I think have the lovebird bug need advice

[jetanlori]

I can't stop looking on the internet at all the different types of mutations of lovebirds there are. I am so enthralled with all of them and try to find the ones that I like the best. I love the Fischers with their red beak and white eye ring. They don't seem to have the sweet, smily look on their face as the peachfaced, they look more scared. I have heard they are not as sweet, more skidish...any experience anyone???

Also as any of you know I bought an oranged faced green LB yesterday. I was really torn between him and one of the oranged faced lutinos. I guess the only reason I didn't get them both is because I have always heard that especially with lovebirds, they will not bond as well to their human if they have another lovie in the cage with them. But this poor little guy seems all alone in there and the cage is so big for him. Any advice on whether or not I should get the other one?

[Janie]

:lol!!!! Are you kidding me? You're asking bird addicts if you should get another one???? OF COURSE YOU SHOULD! :D Seriously, my older lovie is a single bird. Since we adopted him when he was between 7 and 8, he was too old to consider adding a buddy. I just had to have more! Too many beautiful colors, right? So, I went to a bird fair, met a great breeder and told her I wanted two males and that one had to be a WF Violet and that I didn't care what color the other one was. I waited patiently (I really wasn't in a hurry) and she called me a couple of months later letting me know that she did have two male clutch mates and that one was a WF Violet. I got them and they are a blast! They most definitely are bonded but I do interact with them every single day and they do accept me. I never feel a bit guilty when they have to be locked up cause they have each other (and lots of toys!) so they're never lonely. I do feel guilty when I have to leave my single lovie. *I* am his flock mate so when I'm gone for several hours, he truly is alone. I will tell you that in the future I would always get TWO at the same time. Males cause I don't want babies and also because hens don't always do well in a cage together. Anyway, your boy will likely bond to you more if you don't add another lovebird but you can still have a friendly little bird even if you do add another one. So, what would I do? I'd go get that little lutino! :D

[jetanlori]

Great just what I needed to hear...not sure if it's good or bad, all I needed was someone to give me permission. When you say they accept you, what exactly does that mean?

[mjm8321]

:rofl: I am certainly the last person you should be asking if you need to get another bird!!! :lol

My advice, let your little one settle in for a while and bond with him/her. If after a while you still feel that he's lonely or needing a companion, then go for it, but I'd spend some time to get to know this little one first.

I do not have any Fischers, but they are a bit smaller than peachfaces and can be a bit more skittish. However, they also make wonderful pets with plenty of taming and love. If you do decide to get a Fischer to be a companion for, Mango isn't it?, you might consider getting the same sex as Mango, because if they do decide to breed, they would produce hybrids (which are frowned upon in the bird world, as well as making the birds sterile).

Just my :2cents:

[Mummieeva]

The only thing to keep in mind is be sure if you get a second that it is also male. Unless you want babies..lol. I have 2 lovebirds and they are bonded to me and each other both. We have quite a few here with 2(or more) who are bonded to each other and owner(or should i say the birds own the person). I plan to add a few more to my flock also( maybe a masked of two..lol). I do not have any Fischers myself but someone here has some I think. This place is not good if you want a lone lovie...lol. They are addicting big time.




Steph

[Keltoth]

Any advice on whether or not I should get the other one?

No, you should most definately NOT get another lovebird...
































...you should get another five, just to save yourself some time. :rofl:

[jetanlori]

LOL you guys are funny. I would definitely get another male. The only reason that I am considering getting one so quickly is that I trust this breeder and liked the birds I saw. Mango already knows this OF lutino and I would not have to quarentine. But like I said I wouldn't want it to make Mango un-handleable (if there is such a word) but I do like th idea of him having company should I not be able to dedicate as much time as I'd like on a particular day.

[butterfly1061]

Eric, Now quit that! :lol

Lori,

My Molly was an "only bird" for a while and I too thought he was lonely. I waited until he was about 8 or 9 months old before I got Daisy. Now, Molly is EXTREMELY bonded to me, so when I got Daisy, Molly wouldn't have anything to do with her and still doesn't. So... I got another - whew! Daisy was about 5 months old when I got Piper and they play, preen & eat together, until Daisy has had enough of Piper. Then she becomes a momma's girl and I'm all she wants. I guess I'm not the best case senerio to listen to about a second bird. Just remember, all birds are different just like all humans are different. There's no guarantee two birds will get along. :2cents:

[bellarains]

Lori,

If you seriously want another lovie, in my opinion it is best to add one sooner than later. After a lovebird bonds to you it is a bit harder to introduce another bird to them, and it is entirely possible to have a relationship with both. You just spend time with each of them one on one, as well as together.

I also added another lovie after having my Bela for a little over a year. It did take awhile, but they are very happy together now. Lacey is a sweetheart, and she is so much company for Bela when I am at work.

As always, the key to a tame bird is everyday interaction though, and that applies to a pair also.

So....... Nope, I'm no help either :lol

[jetanlori]

So....... Nope, I'm no help either :lol

Yes you area giving me great advice, that is why I'm thinking of NOT waiting. I just want to make sure that it won't mean a lack of relationship with both of them for me down the road when they are truly a bonded pair

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Yeah, may as well get both. :) I started with 1 and ended up with 2. I've had no problems keeping both birds tame and friendly even though they are very much bonded to each other. I open the cage door and both birds come running out to see me.

[Joanie Noel]

I don't remember what having two birds was like. (Maybe because I bought the third within a few weeks of the second.) :blush: I think it was nice? That is how ungodly addicting lovebirds are, grrrrr. They suck you in until you eventually have four and then they take your money like no other and you end up moving into a two-bedroom apartment to give your birds their own room. :eek: Okay uh, wait... that's my story... But I still love 'em all to death. :D All the breeders I'd meet at bird fairs would say, "If you have more than one lovebird, they won't be bonded to you and will not stay tame." That always bothered me, considering it depends on the birds, the owners, and the time they spend together. I wish I could go up to each of them now and tell them how much I proved them wrong, because my birds are bonded to each other but still all love me at different levels and are tame as well. It's not even so much that I worked with them individually, because in all honesty, the one-on-one time thinned out when all four started competing for attention. They seemed to follow the leader and came to understand that if one was completely accepting and unafraid of me, then the others should be too. They may not be at the same levels of tameness, but I'm letting them determine that in their own time. :) Maybe that's just my limited experience.

So the moral of my story is that if I can keep four lovebirds tame, you can definitely keep two tame. So you might as well get another lovie, and then eventually you can handle four too. :lol (Sorry, I'm a little nutty because I'm going to two bird fairs this weekend myself. I feel like I'm already being sucked in and I haven't seen any birds yet. :x)

Go for the lutino.... la la la :whistle:

- Joanie

[LauraO]

Well I thought I'd jump in here and add my :2cents:. If you get two lovies that is great but I would at least wait a week or two and give your new lovie time to adjust to you and your family. Can you have more than one bird and them stay tame? Of course, as Lori said it is all dependent on the bird and how much time you spend interacting with them.

My thought on waiting a week or so is that your new lovie might not have any reason to be interested in you if you brought home a friend so quick and the new bird may run to your new lovie right away. I have 19 lovies but have never bought a pair. We've introduced them to our flock as individuals so we can spend time with them when they arrive.

Can you have multiple lovies who love you and want to spend time with you? Of course! I have 19 lovies and while they have various degrees of interest and tameness, I can handle 17 of them and do on a daily basis. I'd say 10 to 12 of them like to spend time with me and there are those that just aren't very interested in humans but they are happy because they have a mate and a flock. I'm the one who usually gets them out of their cages in the morning and puts them to bed at night and I give each one a few minutes of my time. I also hang out with them during the day for a while.

Whether you decide to get the other lovie now or wait is really your decision. It sounds as if your ready to go get the other one. I would just remember what Lori said and spend a few minutes throughout the day with the birds individually and together and this goes for your other family members as well. The more human interaction and from various people the better.

Good luck :D

[Paulette]

Come On People..... :lol ...IDONOTNEEDANOTHERPARROT... :lol ...Ok, lets all say it together......Idonotneedanotherparrot......Idonotn eedanotherparrot......

Of Course, I'm a rebel... :x ...so what do you think usually happens?.....is it getting dim.....cloudy... 8) ...dark.....in here? :p

Oh Yeah.....so I'm really not the one to ask either.....lets see I've lost count of how many birds I have acquired since the spring.....so let me count for a bit....ummmm......9 Budgies + 6 eggs, 6 Cockatiels, 6 Lovebirds + 5 babies + 3 eggs, 4 Zebra Finches + 6 eggs....so that's 25 not counting the babies. but....personally for me I think all birds should be pared up.....it just seems natural.....if we are going to lock them in a cage, I feel it is the least we can do to give them as natural a life as possible.....however, I do admire those with a single bird and the taming possibilities appeal to me tremendously.

Just really it just depends on whether you get "sucked in" as some have said. I have a hard time resisting.....I just love birds!!!....but I will say this....at the time I was acquiring all these birds....I did not take into account....that there is really no time off.....so when you go on a weekend stay or vacation....someone will have to come in or you will have to take the birds to someone for supervision. And lets not forget the holidays or spring breaks....I'm already fretting over the care of my birds....I love all of my birds, but I'm wishing I had fewer...so I could at least take them with or take them to a friend for a duration. And now that my flock expects their special breakfast. I service the cages twice a day, remove the seed cups in the morning, serve breakfast hand out bath bowels, later remove the breakfast cups in the evening and give fresh seeds, wash breakfast/bath cups so they'll be ready to go the next morning. In all honesty, when I only had parakeets/budgies and they were on a seed and water diet only, I would leave them for a weekend and not think another thing about it. And never had a problem other than my birds didn't live long on that inefficeint diet. I've had probably one medical emergency per month since my flock has grown....and had I not been here some birds would have expired, because most emergencies (here anyway) have involved loss of blood in one form or another. So, anyway....food for thought. Gosh, I guess I'm a little long winded. And you're going to do what in the heck you want to do anyway. So good luck making a decision. :D :2cents:

[Janie]

If you seriously want another lovie, in my opinion it is best to add one sooner than later.

I agree with Lori. I'm not saying that you need to rush right out today and get that second bird but I would do it sooner than later. Was your bird caged with the other one you're considering? If that's the case, they'll pick right back up where they left off. :D

What I meant by they "accept" me is that I can play with them, hold them, rub their heads, take them out of the cage, put them back in the cage and give them together shoulder time (on me) every day. My other bird seriously spends 80% of his day hours ON me when I'm home. The bonded brothers do not and are very happy together. IMHO, a bonded pair is easier to care for. Lots of fun and very entertaining but very happy together and require much less individual time. I am absolutely wild about my older bird but feel a lot of guilt if I'm away from him for a long period of time, all day or for an out of town trip. I miss the other two but know they are happy, just being together.

[jetanlori]

First I know none of you are going to believe me but if I got the second lovie I can assure you that I would not be getting anymore. Two is my limit and the only reason that I want the other one is so that they will have company. Although I think birds ae gorgeous and especially lovebirds I realize that to add more than the 2 would be only because I fell in love with another one and it was such and such color etc. I know for a fact that I would not be ABLE (tempted manybe) to have another bird, I don't have the room and would need another cage and can't do it. Do I'm still deciding. I can pretty much say that I probably will get the OF Lutino since Mango already knows him. I've already picked out a name, Papaya. Isn't that cute, Mango and Papaya...One thing that concerns me though, originally through email the breeder said a normal OF would be $75 but he charged me $100, when I questioned him he said because this is not a normal OF it's a split to lutino. Does this sound strange to anyone?

[mjm8321]

I don't find it odd that he asked you for an extra $25 but if he originally told you that the bird was $75, he should have stuck with that, regardless of the split on the bird or not. Perhaps if you do decide to go with another bird from the same breeder, mention that to him and maybe you'll get a break on the second bird. If I quoted someone a price, I wouldn't change my mind and tell them more after the fact...simply not good ethics in my opinion.

[bellarains]

Lori,

It sounds right to me. Lutino's usually run a bit more, and the OF even more, so a OF split to lutino would be even more. If he sells you the OF lutino for that same price, that sounds like a pretty good deal. You might get him to take a little less since you bought two from him also.

BTW, did he offer a health guarantee? If so, most breeders usually give a 30 day guarantee. Either way, a well bird check will be needed ASAP to assure you that Mango does not have any health issues.

[jetanlori]

Now I'm confused. The OF lutino is $100 but then what is Mango? He's an OF green split to lutino? Is there such a thing?

[jetanlori]

I just got off the phone with the breeder, what a nice guy. He was surprised when I told him Mango was already giving me kisses. Anyway he said that Mango is called an orange face split to lutino. I already made the appointment to pick up the OF lutino tomorrow at 11:00. Mango will be sooooo happy! :happy:

[Mummieeva]

Congrads on a soon to be second. I am not pro at the genitics so will let otehrs handle that. But I wanted to say nothing wrong with only having 2 birds.lol. If my birds did not have their own room I might stick with oens I have got. But I really only want 4 more.lol. Then i can be happy and stop driving family crazy. To bad the 4 I want are pricey birds :whistle:


Steph

[jetanlori]

Hi Steph, just curious, what are the 4 that you want

[LauraO]

Split Lutino means that one of Mango's parents are lutino. It also means he carries the lutino gene but doesn't show it, and if you wanted lutino babies you would have to get a female lutino. Both parents must have the ino gene to pass it, but females only show the trait visually.

By the way, Congrats! I hope all goes well tomorrow :D .

[Janie]

First I know none of you are going to believe me but if I got the second lovie I can assure you that I would not be getting anymore. Two is my limit

I do believe you. I could have a 100 but I know better and I know my limits and I am at my limit with three! I would love to have had just two but because my older lovie was too old for a buddy, I got two and Oliver continues to be MY buddy. The initial cost of the bird is nothing compared to the life long cost of the bird, another reason that three is my limit. Cages, space, vet care, food, toys......yep, three is IT for me. I think you'll be very happy with two! :D

[Keltoth]

It also means he carries the lutino gene but doesn't show it, and if you wanted lutino babies you would have to get a female lutino.

Correct, except that if he were to pass the Ino gene onto a daughter, she would be a visual Ino. The only way you can get a visual MALE Ino offspring is if the mother is an Ino and the father is either a visual Ino or split to Ino, as the new bird seems to be.

Congrats on the new birds! I would have gotten 8 or so, but that's just me; I have no self-control lately... :lol

[Buy A Paper Doll]

"First I know none of you are going to believe me but if I got the second lovie I can assure you that I would not be getting anymore. Two is my limit."

Two is my limit as well! My pair are very happy together and I love them dearly, but I think more than that would be overwhelming for me.

[Mummieeva]

LOL Had to find the site with the names to be sure I had them right.
One is a masked lovebird. Do not care color(love a violet but they are very pricey here in states). Number 2 is a White faced Cobal Cinnamon(thats thanks to our own RubyGem..lol). Number 3 is White faced Mauve AKA Slate(Thanks to Barbs wonderful Digit.hope i spelled it right).The third is another Whited faced Violet(which is thanks to my own Baggy). Can you tell I like purple...lol.Honestly purple birds are pricey were I am. I am going to a bird show in December and know I will come home with atleast one more bird. I never liked normal peachfaced lovebirds til I got my Kiowa. So who knows I might come home with a diffrent color.


Steph