Hi, new lovebird owner need some questions answered please

[Kefka]

Hi. My name is Beau. I have had a lovebird for about 2 weeks now. His name is Edgar and he is about 3 months and 3 weeks old. When I first brought him home he was very scared and I left him in his new cage for 2 days. He would not let me come near him and always ran when I would try to pet him. I always made sure to move slowly and never force him though. By the 3rd day I had him I let him out of his cage and we basically played tag for the next 3 hours as I would move my hand closer to him and call his name and he would move himself away from me. By the 3rd hour of moving slowly toward him each time, he finally let me come near him and pet him. Now 2 weeks later, I basically spend so much time with him my wife is starting to get jealous. But he comes out of his cage and sits on my shoulder and I let him sit on my hands and head.

I guess my questions are as follows though.

He started out on a sun seen sunscription vita cockatiel seed mix. That is what he was fed in the bird store. I also bought Zupreem Avian maitenance fruit blend and vegetable blend diet. Now these are pellets and he is not used to them. He pretty much only eats seeds though I have hand fed him the pellets and he does take them and eat them.

How long should I wait to take the seeds away from him almost completely (except for an occasional treat)?

Also, he does not bite me anymore at all. When I stick my hand in his cage he no longer chirps 4 times fast like he spooked and he hardly tries to move away from me. But I cannot tell if he is happy or afraid and that is my main question. Do lovebirds coo like doves because whenever he is in my hands he gets very calm and makes a vibration that feels like it is coming from his chest. But sometimes, like when I am taking him around the house on my shoulder and he comes back to my hand in another room where other people might be, I feel vibrations that seem to come from his whole body especially his wings almost like he is shaking. Now he hasn't been to many other rooms in my house except my room. It was only 2 days ago I began taking him on my shoulder to other parts of the house. Is he just getting used to the other rooms and is a little fearful of them?


Also he poops alot when he is out of his cage is that normal?
I tend to keep him on me (shoulder arm or hand) for 4-6 hours a day when I can. Will he let me know if that is too much and he doesn't wanna be out any longer? he doesn't try to get away or anything so I don't feel like he isn't enjoying himself. I just wanna make sure I'm not stressing him out.

Thanks for everyones time reading and responding to this, it is greatly appreciated.

[butterfly1061]

I guess my questions are as follows though.

He started out on a sun seen sunscription vita cockatiel seed mix. That is what he was fed in the bird store. I also bought Zupreem Avian maitenance fruit blend and vegetable blend diet. Now these are pellets and he is not used to them. He pretty much only eats seeds though I have hand fed him the pellets and he does take them and eat them.

How long should I wait to take the seeds away from him almost completely (except for an occasional treat)? You don't want to put him on a "pellet only" diet as pellets contain too much nutrition for birds. I feed mine pellets, but a very small amount. A bird diet should consist of seed and fresh veggies and or fruits. Lovebirds are seed eaters in the wild and eat veggies and some fruit when they can find it.

Also, he does not bite me anymore at all. When I stick my hand in his cage he no longer chirps 4 times fast like he spooked and he hardly tries to move away from me. But I cannot tell if he is happy or afraid and that is my main question. Do lovebirds coo like doves because whenever he is in my hands he gets very calm and makes a vibration that feels like it is coming from his chest. But sometimes, like when I am taking him around the house on my shoulder and he comes back to my hand in another room where other people might be, I feel vibrations that seem to come from his whole body especially his wings almost like he is shaking. Now he hasn't been to many other rooms in my house except my room. It was only 2 days ago I began taking him on my shoulder to other parts of the house. Is he just getting used to the other rooms and is a little fearful of them? Vibrations can mean different things. One if they are content and happy and the other is nervousness. They will do this a lot. Feels good in your hands, huh? The vibration will be for different situations.


Also he poops alot when he is out of his cage is that normal? Yep, lots of poops. Lovebirds will poop about every 10 - 20 minutes. You can get a "ca-ca cape" (see birdtalk magazine ads) or you may just have to get use to it like most of us do. Tip: Let it dry before removing it so it doesn't smudge.
I tend to keep him on me (shoulder arm or hand) for 4-6 hours a day when I can. When you have him out, be sure to offer him food & water about every 15 -20 minutes. You don't want him to get dehydrated or hungry for very long. Will he let me know if that is too much and he doesn't wanna be out any longer? he doesn't try to get away or anything so I don't feel like he isn't enjoying himself. I just wanna make sure I'm not stressing him out.I use to put Molly back after being out for about 2 hours. This way they can catch a nice nap. Birds nap quite a bit throughout the day.

Hope this helps :D

[Kefka]

Thanks for answering all those questions.

One other thing I notice that bothers me a little. His bird hair on his face seems to grow over his nostrils on his beak. Every week or two I notice all the hair is moved back or removes from that area and his nostrils are totally visible again. Is he clearing the hair away from them on his own so he can breath better or is this something to be concerned about?

[butterfly1061]

I wouldn't think it's anything to be concerned about. On my lovies, I see the samething happening. Sometimes you see the nares and sometimes you don't. It's common. :)

[Kefka]

ok. Thanks alot. You know how you said pellets aren't supposed to be their main diet? I read on the back of the package that the fruit and vegetable mix thing is supposed to be 80% of their diet. Are they just trying to sell more of their product or should i only put 20% seed and 80% of that. My lovebird hasn't taken to fruits or vegetables yet so I'm not sure if he likes them. I'll keep giving them to him by hand though since he seems to accept new things faster when i hand feed it to him.

[Janie]

Hi Beau and welcome!

Jackie has answered your questions but I just want to add my 2 cents on the seeds/pellets issue. Sunscription Vita Tiel is still one of the main seeds I use and my avian vet actually sells it and likes it, too. I buy it at bird fairs since it's cheaper there. That seed does contain some pellets although I doubt my three eat them since they are not fond of pellets. I do add pellets to their birdie cornbread (you can find that recipe in the health/diet section of the forum) so maybe they get a few pellets but very few and for the reasons Jackie mentioned. I use four or five different seed mixes but Volkman Lovebird and the Sunscription are the main two.

My lovies (I have three peachies) all like fresh raw broccoli, kale, carrots and corn which I offer every day or every other day. The birdie cornbread is their favorite "home cooked" meal and I offer that nearly every morning. Veggies can take time but it can be done! :D My adopted lovie, now 11, was a 100% seed eater when I got him 4 years ago but after three weeks of offering him raw broccoli (every single day) he finally tried it and now he loves it, especially the stalk. I clip it to the top of his cage and he thinks he's getting a treat better than millet spray! :D

[Kefka]

Thanks Janie. I am still a bit confused about certain foods to give my lovebird so I have hesitated to be creative. I haven't given him any type of oats or wheat because I am still not sure what is 100% safe for him. is 100% whole wheat bread ok? Also where do I buy millet and how to I bake him birdie cornbread? I would like to give him all the possible foods he could eat but I am just worried about giving him something that could be dangerous by mistake.

If I buy fresh corn from the store and just cut it off the cob he will eat that, or do i just throw the cob in too and let him pick the corn off it?

Also are banana's ok

[Janie]

Beau, oh boy, do I have the link for you! :D

http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=16

And another one: http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/forumdisplay.php?f=13

You'll find great recipes in the first one and birdie safe and nutritious foods in the other under "diet". :)

[butterfly1061]

I am still a bit confused about certain foods to give my lovebird so I have hesitated to be creative. I haven't given him any type of oats or wheat because I am still not sure what is 100% safe for him. is 100% whole wheat bread ok? I think the "Birdie-Cornbread" would be a better option.Also where do I buy millet and how to I bake him birdie cornbread? I would like to give him all the possible foods he could eat but I am just worried about giving him something that could be dangerous by mistake.

If I buy fresh corn from the store and just cut it off the cob he will eat that, or do i just throw the cob in too and let him pick the corn off it? First, be sure to wash it good. I use "VeggieWash" and you can find it in most grocery stores. Second, I would cook it in hot water for a few minutes. I think in the recipe or diet section of the board there's someone just recently gave an idea of how they cook it. I'll try & find it and link it. Also are banana's okBananas are fine, but most lovies don't like fruit so don't be dissappointed if he doesn't eat them. Apples or figs would be a better idea.

When you offer fresh veggies or fruit, the rule is everyday for at least 2 weeks. Sometimes it just doesn't spark their interest. If it doesn't within 2 wks, switch to another new veggie or fruit. Don't throw a lot of different things all at once or he may get overwhelmed. In the birdie bread, I use corn, peas, carrots, broccoli and throw in those yucky pellets :p Good luck!

[Janie]

Beau, not sure where you are located but millet is very easy to find in Atlanta. All pet stores (Petsmart/Petco) carry it and my favorite pet store (only caters to birds and fish) is where I buy mine. You can also buy it on-line from stores like Drs. Foster/Smith.

[shylevon]

You asked a question about the markings on the pellet bag that you bought.

It undoubtedly says that pellets should consist of about 80% of the diet, and there is a reason they write that other than just to sell more. See, pellets were originally designed for bird owners who did not feed balanced diets, so their birdies were only getting a small portion of their recommended nutrition. Thus, they mashed up a bunch of foodstuffs, vitamins, and minerals and put that into pellets.

The only problem is that the pellets nutritional mixture was formulated with large birds in mind. The ratio that you get for your smaller bird is the same as that for a large bird, only it is in a smaller size. That means it has way too much vitamins and minerals in it. This overload can cause serious health conditions including liver and kidney damage of failure. It is only a wise choice to feed pellets to smaller birds like lovies in small amounts. It is OK to fed more to larger birds.

If birdie won't eat them, try adding a tiny bit of water to soften them up. Remember though, that moist food should not remain in the cage for over 4 hours or harmful bacteria will begin to grow. You can also bake pellets in birdie bread (that's what I do), but some of the nutritional vitamins break down and are not as effective.

[Kefka]

Ok so how much should I feed him. He actually only eats seeds on his own but whenever he is with me and I hand feed him, he will try new things. Like today and yesterday I got him to eat broccoli, sweet peapods, carrots, and whole wheat bread(which he absolutely loves now). He will eat pellets but only when I hand feed them to him. So assuming I feed him the lovebird sized pellets which are each about the size of the letter O on this screen, how many pellets is it safe to feed him per day? Thanks for the explanation about pellets.

Also thanks for the info on millet to the other poster.

[shylevon]

I wouldn't feed more than 10% of his diet in pellets, especially if he is getting all the nutritious stuff like veggies. You can mix the pellets in with his seed and he will pick out what he wants to eat. Remember, only dry food additives in with seeds, no moist stuff.