do all females lay eggs?

[aris]

ok here is the deal, I have a 3 year old black masked lovie who was flight raised/ It never bonded to me, but has bonded to my budgie. In 3 years I have never once seen it try to mate with the budie, they do feed eachother once in a great while, but normally just friendly. Now I also have a 9 month old dutch lovie who IS hand raised and very bonded to me, he tries to feed me all the time, and just recently has tried to mate with my bed cover, my tow and a bell. I discourage this behavior by putting him back in his cage, and this is sad because he is used to being out and is very social. But I do not want to be fed or humped, nor do I wish for my clothes or covers to get the same affection...will this pass or should i get him a mate? do u think the black masked would be a good mate if it is female? I have also tried cutting his day light down and that hasn't helped either, he starts almost as soon as he is out of the cage no matter what time of day(the dutch) i love him and just want whats best.

[Monica]

Not all females will lay eggs. Some may wait 10+ years before laying eggs.

The hormonal thing may be temporary, but if he's a peachface lovebird, and there is ANY chance he MIGHT get along with your black masked, then you'd be creating hybrids (saying that your black mask is a female). This is frowned upon highly, and it's also possible you could loose your lovebird as a pet. It's better to not take the chance and just ride out the hormones!

[aris]

he isn't a peach faced, he is a dutch blue

[homebird]

Technically a Dutch Blue is a variation of a Peachface - I know they look very different but check out this site, near the bottom of the page. :http://www.parrotparrot.com/lovebirds/colors1.htm
About Hybrids - http://www.geocities.com/lizupatree/hybrids.html

The Peach face doesn't have a white patch of skin around the eye like the masked & the Fisher Love Birds.

Another Love Bird owner said (so check out some of the other threads as well) wait out the behaviour - its hormonal & will pass - give him a soft toy buddy in his cage - increase sleeping time - give him more toys & things to do - re-arrange his cage - new location for the cage - less seed. Maybe not everything at once ! ... but it might snap him out of his need to breed.

Another Peachface may not even like your fid & may add problems. Females are more territorial & can be nippy especially about there home/cage.

[aris]

oh brother, thats a shame coz I'd really like to breed him, amybe find another dutch?

[Monica]

You could breed him with a normal peachface or another mutation of the peachface... But be warned, you could loose him as a pet, lovebirds must be at least a year old before breeding, ESPECIALLY females, it's best if they are on a healthy diet that includes fresh foods like veggies, pastas, whole grain breads, cooked eggs, etc. You'd also need to be prepaired incase of emergencies, such as money for an avian vet or two, syringes, a brooder, towels, thermometer, handfeeding formula, some breeders on hand, and then some to ensure that the chicks will survive if for one reason or another the parents reject the chicks. Even in handfeeding them (IF it's a must), you need to be taught how to properly handfeed, need to know how to watch for sour crop, burnt crop, an over-stretched crop, even be able to feed every 2 hours around the clock if it's a must. Breeding is not easy, and it's difficult. Please think carefully and read up if you must on the pros and cons of breeding, and decide if that's really your desire... there are many birds out there as it is without breeders introducing more into the problem.

[aris]

yea I have all that stuff if i go and fine him a mate, I also have an incubator in the unlikey change they don't sit on thier eggs. i hop ethis will just pass tho. I'll wait it out for now, thanks a lot for the replies!!

[XP_2600]

If you married any eye ringed to a non eye ringed you gonna get a mules fledglings which cannot marry or lay eggs, same as when a donkey marry to a horse they get mules.