Should we get a male or a female?

[electricboogaloo]

I've read conflicting things about which make the best lovebird pets... male or female. We want a cuddly sweet family pet -- is there a huge difference in the personalities? Is it true that the females aren't as tame after they've laid eggs?

[SimplicityAltered]

lovies are such lil individuals I have found my males are sweet as pie the females can be a bit testy at times especially when they come into thier cycle which I try to deter but no amount of detering works if they want to lay they will. What I would do is get a hand fed one male or female just have a lot of hands on loving and make sure you play and handle them a bit and you should not have a problem your best bet is to go through a breeder who does hand feeding and has that human bond.

[sweetpeaches]

male lovies don't have the nestiness the females will exhibit. i have a female tho, she's about a 1 1/2 old. she hasn't laid an egg yet. but she has had her moments of nestiness...however, she is a sweet little girl! i can hold her, pet her, bathe her..and she loves to snuggle down in my sleeves and shirt!

[Eliza]

I personally recommend getting a male but that's b/c I am TERRIFIED of egg-binding. I've had a variety of pets over the years and every female critter has had some sort of reproductive problem, resulting in costly vet expenses. Not that I wouldn't do it all over again... nor would I refuse to bring home a female lovie that I bonded with.

Susan is right: there are female lovies who are cuddle bugs and males that are territorial. If you think that you can handle the possibility of a nesty hen, go for it :)

[Flappuccino]

If you knew my story you'd understand why I say MALE!!!!
I love my little hen with all my heart, she's very sweet and cuddly, but I'd still get a male given the choice!

[Lori~D]

MALE! if given the choice but most breeders dont pay the price to have them DNA sexed first. Some will have them surgically sexed though.

[electricboogaloo]

Well, we went and I asked for a male -- but my son fell in love with one particular bird and wouldn't hear of picking another. The breeder's guess is that we have a female. Doh! She's a total sweetiepants, but agh -- worried now about egg binding and all that.

Thank you everyone!

[monapica]

I hope your son is enjoying the love bird. If you haven't already, get the bird DNA sexed- the vet (who also specializes in birds) can send in feathers to be examined at a lab. It's hte only way to tell the majority of love birds apart. The breeder may have been correct in guessing it's a female- but again, it can only be a guess.

I have a male and female love bird who absolutely adore each other, and although the female is a bit more territorial, she is definitely less scared and a bit more friendly and calm than the male- although they are both friendly toward each other. Sometimes love bird behavior depends as much on the personality of the bird than on its sex. If you and your son give the bird plenty of attention, it will be friendly and a delight to have as a pet. Most love birds are sweethearts, so you shouldn't have any problems with your bird.