Picked up my lovie today!

[delilahiris]

I went and picked up my new adopted lovebird today! His owner died and he was passed on to a family member who wasn't really into birds I guess.

He's very pretty although I have no idea what kind he is. Does anyone have any idea? I imagine he might be a peach face mutation of some sort.

He's really nervous and jittery. I'm trying to keep everything as low key as possible. His cage is super boring (all he had was one plastic ladder with a bell that he keeps sliding off of). He had some spray millet but it was all eaten up. So I added a couple of toys and gave him some dandelions from the yard and a little banana, and a new spray millet. Isn't touching it at all. I don't want to go into his cage anymore today as he gets kind of freaked out when I do, but I got him a new wooden ladder and I'm going to make some toys with some beads and shoe laces and stuff that I got.

His name is "Al" but I think he is way too pretty for such a plain name. I think I'll re-name him. Anyone got any suggestions? He really likes to play with bells :)

[expressmailtome]

Congratulations! He is very cute! Also, he is a pied peach faced lovebird. To be more specific I believe that he is a seagreen or dutch blue pied.

Matt

[delilahiris]

Thanks Matt! And thanks for the info. :)

It's been a full 24 hours now. He is still really skiddish. And he's barely eating anything. I added a bunch of more interesting and fun toys, and got to work on making a few too.

I noticed that he is barely eating anything. He munches on millet here and there (I know not the most nutritious) and eats sunflower seeds too. I am planning on switching him to pellet (mixed with his breakfast this morning). I don't think his previous owners fed him any fresh fruits or veggies. I have offered a few but he doesn't go anywhere near them.

I've been spending a lot of time talking to him, and have placed my hand in the cage and just kept it there for a while several different times. I used a wooden dowel to see if he would step up but he thoroughly attacked it. Anyone have any advice how I might go about taming him? I'm not sure how to start.

[mary313]

Very cute! Post more pics soon!!

[mayaexquisite]

Yup, you got yourself a Dutch Blue Pied there!! Very cute and beautiful!!

My name suggestions are always only Japanese and Hawaiian names. Hehehe.

[delilahiris]

Thanks!! I'm completely in love with him already!

I like Hawaiian and Japanese names, but we decided to name him Honeydew.

He's doing great! He seems to be settling in a little more and a little less shaky. But he won't eat anything other than his millett and sunflower seeds. I took the sunflower out and replaced it with fruit. I'm afraid if I take out the millet he might starve!

[proviewsg]

Wow. Cute Little Fellow!
Lovebird are seed junkies, spray millets are like everything to them. Just slowly cut down the daily amount of millet with pellets, veggies and fruits. It does take sometime to adapt and expose to other food.

[mayaexquisite]

Awwwwwwwwwwwww, Honeydew is a wonderful name - sweet and yummy, just like your birdie!!

I'd like to suggest replacing the fruit you're giving with veggies instead. Fruit should really only be given as a treat because it's so high in sugar and their bodies are too tiny for all that sugar. Broccoli, carrot, corn, peas, and kale seem to be among the faves of veggies.

Are you providing Honeydew with seed and pellets daily regardless of if he/she eats it or not? It may help just to have it there so he/she will get used to it and eventually eat it. My favorite seed brand is Volkman because it has so much variety of seed, dried fruit/veggies, and pellet. And Roudybush and Harrison's are a couple of the best pellet brands.

P.S. Give us more pictures!!

[delilahiris]

Yes I have been giving him new seed ever morning with pellets mixed in. The people who I picked him up from were giving him a whole cup of sun flower seeds. Probably about 2-3 tablespoons in there! I took that out and limited it to just a few. I have been giving him a combo of fruits and veggies, just to try to get him to eat something fresh. I honestly don't even know if he has ever been given any sort of fresh diet. The people who had him didn't seem to know much except that he was only adequately cared for in the last few years of his owners life. No attention or out of cage time, no toys... pretty much just kept alive by feeding a seed diet.
It's awful but things are changing for him now.
He's definitely warming up! He did start eating today (seed other than millet, and hopefully some pellet) but not fresh anything. He's been playing with his bells a little and even came out of his cage for a little while. I played some music and he seemed to like it. Was dancing a little :)

Oh, and I emailed Volkmans to see if they would send some samples. There's a good thread in another part of the forum about contacting some of the companies and getting a TON of free stuff. I forget where exactly I found it, but it's a good idea!

I'll definitely try and get some more pictures of him. I'm waiting for him to come out of the cage some more!

[mabird]

Oh, I just love his coloring... & best of all is his name!!!!

I'm absolutely in love with it!

~*~*~H-O-N-E-Y-D-E-W ~*~*~

I'd also like to see more pics of the little darling!!