wild lovebirds

[Wayne Thrush]

i want a lvoebird, and i dont think ill be able to find a breeder. i am going to buy one probably from a store that has them for 40$ each. the lady who worked there said they are pretty aggressive. my question is, do you think i will be able to tame them in a decent ammount of time if i am very consistant? or, does anyone know of a lovebird breeder near needles california? i doubt anyone has ever heard of it :P

[mjm8321]

Hi Wayne,

You'd be surprised that you might find a breeder near you. I had no idea where Needles was; until two minutes ago when I looked it up. :lol
Taming a "wild" lovebird can be very easy for some and can be trying for others. Beginning with a tame bird is easier, but wild birds can be tamed. A lot of time and patience are the key. The younger the bird, the easier to tame. If you have the time to work a lot with the bird, I'd imagine you would see progress fairly quick.

[Elle]

Hello Wayne,

My blue fisher was not tamed when I got her. Not forcing her into anything but following her pace, it took her about 9 months to become comfortable with people. From that point forward, the amazing changes occured daily. I am currently working with an injured bird that I aquired on Tuesday. She was handfed and socialised but went back to wild due to lack of human contact. I know it will take some time with her too but the trick is to consistently work with them, at their own pace. We cannot force them. We have to earn their trust.

I had a lovebird for 10 years prior to the two that I have at this time. She too was wild when I first got her and in her case it took about a year before she would come see me on her own will.

I don't think there is a fast way to do it. However, I tame/ train them the way I was taught. Patience, love and earn trust. Some poeple may have other ways that are faster then mine. Maybe they'll let you know.

Hope this helps a little,

[LauraO]

Just my :2cents:, but taming a lovebird takes lots of time and patience. It is virtually impossible for anyone to say how long it will take to tame a lovie as all lovies are different as are people and their expectations. In fact there are some birds who will never like people no matter what. Or, like my first lovie, he has tamed down a lot but he still doesn't like hands and never will. If this is your first bird I would wait around and see if you can find a young tamed lovie. It's a much easier first step then going straight to the wild petstore bird. That is, unless you like a challenge:rolleyes: .

[butterfly1061]

If you can't find a breeder, see if there's a bird club near by. They may be able to give you some names. Also, check at the local vet's office, avian vet if you can find one, for a community board. They may know someone too. :2cents:

[Angelwing]

You can try asking your local bird club, vet clinics, and browsing the paper to see if there are any breeders near you. Where are you located?

Every lovebird is different, as others have stated. No one will be able to tell you how long it will take to tame one. Love and patience is the key. Favourite foods seem to work well, too. ;)

[Mummieeva]

Others here have said this but I will too. You can tame a store bought bird. But remember taming takes time and patience. So be sure you remember you have to go at the birds pace. Also try www.petfinder.com. They have rescued bird and a classified section also. I hope you find the bird for you.



Steph

[Wayne Thrush]

well, i called a pet place near me, and they said they can order a hand fed lovie for me, but it will cost 50$... so im going to give it a try. it will be in on thursday, and im going to call today to see what kind of info i can get on the breeder... and maybe even try to get their phone number, so next time i can buy directly from them :P

[Paulette]

There is a shelter in Pacifica, CA called Mickaboo Cockatiel Shelter. They often have lovebirds and some are already tame and need homes.

http://www.mickaboo.com/availablesoon.php

Good Luck with your choice. Lovebirds are so much fun.:D

[Wayne Thrush]

i have seen that site already, but thank you. i appreciate it

[Wayne Thrush]

oops, i mis-spelled a word, i meant site if anyone couldnt understand what i said :)

[linda040899]

Hi Wayne,
You can edit your messages by just clicking on the "edit" button once the message has been posted. Make the change and click on "save."

I have to agree with the others. To tame a lovebird, you have to gain its trust. There are no shortcuts, no matter what you may see advertised on several websites and by various individuals. Love, kindness and patience are the keys and they will help you get what you want. How long? Each bird is an indivudal so it will vary from bird to bird.

[Wayne Thrush]

i read a post in here someone made about taking four years to tame one of their birds. i hope it wont take me that long, but i really doubt it will because i have a lot of patience with animals, and i have a lot of time to spend with my new lovie when it arrives

[Mummieeva]

Just keep in mind that some birds will never be truly tame. We have several owners here with wild lovies and they would not trade them for the world. My view is I go at my birds pace since I have to win them over.



Steph

[Wayne Thrush]

i know that not all birds end up tame, and if that happens i will still keep my lovebird. but, i will buy another one hoping it will become tame... and if not, ill end up with a ton of untamed lovebirds i cant hold :P

[Illumen]

Hi Wayne, my 1st lovebird was bought at Petco and untamed. He's now quite tamed, he won't let me pet him with my hands ( I don't think he ever will ) but he does step up on my fingers and lets me give him kisses on his beak. He's just fine sleeping on my shoulders. I will have to say lots of time, love, and patience will help a lot.

Mena

[fpmeehan]

You can also search the web for a lovebird breeder. A few months ago I looked around and discovered a few breeders near Bakersfield, CA and some in the Los Angeles area. You might find one also near Riverside. I live in Santa Barbara and there is an aviary sanctuary in Summerland, CA called the Menagere.

If the pet store can get you a hand-fed lovebird, it may be worth it. $50 sounds reasonable. I paid $100 for my normal green peach-face lovebird and $120 for a Dutch Blue peach-face lovebird. They were bred and hand-fed at the Menagere by the owner, Jamie. Both are very healthy!

You might like to know that there is a bird fair in Ventura (North of LA, on the Pacific coast) on May 7th that may be worth visiting. Check the web for information. You cannot, however, bring a bird into the show.

Good luck!:p

[Kumashe]

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