New Lovebird owner, looking for advice

[angelademaree]

I have two lovebirds. I don't have any idea what their sexes are, and neither did Petsmart where we got them. We bought two of them out of three that were there.

We have only had them for two weeks.

Questions are: How do I get them tame?

They said not to handle them for at least a couple days so we didnt, but now take them out only to clean.

I also read to talk to them all of the time in a low calm voice.
I have read to them, and even sang songs to them, to get them used to hearing my voice. I use repetetive words too, such as their names, and always tell them good morning and good night, etc. They sit there and look at me when i am talking to them, and even seem to want to sleep when I talk to them for any length of time. Their eyes just start getting droopy, but they don't sleep. It's like I am so boring they have to sleep..lol.

If I go into their cage for cleaning or to give food and water, they spaz out and go crazy.
When I need to clean the cage, I take them out. One is a biter, so I use a towel to remove them to avoid being bitten. It's sooo hard to even catch them though.
I put them in the bathroom while we clean their cage.

Second question, should I leave their cage door open?
I read somewhere you should only allow them to come out of their cage by your own hand, not on their own.

I put my hand in there everyday for about 15 mins with food on it, but they will have nothing to do with me. If I get near them they go crazy and do everything they can to get away.

Should I seperate them? I would feel bad as they will probobly miss each other, but I have a feeling they will never get to trust me while they are living with each other. If I do seperate them, should their cages be next to each other?

One good thing, they don't seem to mind being misted with a sprayer for their bath. They move around at first, but just sit there and hang out and fluff their feathers.

How do I get these two used to me? Is there any pointers, or am I doing anything wrong?

[Ilovelovies]

Hi, The first thing i can tell you, is to be prepared to spend time everyday working with them! I have two that i adopted after their former owner moved and was unable to take them. They had not been fooled with, the only interaction they got was the daily changing of water, food etc. I can give you some ideas with what worked for me, however since they all have different personalities, your'es may not progress as fast as mine, or maybe even faster:) Like you, i started off talking to them, getting them used to my presence, Then i would open their cage door, and at first i would have to sit a ways back from them. They wasted no time venturing out, and at first would only sit on their cage, all the time watching me out of the corner of their eye 8o . Every day i would do this, 3 or 4 times a day, about fifteen minutes at a time. Each day i would sit closer to their cage, until eventually i could sit right next to them. Then i started offering them millet, and at first it would take them a little while before they would come to eat it from my fingers. It took about 3 weeks before they would sit on my shoulder, and like i said i worked with them everyday. Now 2 months later, they can't wait to come out and play every morning (and all day long::lol ). They fly to me now, but they don't like to snuggle:( . Not yet anyway, im still working on it :whistle: . Like everyone says these little buggers require alot of patience. Also as far as reaching into their cage to bring them out, i never did this, (would have to be an emergency). I hope some of this helps you. Good luck!!

Sharon

[salderm1]

Don't put your hand in the cage!!! I got that bad advice too wen I first got my love!!! They don't like when you invade their space!!! Open their cage and folow Sharons advice, just let them get to know you!!! I had one to start with and and had good luck with that, but now I have 3 and they tend to have more interest in each other than me so, I guess we will learn together!!!

[angelademaree]

Thanks for the advice, I won't put my hand in their home again.
I open their cage door and let them come out now when they feel like.
That creates a new problem though, as they never want to go back in, and I have to chase them around the house forever just to catch them, which I think makes them more uneasy about me. I tried to catch bare handed, but man, they both bite now, so I use a towel, and luckily they haven't bit through the towel yet.
When they come out though, I know they are happy as they make new chirpy noises that I hadn't heard before, and they call to each other if they are not in the same place.

[Jamba58]

Lovies are very curious creatures, so if find that if you read by thier cage they will come out and see what you are doing. Just let then roam around you so that they know that your not some big scary monster! :P

[Ilovelovies]

If you're not against it, getting their wings clipped will help tremendusouly. As long as they are flying around the room, it is highly unlikely that they will just deceide to come to you. As far as getting them back in their cage. If you have their wings clipped, then you can work with them to step up on a perch ( or your finger) however they will probably be more likely to step on a perch than your finger at first. That makes it a lot easier to get them in their cage:) .(usually..sometimes they have other plans:whistle: :lol )
Sharon

[sdgilley]

Hello & Welcome!

What kind of lovies do you have? You've only had them a couple of weeks and it will take some time to tame them. They are smart little birdies.

Like salderm1 says, you don't want to put your hands in their cage, except to clean. That is their territory and they are in a new home, so it's all scary for them right now. Give them some time to get used you and then they might venture out on their own to see you.

A wing clip is a great idea for initial training/taming/getting to know. Have you found an avian vet in your area yet? I'd strongly suggest an avian vet visit for a well check up as soon as possible. One reason is this: You said they fluff up and look sleepy when you talk to them much. That may be a sign of illness. Whenever I get a new animal (especially a bird) it has a well visit to ensure we start out right. A second reason is: As you learn about them and their personalities - you'll know when something is wrong. Until then, the vet is very important. Also, once they've seen a vet with you - your vet has a relationship with you and makes it a ton easier to see in case of an emergency. The last thing you want to do is find an avian vet when things are seriously wrong.

Talking to your birds is a great way to start, and it sounds like you are on the right track there.

Should I seperate them? I would feel bad as they will probobly miss each other, but I have a feeling they will never get to trust me while they are living with each other. If I do seperate them, should their cages be next to each other?
If the two are a bonded pair, I would not separate them. By doing so, you could upset them much more than getting to know them slowly together. Do you have any idea how old they are? If they happen to be two young hens - you could quite possibly have to separate them later on. Much of this is going to be a discovery for you. If they are a male/female pair - you might end up with chicks. You might consider having them DNA sexed. Your vet can do this for you. You can save money by doing this yourself, but I'm too chicken - so I used my vet much in the first years of my lovie's lives.

I hope this helps! Good luck! The best advice I can think of is PATIENCE and go slow. They will live 15+ years if things go well, so give yourself and them time. I've seen so much frustration in new owners because they aren't patient and rush the birds. They are wild animals living in our homes. Best wishes.

[angelademaree]

I have a peachface and the other is uhmm.. I forget, he has a black face and grey head and black and blue body feathers.

I don't know the sex, but I was guessing that the peachface (Amina) was a girl since the boy (Ankur) was mounting her at the pet place...lol. BUT, I don't want to say for sure as they could have just been confused...hehe.

I had their wings clipped when we bought them, but they can still fly. I don't want to do it myself as they have become very bity, and fear they will chew my fingers off.

I have not yet taken them for a check-up, I was hoping to do that once they got a little tamed, but am realizing now that I should just go get it over with so maybe they will forget, and I will know their health is ok.
About the closing of their eyes, the only do it when I am talking to them for an extended period of time.

I think they are a bonded pair. The have their little spats now and then when they lunge at each other if one seems to want some extra space, but other than that, they are sitting right next to each other.

[Janie]

I saw their photos in your other thread and they are pretty. One is a normal peachface and the other is a masked. If they are a bonded pair, that's fine but you do not want them the have babies since they are different species. It's OK if they mate, you can prevent any eggs from hatching. Seeing one mount the other is not, unfortunately, a way to figure out what sex they are. Sometimes, same sex birds take on the roll of the opposite sex.

[sdgilley]

I saw their photos in your other thread and they are pretty. One is a normal peachface and the other is a masked. If they are a bonded pair, that's fine but you do not want them the have babies since they are different species. It's OK if they mate, you can prevent any eggs from hatching. Seeing one mount the other is not, unfortunately, a way to figure out what sex they are. Sometimes, same sex birds take on the roll of the opposite sex.

Janie is right on the mark here. :) You have two different species, so you don't want them to reproduce. There are numerous threads about that topic, so I'll leave that to your happy reading.

I'd go ahead and get them to a vet now. Taming can take months or years. I'm not trying to discourage you. I have three birds, and only one is hand tame. The other two are tame, but not like you first expect. They'll fly to me and obey verbal commands, but I don't handle them unless I need to do so. Ironically, after a few years of this, they allow me to handle them when I need to without too big a freak out. Need to = health reasons, rescue from bad situations while out....

I have two different species in the same cage, because they are two males. They are a bonded pair, and pretty cute together. This month is my 4th anniversary with my oldest bird. :D

My third birdie is a peachie hen, and the boys really want her. BUT, in keeping with the above advice, they aren't going to have her as a mate. She's a handful, and is pretty bonded to me right now.

Good luck!!