dmj64
11-25-2006, 11:56 PM
Hi there, everyone,
Here’s another stage of my rocky Lovebird ownership road:
Note To New Lovie Owners: Beware Of Nestiness!
I’m new to lovies, so I don’t know if this is common. I sure was fooled:
PinkFace (sex unknown at the time) and my Blue Girl (confirmed hen) were such wonderful mates. PinkFace was a funny bird. I watched as PinkFace mounted up on my Blue Girl’s back and “go at it”. PinkFace would sit on the perch, hang one leg over, and hump the perch like crazy. PinkFace would upchuck food to Blue Girl (often times, Blue Girl would beg for it). Blue Girl stayed with the eggs (8 eggs total) in the box for weeks while PinkFace stood watch. I was excited, expecting little babies, but the eggs were all infertile and I had to remove the nest box because Blue Girl just would not give up on them.
PinkFace died from a bound egg.
Two hens “role playing” male/female mates? Strange
Lesson Learned:
I wanted to keep the little guys busy, but my lovies weren’t interested in toys. I found that the only thing that would get their attention was little cardboard boxes with holes cut in them and some burlap or something inside (I eventually built them a nest box, which I thought of as just a “happy house” for play&sleep). Also, of course, they’d go nuts with newspaper and such. I thought they were just playing. I didn’t know about “nestiness” and that is exactly what was going on, followed by rampant egg laying, which is what doomed PinkFace. Blue Girl also showed some laboring and I took her to the vet; fortunately she passed the egg. I didn’t discover PinkFace’s problem until it was too late (I picked her up and saw that her lower belly was swollen enough to part the feathers; the doctor had to perform an invasive last-resort procedure, from which she died the next day).
I unwittingly encouraged this nesty behavior. I thought they were just playing. I didn't realize my mistake until it was too late. If I only knew…
Here’s another stage of my rocky Lovebird ownership road:
Note To New Lovie Owners: Beware Of Nestiness!
I’m new to lovies, so I don’t know if this is common. I sure was fooled:
PinkFace (sex unknown at the time) and my Blue Girl (confirmed hen) were such wonderful mates. PinkFace was a funny bird. I watched as PinkFace mounted up on my Blue Girl’s back and “go at it”. PinkFace would sit on the perch, hang one leg over, and hump the perch like crazy. PinkFace would upchuck food to Blue Girl (often times, Blue Girl would beg for it). Blue Girl stayed with the eggs (8 eggs total) in the box for weeks while PinkFace stood watch. I was excited, expecting little babies, but the eggs were all infertile and I had to remove the nest box because Blue Girl just would not give up on them.
PinkFace died from a bound egg.
Two hens “role playing” male/female mates? Strange
Lesson Learned:
I wanted to keep the little guys busy, but my lovies weren’t interested in toys. I found that the only thing that would get their attention was little cardboard boxes with holes cut in them and some burlap or something inside (I eventually built them a nest box, which I thought of as just a “happy house” for play&sleep). Also, of course, they’d go nuts with newspaper and such. I thought they were just playing. I didn’t know about “nestiness” and that is exactly what was going on, followed by rampant egg laying, which is what doomed PinkFace. Blue Girl also showed some laboring and I took her to the vet; fortunately she passed the egg. I didn’t discover PinkFace’s problem until it was too late (I picked her up and saw that her lower belly was swollen enough to part the feathers; the doctor had to perform an invasive last-resort procedure, from which she died the next day).
I unwittingly encouraged this nesty behavior. I thought they were just playing. I didn't realize my mistake until it was too late. If I only knew…