowing anyone it makes sense. I am so glad I found this forum and am reading alot as well as enjoying the kind comments and encouragements..
Pop corn really wow.. is there a place on here that I can find that list the things they can and cannot have for food. I mean I bought bird food and spoke to the people at our local pet store. But again with being new to this would like to know what I can and cannot offer them.

[linda040899]

Check our Resource Library and print Robin's New Owners Guide. It has a list of what they can and should not eat.

[Nevadaleigh]

Just another quick question? The people I got the birds from said there wings were clipped. But they fly quiet well.. I am curious as to how to tell if they truly are..

[linda040899]

If their wings are clipped, they should still be able to fly horizontally, just not gain any height, and be able to land without falling. When they fly, you should see the outside 4-6 flight feathers will be shorter than the rest of the feathers. It's possible that they were clipped but the flight feathers grew back in as a result of a recent moult.

[Pips mom]

Just watch them when they stretch a wing out.....birds always do this and look for flight feathers that are shorter.....always be careful when you or anyone else clips their wings because a too severe clip is bad, they need to still have some flight when their wings are clipped. I highly recommend wing clips on lovies....because they are just so darn mischievous! Once you get into the routine of having them clipped or learning to do it yourself, you'll know when they are due for a clip again just by how bold and out of control they become!!!! :rotfl
See?? out of the cage already! in no time at all, they'll be used to you and their new home! then.....watch out!!! :rotfl:rofl: You will be a good lovie slave in no time!!! :rofl: enjoy!

[Nevadaleigh]

Well Tonight they actually ventured off the cage not to me but to a pile of my 18 month old daughters toys... Some rings and and brightly colored toys .. But a little more progress.. I did get them to step up onto my finger and they both went straight to my shoulder from there.. but when I got within 2 feet of there cage they went back to it... But definitly a step in the right direction I think...

[Enko_chan]

That's wonderful! That is definitely progress! (:

[Nevadaleigh]

Just a quick update.. So last night I got out some toilet paper tubes and put them on the top of the cage.. It has now become a game for my one bird (green one) to come out and pick up the tube and throw it off the cage and then sit and yell at me or my other half until we pick them up and put them back.. Just so he can do it all over again. :) puts a smile on our faces..

Just a few questions, What is the best way to introduce new foods.. Should I do it in a seperate dish? in there food dish? in there cage where they normally eat? out of the cage? Any Ideas on where to start and how to introduce new foods would be great.. they are 1 1/2 and have never had anything other then a good seed mix.

As well I have these solid plastic rings that I got for my daughter when she was 3 months old. there are no parts to come off and they are non toxic. But they are brightly colored.. the ones you get in the baby section at walmart. I am sure someone knows the ones i am talking about.. Just wondered if these would be ok to introduce as toys to them???

[linda040899]

Sounds like you are being assimilated into their flock as I type this!! :rofl::rofl: If they like you as a playmate (good slave.....), they will take the playing even further. Just play in non-threatening manner. :) Progress!

New food can be hard, especially when they are a bit older (not that 1.5 yrs is old by any means), as they are set in what they recognize as food. If they enjoy playing with bathroom tissue rolls, try Cheerios as an introduction to new food. (Note on the Cheerios: human cereal is enriched with extra iron and birds don't need the extra iron, so I would only use this to introduce the concept of non-seed food to them.) Perhaps put something flat on top of the cage and leave a few Cheerios there for them. As they will discover, Cheerios are a toy that can be played with, as well as tasty to eat. End result will be an idea implanted in their minds that there are other things in the world that don't look like seed that can also be eaten. :)

As long as there's no way they can get heads stuck in the center or themselves stuck in the rings, sounds like they would make safe play toys.

[Pips mom]

Awwww......lovebirds love to play fun games like this! you will be good friends in no time!

[Nevadaleigh]

So over the weekend my lovies have started coming out more and more... They are sitting on my shoulder as I type this... But only if they come to me... I can not look at them or even attempt to touch them or they are gone... fly back to there cage usually.

I do have a question tho. My one lovie is shredding paper.. I know this is normal.. but it is tucking it into its feathers. Is this normal , is she trying to tell me something? The yellow one I have will taste things out out my hand tho if I go soooo slow.. the green one loves to play toss the toilet paper tube off my cage and then squawk till you pick them up... All 5 of them.. I know he knows what he is doing cause he doesnt yell till the last one is gone lol...

I just hope that they arent always going to be afraid of me looking at them of coming near them???? I mean even when I go to put the rolls back up they run and hide and then as soon as they are up there they come up and look around and then throw them off and yell at me...

[StormyMom]

Im not an expert, but i "think" its only the females that do the paper tucking. My female did this and wola...few weeks later..an egg!! Usually if you see alot of "nesty" behavior (excess shredding, tucking paper, making a nest, aggression) you might want to limit what you give them because it may be encouraging the behavior..at least thats what ive been told.

Yeah 2 days is very short for a bird =) My lovie Stormy took 2 months to come around..now i cant get the buggar off me LOL. Lizzy on the other hand, miss bold, came to me from day one. I think the breeder did a great job raising her though.

[whereswalid]

mine got used to me on the second day! first day they were in their cage alone to explore it..... haha i miss them... they live at grandmas house now