my breeder lovebirds. few ?????

[malcomb88]

moma and papa are my peachfaced lovebirds. i was wondering what are the signs of the moma almost about to lay? i got her a nesting box with nesting material today and she was on a mission she has been in there all day and night., i looked in once....no eggs. so what is she doing getting ready to lay? im new to lovebird breeding.






papa is a plucker around the neck. i just adopted the pair a week ago.

[Monica]

It usually takes about two weeks before you see eggs, however, it may be longer or sooner. Signs of egg-laying include an enlarged rump, larger droppings, and spending more times within the nesting site.

[malcomb88]

they have been spending more time in the nesting box. no eggs tho. thanks for the info.

[malcomb88]

they mated today!!!! so hopefully some eggs will soon come.

[malcomb88]

the eggs are here. 2 as i know right now. moma is doing fine so is papa.

[mayaexquisite]

Are these pictures of both mom and dad? Mom the first pic and dad the second pic? If so, you've got yourself a pair of American Cinnamons. Very beautiful. Are they a "confirmed" pair, meaning one male and one female? Cinnamon (as well as Ino) is a sex-linked trait, but the fact that both parents are Cinnamon you won't be able to tell if the offspring are male or female unless DNA sexed.

Since you're new to breeding, are you prepared? Some questions to think about:

- What is your plan?
- Are your providing your hen with lots of calcium-rich foods (as well as other foods like veggies, pastas, grains)? Hens get depleted of their calcium when laying eggs and they can get very sick and die.
- Are you going to let the offspring be parent-fed? It's definitely not a good idea for a novice to hand-feed because a lot of problems can arise and babies can die... Hand-feeding requires precise temperature and consistency and Kaytee forumula should be avoided.
- Will you be able to take all these babies to an Avian vet for their check-ups?
- Do you have extra cages set up to temporarily house the babies once they're weaned (you don't want to keep them in with the parents)?
- What do you plan to do with the babies?

I don't want to seem like I'm bombarding you with questions, but lovebird breeding isn't something that should just be "picked up" without really being trained and learning a lot more first because it is possible to do more harm than good. I understand that a lot of people "fall into it" because they didn't know they had a pair and suddenly they saw eggs, but it seems you are intentionally wanting them to breed, am I right?

Either way, good luck to you and your birds are very gorgeous!! If you ever want to PM me about stuff, please do so.

[malcomb88]

well...first....my plan is to keep the first baby for myself. maybe 2. and then i have this clutch one of my good parrot friends wants one then i will be working with a lady who takes in birds and finds them good homes. im pulling them at 1 1/2 -2 weeks once they hatch. vet bills are not a problem. i have a brooder. and im well aware of temp control and have enough cages for all my babies! im going to be ok. so no more worries.