So need some help

[charmedagain]

Hi everyone i bought my step daughter a lutino peachfaced lovebird 2years, Anyway for some strange reason he/she has now got lots of red feathers running through her yellow feathers i have never seen this colour mutation before could anyone tell me whats going on

Here is the link to the pictures of him/her before and wat she looks like now


http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=231887063


Also is there a way of telling wether its male or female without DNA Testing

Thanks for any help

Mike

[Janie]

Hi Mike,

We've had a few posts here concerning birds that developed a lot of red. I remember one that turned completely red but I can't remember what the cause was unless it related to liver issues. Someone here will be able to give you more information. The only advice I can give you is to take the bird to an avian vet. As far as telling the sex w/o DNA testing, it's only a guess. If you find an egg, you know it's a hen but sometimes males do display hen type behavior (shredding and tucking) and sometimes females display cock behavior. If the bird is around 2, it's still too early to be sure that an egg won't be laid in the future. Some hens lay before they are a year old but others wait till they're past 2 1/2 years old.

[BarbieH]

Hi Mike;

I've seen that kind of coloration described as red suffusion. http://www.africanlovebirdsociety.com/genetics/red.htm According to the ALS, it could have a physical cause related to the liver; or the liver could check out normal. It's really stunning, but breeders haven't been able to reproduce it.

You seem to have quite the menagerie in your home. :) How many pets in all?

Best wishes,

[Janie]

Barb, thanks! I could not remember that term, red suffusion, and that is what my wee brain was trying to come up with. :D I'm glad to hear that the liver can check out OK even when the bird turns. And I agree, it is beautiful! What was that "red" bird we used to see around here....Zasu or something like that. :confused:

[butterfly1061]

Red Suffusion's are gorgeous, but to be on the safe side, I'd have your bird's liver checked by a vet. If it turns out not to be the liver, then you have yourself one gorgeous Red Suffusion lovie. I've seen more pictures of red suffion birds that were Lutino to start. :2cents:

Here's a past post about Zazu. http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/showpost.php?p=40100&postcount=3

[charmedagain]

Thanks everyone for the reply, Could it be that we originally had him/her on a parrot food with dried peppers, Nuts and things in it, then she put it on a cockatiel mix thats when it started turning a little red now it has alot more...

It loves being out of the cage and sitting with people.

I will get it taken to the vets to have its liver and the bird checked over.

Thanks again for all your help this site is great

Mike

[butterfly1061]

No, the food wouldn't have anything to do with turning the color of the feathers red. It looks like it's definately Red Suffusion.

[butterfly1061]

There are coloring foods for canaries, but you have to buy a specific color (yellow, red) and the food Mike described was not that type of food. My dad has canaries and I've bought the coloring food for him many times at birdfairs. Lovebirds do not need this type of food.

[BarbieH]

I thought that what ALS wrote was interesting: that red suffusion could be caused by something that is no longer detectable in the bird. It's like the red coloring is the last symptom of a problem that has already fixed itself. The society also mentioned that it may not be a permanent change, especially in a young bird. It could molt back to normal coloring.

[charmedagain]

HI everyone well i have spoken to a breeder of lovebirds and she says that i should not worry, Aslong as there is no change in the way he acts eats drinks and his poop is normal then everything is fine.

From the behaviour of tweety she says my stepdaughter has a male so now she is wanting a female but i quickly said no they are lovely birds but one squawker is enough haha..

His behaviour is normal never changed since we bought him in 2004 he is very loving has never bitten anyone and loves to sit on your shoulder while you rub his head or chest, Is not possesive over his cage or toys and sits and talks away to my cockatiels which are in a different room and even tries to talk to the birds outside when the window is open...

Thanks for all your help again this is a great website

Mike :grouphug1 :grouphug1

[Janie]

Mike, I would still rather have the opinion of an Avian vet and a few tests done to be sure this is not a health issue. :)

[charmedagain]

We are still going to get him checked i dont want to leave anything to chance.

hopefully all will be fine

Thanks for everyones replies they are greatly appreciated

[BarbieH]

There are a couple of schools of thought on whether or not a pet bird needs a mate to be truly happy. We kept Gracie by herself as a single bird for about a year (maybe longer) before we got her a George. She laid eggs and sat on them even without having a George around. She didn't have any behavioral problems related to her single status.

It's a personal decision. I would never criticize a person for choosing to have one bird. That's how many of us started out. :)

[Janie]

It's a personal decision. I would never criticize a person for choosing to have one bird. That's how many of us started out.

I agree! If you have time to devote to a single bird, I think that will be one very happy little bird. I know that Oliver was very happy for the two years that he was a single bird. Yes, he does enjoy the company of Big Boi and Shy but I can assure you he would still choose me over either one of them.

As far as them needing to have a clutch, YIKES! Totally irresponsible, IMHO! I purposely have three males because I don't have the resources to place 10 to 15 lovies, every year, in a new home when they are weaned. If you go to a rescue group to adopt any dog or cat, they are always spayed or neutered before the adoption takes place. There are way too many unwanted and homeless pets in this world already and I would never add to that. I certainly don't think it's wrong to breed if you positively have the resources to place each and every off-spring in a good home. That's my :2cents:

[Venoma]

Nature does not include keeping a winged creature clipped and in a cage, XP. In nature, there are multiple factors that will offer shortened lifespan, higher mortality of chicks and predation. By bringing them into domestication we MUST curb their reproduction, especailly if we do not have the resources to give all chicks a good home, as the pressures that drive them to reproduce in large numbers have been largely removed.

If one is solely concerned with nature, one should transport their birds to their natural range of distribution and release them. (oh, and avoid asking to HYBRIDIZE birds)

[charmedagain]

Hi everyone just wanted to let your know everything came back clear with tweety vet says he in perfect health...

I do not believe in the birds should be kept in pairs or flocks myth, I have cockatiels and they is one male on his own and he is very happy to keep it like that.

Tweety is a very happy bird never bored and never just sits there, he is always doing something funny, he is out of the cage alot with my stepdaughter and is very happy..

Its all good and well saying that they should be kept in pairs and allow them to breed and raise a clutch but its just not that simple.
I breed cockatiels and used to breed finches aswell as budgies and i know the things that can go wrong...

Birds alike all other animals do not need to raise babies to feel happy and complete if they never have young its not going to make them ill.

The reason i dont want my stepdaughter having another bird is because if they have a clutch its finding good knowlegable homes for them, I do not have the time to handfeed any chicks that the parents may abandon so no getting another bird is just not an option.

anyway again thanks to everyone for the really helpful information.

Mike

[butterfly1061]

Mike,

Glad to hear the vet check was good :) You have one gorgeous lovie and wheather he's a single pet or in a flock - he's happy. Please keep in touch as we have enjoyed seeing your red suffusion lovie. We don't get a chance to see very many :happy:

I have four now, but started out with one. It was my choice to add the others and they are very happy and so am I. I never intend to breed and my 4 turned out to pair up in 2 females and 2 males. It just happened - I got lucky. My lovies are very happy birds and I feel that most of that is how I interact with them as pets. I socialize with them as a group and individually :2cents: