A few Lovebird questions!

[stlbirdgirl]

I'm thinking about getting my mother a lovebird or two. She has always wanted a pair of them and my dad finally agreed that they could get one! She knows all about taking care of the birds, she comes over and plays with my guys a lot and she of course will have me around to answer a lot of her questions. She knows no teflon and candles and all that good stuff. This isn't a case of someone giving a live animal for a gift just because, it's been something my dad and I have talked about for a while because he knows she has always talked about wanting a bird (even long before I had any). If for any reason at all the birds don't work out with my parents, you know they will have a home here.

So my questions. . . she actually wanted to take the pair that I am fostering right now but they are not tame at all and I told her she might be better off starting with a young bird. Now I feel sort of guilty saying that because normally I advocate adopting. Was I wrong though? I've read/heard that adult lovebirds are a lot harder to tame then young ones so I just thought that she might be better off starting with a handfed baby. What do you guys think?

I know lovebirds don't actually have to be kept in pairs but I wanted to know from actual lovie owners, do you find that your paired lovebirds are happier then your unpaired ones or does it really matter? They will not likely get any other birds so I'm sort of wondering if two might be better then one in this situation. Opinions?

[amanda143]

I have three lovebirds. The two males are kept as a bonded pair and the other one is very social and trusting. Honestly, the bonded pair have so much fun together, but they aren't interested in being trained or handled at all. The single bird is much more trusting and always has been. I can open the cage to feed her and she just stands by the open gate waiting for me to put her food in. I've only been able to work with her a little bit since we brought her home.

I would say that if your mom wants to be able to handle her bird, I would either start with a young one that was hand fed/tamed, or get one that already is trained. However, if she just wants one to look at and enjoy, I would get a bonded pair. They are so fun to watch!

I am all for adoption also, but you have to get whats works for you. Around here, there aren't many birds to adopt so sometimes you have to resort to buying one from someone. Good luck!

[shosh]

If it's a first bird situation for your mom, I'd say to go young. I know all the moral and emotional perks of a rescue but older birds are harder and if they are untamed, will take a lot of patience and experience and bandages.
I think you are right to start your mom off with a positive experience.

Now, as for one or two. This is my take and my own experience: If you get two and work with them a lot from the time they are young, they will be friends with each other AND with you. My guys LOVE me and they love each other...seeing them able to interact with one of their own and knowing they have each other when I am not there, is very rewarding. But they are certainly THRILLED when I walk in the room and they love me very much! They still come and sit with me and kiss me and all that wonderful stuff but they have their time together as well. Kind of a nice compromise, especially since I can't be there all the time so there's no guilt!

Would they be closer to me if they were on their own? Maybe...but that's ok...they are great friends to me still and I like the fact that I know I can be out of the house for hours and they play together without getting bored.
I would certainly STRESS to your mom that both birds would need lots of attention and play time with her in order that they bond to her as well as each other. I don't think your mom wants a bird she can just look at..and birds housed together WILL be less likely to bond with a human unless you put that effort in right from the start.
It isn't a HUGE amount of effort, especially if you get hand-tamed/fed babies, but you want to start things off right.

My take....hope it helps.

[stlbirdgirl]

Thanks guys!

I think you are right about starting her off with a positive experience. My first bird was a rescue but I also worked with the birds out at the rescue for several months before I brought him home so I knew more about what to expect and how to deal with things.

I'm still completely undecided on the one vs two thing. I know she does not want birds just to look at, but I don't want her to have a bird whose bored and lonely either. She works during the day so I'm sort of leaning towards the thinking that the bird will need a companion. . . maybe not another lovie though.

[shosh]

Birds of feather tend to stick together. Chances are very good that two baby lovebirds will be able to happily share a large cage and have a great life with each other and with your mom.
You try mixing two birds of a different species and it very well may not work out. With lovebirds, chances are, it won't. Lovebirds tend to be quite territorial and don't often get along with other birds who are not lovebirds. Yes, there are the exceptions, but I'd highly recommend that if you decide on two birds, you get two of the same type of bird unless you want to house them separately, in which case it doesn't matter. But that is twice the work with regards to cleaning.
You would also have to supervise them more closely outside the cage.....

[stlbirdgirl]

Oh if I get two birds, I'll be getting two cages either way. I know that it would be likely that two young lovies would be able to live together but I don't want to count on it either way.

I did forget that lovies have a reputation for being territorial little guys though so out of cage time with two different species could be a little trying for her. It's wierd because I don't really think about it that much with my five but I'm also the crazy one who has play areas in every single room of the house. . . I'm not all that positive that my dad wants his house to look like mine, lol.

[shosh]

I hear ya. My master bedroom is like an aviary because I also have 5 cats....so my 6 birds are housed in 3 cages in the master bedroom away from hungry eyes.
I would feel quite safe if you got 2 baby lovebirds with regards to housing them together, I wouldn't necessarily worry about 2 cages....especially if they were from the same clutch. I had no troubles with mine at all....And when one passed away from lymphoma, I introduced Bam-Bam to a new baby...Bindi....it took a couple of months of them being in separate cages for the older Bam-Bam ( he was only 1 1/2 years)to accept the younger bird...but now, they are the best of buddies and SO adore each other.