My Lovebird Pair(pics)

[bird_luver24]

Well, after All my searching Im going to get these two, 2weeks from now! YAY!...My cage will finally be here tomorrow according to my Fedex tracking Number and Ill finally have my Lovebirds. :)
Im crazy about Pieds so, the breeder I was going to get the babies from mentioned that she had a pair for sale and she knew I was interested in pieds so, here I am!!
It is a Pied Female and a Normal Peachy Green Male. They are both 1.5years old and Im VERY excited to get them.

I have some Questions though...
I get the nestbox and cage with them but, I dont want any babies right now. Soooo, What Precautions should I take to not make their environment, Breedable. if that makes sense.
No Happy Huts/Huts of any kind, No Over feeding?, Nothing Shreddable, ???
Here is pictures of the pair:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/dane_luver2407/PiedGreenPr-1.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/dane_luver2407/mine12.jpg
Also, they are not Completely tame so, what are some things I can do in the beginning to begin to build a trust with them????....
Ive learned all about bringing handfed tamed babies home but, not to much about bringing adult Lovebirds home that arent so tame.

[Cathy]

Kelly, you have waited so long to get a lovebird that I think that you may be really disappointed by the pair that you are buying. First, the color of the bird just isn't as important as the way the bird has been raised. Your pair might have been hand-fed but that was well over a year ago and I doubt if they have been handled much at all since that time. Your breeder was intending to breed these 2, so keeping them tame and friendly was not a prioritiy. As you have read, lovebirds that are kept in pairs do not have the need to bond with their human. They already have a mate and do not need you except for maintaining them. Separating them to make them more responsive to you won't be on option because they have bonded and it would be too cruel to them. I hope that you will reconsider and get a single baby to start your birdie family. Best wishes, Cathy

[Janie]

Kelly, you have waited so long to get a lovebird that I think that you may be really disappointed by the pair that you are buying. First, the color of the bird just isn't as important as the way the bird has been raised. Your pair might have been hand-fed but that was well over a year ago and I doubt if they have been handled much at all since that time. Your breeder was intending to breed these 2, so keeping them tame and friendly was not a prioritiy. As you have read, lovebirds that are kept in pairs do not have the need to bond with their human. They already have a mate and do not need you except for maintaining them. Separating them to make them more responsive to you won't be on option because they have bonded and it would be too cruel to them. I hope that you will reconsider and get a single baby to start your birdie family. Best wishes, Cathy

Cathy took the words right out of my mouth. Not that lovies that age can't be tamed under any circumstances but it will take a long time and with a wild bonded pair, even longer.....if ever. If you do want to start with two, why not two young males? No eggs and no babies.

[Eliza]

Cathy & Janie offered some sound advice. If you are interested in having a lovebird that is comfortable with being handled, your best bet is usually a hand raised & hand tamed lovie. If, on the other hand, you are interested in breeding (I believe you've indicated that you might want to do that in the future but if I am putting words in your mouth, I apologize), you would be better served by saving money towards buying an established breeding pair AFTER you've mentored with an established, reputable breeder of lovebirds. There are members here who would be happy to assist you in that regard, I'm sure.

That said, if your heart is set on this pair AND you feel that you can adequately provide for them (housing, food, toys and vet care), you'll need to arm yourself with plenty of patience. This month's issue of Bird Talk magazine (November '06) has an article with tips about taming/ handling an unsocialized lovebird, written by Diane Grindol. The issue is on newstands now so you might want to head over to Barnes & Noble or Petco/Petsmart and check it out. Perhaps that can offer some advice.

Best of luck,

-e-

[Susan27]

The pictures show very pretty mutations. But, is there something wrong with the feathers on the pied female? Both pictures look like there are feathers missing from her wing?

I took in an untamed lovebird, Touki. She was originally paired with a tame lovie and when she came to live with me she bonded to my tame lovie Kiko. Instead of Touki taking lessons from Kiko, Kiko now acts more like an untamed lovie. They both became and are still very nesty. Their only goal in life seems to be finding nesting supplies. They are happy in their little bonded world and don't want to have anything to do with me...they still participate in popcorn parties though. This may not be the same situation you may be in, as you have a male and female...but it is somewhat heartbreaking to have beautiful lovebirds that want nothing to do with you. Currently I have 3 of my 7 lovebirds loving me, wanting to be with me all the time...but they are still babies and may change.

Just my :2cents: others on here will have more experiance with this.

[linda040899]

Hi Kelly,
Do yourself a big favor. Don't get the pair of Lovebirds. I looked at the photos earlier today but haven't had a chance to comment. The Pied lovie is missing feathers on the visible wing (what about the side you're not seeing?) and the Green lovie is missing feathers around the neck. Why is the breeder willing to sell a pair that she can obviously breed? I'm not sure that I would want to get an answer to that question. I, personally, would pass.

[Janie]

I thought I saw missing feathers on both of them, too.

[bird_luver24]

Thanks for all the advice..I didnt really notice both of them had missing feathers..I decided not to get them after all..

[shylevon]

Kelly

I am glad that you decided against this particular pair. They obviously have some health issues, judging by the missing feathers.

I think you would have been paying a few hundred dollars in vet bills right out of the gate to get these two healthy. Best to wait until you can get a couple that will give you no initial grief, or you may be turned off of owning birds all together. Featherpicking and self mutilation is a pricey problem to investigate and remedy.