Preparing new bird

[eklees]

I am getting a new lovebird in 3 or 4 weeks. I am getting him from a breeder who already knows it's a male and told me he will be ready in that time. She typically sells her birds around 6 weeks old. Here are my questions:

1. I have three other birds: canary, linnie & budgie (share a cage). How long should I quarantine new lovebird? His cage will be in living room where he can see parakeets in dining room and hear canary in parlour.

2. How old should lovebird be before I pick him up? The birds this breeder had at a bird fair seemed really young to me, although they were all weaned.

Eileen Klees

[Mummieeva]

I would quarantine at least 60 days but if you can go 90. Be sure the new bird gets a vet visit also in that time. As for age I am not sure. But I would make sure they are weaned and have been for a few weeks before getting.



Steph

[bellarains]

Hi Eileen,

Welcome to the world of lovies, and the board. We will try to help all we can to acquaint you with lovies, but also read through the Resource Library, there is tons of good information there as well.

Quarantine should be a minimum of 30 days. If you are having a well bird check up, with complete tests for bacteria, PBFD, etc.... 30 days is sufficient. As you probably know, some disease can lay dormant for quiet some time though, so 60-90 days is best to protect your other birds.

Six weeks may be a bit young, especially if your little one is being handfed. I would ask the breeder to be certain that the little one is completely weaned before picking him up. You really don't want to have to hand feed if possible, as so many things can go wrong, even with experienced handfeeders. Some birds wean faster than others, but 6 weeks is generally just the beginning of being completely weaned, and some babies can digress when taken to a new home. Strange surroundings, with strangers can freak them out, so that they forget they were beginning to know how to eat on their own.

Let us know when you get your new fid(feathered kid), and please do post us some pics of that new baby:)

[Lindades264]

Hi Eileen, welcome to the board. I just wanted to add a comment in addition to the above. I have only had the experience of one clutch, I am not a breeder. My birds mated, after 2 years, and had their first clutch in January 2006. I came to the tough decision that I needed to find a new home for the adults as they were wanting to nest again after 2 months and it was just 'too much' for me. I was on a huge learning curve. The parents had fed the babies all along, I never interferred with this at all. I noticed at 6 weeks the babies were eating on their own (seed, veggies, grains). I kept a close eye on them to make sure they were not depending on mom and dad for food. At 9 weeks I let mom and dad go to their new home, as I was certain the babies were not depending on them for their survival any longer. All 5 babies did fine without mom and dad. Due to this experience, I also feel that 6 weeks is a little early.

[Janie]

Quarantine should be a minimum of 30 days. If you are having a well bird check up, with complete tests for bacteria, PBFD, etc.... 30 days is suffiecient. As you probably know, some disease can lay dormant for quiet some time though, so 60-90 days is best to protect your other birds.


Hi Eileen,

I agree with Lori. I did a 30 day quarantine with the last two I got but I did have them vet checked (every test possible run on both) the day after I got them so that I could protect my other lovebird. A true quarantine means not sharing the same air space. I kept the new boys in an upstairs bedroom, door always closed, and Oliver was moved to a downstairs guest bedroom. Two different heat/air systems so they did not share air space. The new boys were exposed to Oliver's bacteria since he'd been in the house for 2 years (and in every room) before I got them but I wasn't worried about that, just protecting Oliver.

I did get the last two from a breeder that I met at a bird fair (her first and only bird fair) and got to know her well before I "ordered" two males from her. They were almost 10 weeks old when I picked them up from her. Flying well and fully weaned for over a week and a half before I brought them home. Both were very tame because they had been hand fed from the time they were 10 days old. Personally, I think 6 weeks old is way too young to be selling a bird and I wouldn't take one at that age.

[eklees]

Thanks, all of you, for the excellent responses. I will tell the breeder that I will get the new lovebird when's he is at least 8 weeks old and able to fly. I will also quarantine him at least 30 days. I'm not afraid for the birds I have; I am more afraid of the new bird getting sick.

[Janie]

I will also quarantine him at least 30 days. I'm not afraid for the birds I have; I am more afraid of the new bird getting sick.

Eileen, the concerns I had were that the new birds would bring something in that could make my Oliver sick. I knew he was healthy and that he'd had annual vet checks and I assumed the new boys were also healthy but it was Oliver's protection that I was worried about. If the birds you have are healthy and showing no signs of an illness, they're fine. Any new bird coming in could bring in harmful bacteria, even if the breeder is a good one. It can happen.

BTW, the day I picked my birds up is when the breeder gave them their first wing clip. They had three weeks of flying by then and were strong flyers. You won't want to have a baby clipped until he/she's been flying well for a few weeks.

[Cathy]

Eileen, if this breeder has been showing her birds at bird shows. ask her if she quaranteens them when she brings them home. You wouldn't believe some of the sick birds that people try to get rid of at bird shows. I have been to 4 now and each time I see something else that makes me shudder to think about exposing my precious birds to.

I don't want to sound discouraging, but I would really question the breeder's intentions in selling birds when they are so young. Do you have any other bird breeders in your area? If you do, I would check them out.