New Lovebird doesn't like cage????

[babydoll]

Hi everyone, my name is Jaime and I just became a new mommy to a 3 month old hand tamed black masked love bird, I am concerned because 1) It is not eating the food I bought (I bought everything the guy who sold her to me was feeding her) although she is weaned, he said to keep hand feeding her this formula stuff and she LOVES that, but her poop is all runny because that is ALL she is eating!! ALSO- She seems to hate her cage? She only wants to be OUT and she is SOOO quiet!~!!?? Is she unhappy? My husband says she is fine, dont worry but maybe I have too many toys in the cage? She wont play, seldom makes noise and only eats the handfed formula I feed her. ( the guy told me to keep feeding it to her like all her life because it will be a nice bond for us, but I think she needs some solid foods---???) And really, I am a BOXER mommy, we have 2 dogs and I have never owned a bird and I am trying to just do a good job! please help! She sits fine on my hamd/shoulder/head<-----is that a bad idea? do birds spread lice? Ok so have fun with all my questions!!! THANK YOU

Jaime(lovebird mommy in MN)

[Odysseus]

How long have you had your bird at home?

My lovebird came home yesterday and at first hated his cage. But, I helped him understand that it was his cage for safety and with some good effort finally got him in. But, he hates the perches so far except one that he has finally began to trust.

Because my bird is new I have to give him hours of alone time to allow him to eat and get used to the cage. Lovebirds won't eat in front of you when they are nervous, so if you give your lovebird some hours of pressure free alone time eventually your bird will eat his seed and explore the cage more.

Yesterday was the first day for my lovebird and all day he only perched in one spot and slept. I gave him so out of the cage time too, about an hour or a bit more and he slept on me too.

But, while I was at work last night my wife told me my guy started to chirp again a bit and move around the cage. His chirps were requests to come out but when my wife let him out he didn't just sleep this time.

So, I think if your bird IS weaned you should stop handfeeding and let him have some hours alone in the cage. Help him understand it is a safe place for him. Your bird is likely like mine and doesn't realize that the cage is their own. It is "someone else's home" to them at first.

And if you aren't giving him alone time to eat without being watched I would do that.

Maybe you are already doing this, but if not I hope it helps. I wouldn't be too concerned if your bird is really new to his home. It takes time to readjust. Lovebirds like routine and everything your bird knew is now different.

[Odysseus]

P.S. your toys are not a problem. And sitting on shoulder is not a problem, but I imagine it is on you to avoid the cage and the bird is developing the wrong idea about the cage just like mine. So we both just have to give the little ones time in there to get used to it. It will be many hours too. Not just a few and then voila used to it. It will take some time.

You will know your lovebird has had enough time alone in the cage when she starts chirping again and or is eating.

[ROYJOY]

sounds normal to me. if you just got him, he will warm up to the new suroundings soon.

i believe in abundance weening i feed formula, along with the food, they are willing to accept, until they refuse the formula alltogether, and start eating just food. offer a variety of food, chopped up, so he wont be afraid of it. mix new foods with foods he is familiar with. no you wont have to feed him formula for life. offer him some millet spray (on the stem) its tiny and they eat it up like candy.

only wild birds will have lice, unless conditions at the breeder were substandard, and filthy. its ok for him to touch you. he may poop on you from time to time. but its a lot smaller than boxer poop and doesnt smell.

hey odyssues, congrets on finally bring your luv home. you have to keep us filled in on your progress, and ask questions, thats what this board is for. i would be lost with out it.

[Odysseus]

Originally Posted by ROYJOY

he may poop on you from time to time. but its a lot smaller than boxer poop and doesnt smell.

Time to time? Haha I have a few poops covering my hoody I wore today with my little guy. But, good point about not smelling.

hey odyssues, congrets on finally bring your luv home. you have to keep us filled in on your progress, and ask questions, thats what this board is for. i would be lost with out it.

I am working up a blog about my bird, but i wanted to name the blog AFTER my bird but he doesn't have a gender decision back from the DNA test so I haven't named him although he "feels" like a boy. Hope I am right and my breeder is too. :smiles:

[babydoll]

Thanks so much for the help!!! Ok, a lot of good things have happened since I posted my message: 1) Birdie ("Fiona") has transitioned from bottom of cage to a 'perch' (a food dish where she likes to poop in.) 2) She was ALL OVER the cage last night, hanging upside down, bobbing her head, EATING, showing off to my puppies...ect YEAHHHH!!!! Except for her true colors have come out because, BOY! does she have attitude! BITING BITING BITING! So I hand fed her formula, the guy said that is what she wants when she starts to bite, and that seemed to help, but shed go on my finger and when I would want her to stay right there, NOPE, she had to scurry right on up to my hair, which I would not prefer her to do, she did it once and I have long hair, and she made it a rat's nest, but I'd tell her NO, then put her back on my hand and shed go back to my hair...this went on for like 10 times, finally I just got frusterated and set her on top of her cage, and that seemed to work. I tell ya, its like havin a Boxer puppy all over again!! Yep, except for smaller poop!! :) :)

[babydoll]

hope this pic works, she is a beauty but now she bites!!! HARD!!!!

[Odysseus]

Hey babydoll,

It's too bad but we can't see your pic. Did you copy and paste it? ONE OPTION TO GET IT TO WORK: What you need to do is host the image somewhere on the web so it has a web address like this

http://www.riseandshout.org/publicpi...rd_Nov13th.jpg

Then you have to use the [img] tags to get the website to SHOW the picture and not just link to it.

So you can do it like this:

[img]-INSERT WEBLINK HERE FROM A COPY AND PASTE-[/img]

And if you do it will look like this:



Good luck with adding the picture look forward to seeing it.

[Odysseus]

Now I am just a new lovebird owner as well but I have done tons of reading and studying on lovebirds before my guy arrived yesterday and I can offer this free advice:

Your lovebird will like going to the top of you shoulder for security. It may not always do it. If you react each time she goes up and then you move her and she immediately moves again...she may someday if not already consider this a fun game. She will love getting your reaction and will do what it takes to see the funny human do that again.

So the advice that I have read is when he bites or does things you really don't want him to do, you can do two things and one you already did:

1- Try not to react different. If you scream when bit the bird will learn that biting does something and might even enjoy watching you yelp.

2- Move the bird somewhere else and distract him from the bad behavior. You did that with putting on top of his cage, which is perfect from what I read because just putting them INTO the cage is meaner and they see it that way. On top is not as stressing.

Now I don't know why your bird is already biting. Maybe because of the handfeeding or just the environment. Mine hasn't done any of that. So can't help you there. But, I will say that we new Lovebird guardians will HAVE to be patient.

What may seem like "bad" behavior is likely just "birdie" behavior and we have to learn to adapt as well. If it really is bad behavior we have to do what it takes with patience and determination to fix whatever is bothering your bird.

I hope she stops biting soon they are just too sweet a bird to enjoy biting already this young in your family.

[ROYJOY]

also, the guy is partialy right about the bird telling you his hungry by biting, but hand feeding means any treat, not just formula, or you'll be giving formula forever. try small pieces of peanuts or millet. my birds love popcorn.

when my birds are on me and getting a little nippy, i will hand them something else to chew on. a plastic pot scrubber is a good pacifier. (a new one, not a used one.) introduce new things slowly so he wont be frightened. put a new toy near his cage at first, then on top of the cage, then in the cage. if its late, nipping can be a sign he is tired. kiss him and put him away.