getting a mate for Lutino

[MaurI]

Hello!

I have this Lutino for about >2 months. He is healthy and very active - talks very much (to sparows and to himself), plays with his toys and shows acrobatic trics but I feel that he is lonely. Now when it is summer I am at home very often but when my studies will start (in september) I will have to leave him for 6 and even more hours.
What about getting a mate? I don't know my lutino's gender so what would be better - x-male or x-female in this case? What specie should I choose? Well there is a problem - it is hard to find a peachface( but not impossible) - fischers are very popular and for several times I have seen blue masks and once I saw a green mask and peaches too. So is it OK if i pick a masked lovebird or is it strongly recomended to choose a lutino?
What about those leg bands? I have noticed that in some pet shops lovebirds have those and in others don't - what does it mean? What info is on thos bands and does it really matter if bird doesn't have one of those?
The most important - how and if they will get along? Please give advice on this - should I or shouldn't I get a mate for my pet and how should I choose to be sure that everything will end OK?
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When I bought my lutino they told me that he is less than one year old. Well I don't know how old he really is so what about age difference?

Thank you very much!!!

Please answer - This is my first pet lovebird and I am not sure what is right and what is wrong.

[MaurI]

bump

[bellarains]

You definitely want a peachface lovie. I would however have your bird DNA sexed before getting another lovie, as you would not want to have two females by choice

Leg bands will tell you the DOB, state and breeder, but other than that the leg band is not so important.

If you do get another lovie, and it is a female, you will want one younger than lutino.

Hope this helps with your decision.

[Janie]

Hi Mauri,

I can't give you definite answers to most of your questions. The first thing I would do if I were you, considering adding a second lovie, is to find out exactly what sex Peaches is. In most cases, males do tend to get along better as same sex couples but there are never any guarantees that any two will get along.

As far as the bands go, you can get information regarding their age and what breeder they came from through that. My last two had bands but I know their breeder and their hatch dates and had both band removed the day after I got them.

Since you have a peachface, I would get the same species. Just my :2cents: Others here do have both mutations that do get along well. There are no definite answers.