Having a hard time with lovebirds

[Lori L]

I have 2 baby lovebirds. I got them from a breeder that was selling out and didn't want to do the handfeeding. I got them with the intention of placing them. They are caged together and love each other. I'm trying to keep them tame and friendly so when someone comes for them they will be able to be handled. Right now I have one on my shoulder and he's fine there, the other one would be fine on my shoulder too but neither will perch on my finger, they both will fly to my shoulder. Any advice as to if I should spend time with each one alone on my shoulder or is it ok to have them both up there. They keep calling for one another.

[Nasal_Tufts]

It's fine for them to both be on your sholders. Also most lovebirds don't like to step-up and therefore wont do it. Also remember to spend several hours every day with them because if you don't they can regress pretty fast and become wild.

[Lori L]

Originally Posted by Nasal_Tufts

Also most lovebirds don't like to step-up and therefore wont do it.

OH so good to knowm not sure I can spend several hours but at least one hour a day

[CrazyBirdLady]

It's much easier to train a lovebird to step up (or do anything else for that matter) if it's by itself, no other distractions. If the lovebirds are young, they will respond very quickly to training. They can also be stubborn little guys, but they will step up after a very small amount of training. The thing is to continue the training, several times a day. Doesn't have to be for hours, but 5-10 minutes several times a day should work just fine.

[Nasal_Tufts]

I tried for hours every day to try to teach my tame lovebird to step up and she never would. I got her at 4 months so she was pretty young and should have picked it up. I've got tiels who were only touched to be moved from one cage to another and I've gotten them to step up within a few days. Also I would spend at least 5 hours a day with her and she was pretty friendly, towards me, other birds forget it, she would try to rip their toes off. But once college started and now I have another job I haven't been able to play with her as much and I've had her for a year but my mother still plays with her and she's not as tame as she used to be still and my mother plays with her at least 2 hours every day. She gets played with every day all the time, it's just the amount that's changed and she still regressed a bit.

[Lori L]

SO when you say it's hard to get lovebirds to step up does that mean that when they are on your finger perched they fly away or onto your shoulder?????

[Mr Five]

We have many lovebirds. Most will step onto a finger but we have one that refuses to step on a finger. But her will step on a perch. If he's out and we want to get him back into his cage we just put a perch near him and he'll hop right on.
On thing that you might try is to put your finger out on one hand and then with the other hand place something that it likes to eat right in front so that in order for the bird to get the treat it has to step on your finger. Make sure that when the bird does what you want that you tell it "good" in a stren voice. This will reinforce the action. Every time the birds does something that you want make sure that you say "good" So you will not need to give the treat but you will still have to say good to reinforce the action..

[Nasal_Tufts]

Most of the time my lovebird would just sit there and not move, Or she would fly off my finger and go on another birds cage.