lovebird breeding

[dsm2nv]

So i have 5 love birds one baby female one baby mail one 3 year old male and a violet couple that are about 2 years old so this is the story i bought the couple to start breeding from a breeder he told me they were a proved couple and that they had laid eggs 3 months ago so my question is when will they be ready to breed again i no since they just moved might take a little bit longer there cage is 31''w X 18''d X 36"h witch is about twice the size of there old one also I'm feeding them hartz nutrition seed mix and apple,spinach,carrot.I'm also giving them daily nutrition in there water anything else i should do to encourage them to start breeding?

[dsm2nv]

here is a picture of them when they whent up for sale

[expressmailtome]

Having a female lay eggs every three months would not be the best thing for a hen. What do you mean by nutrition in the water? I would not rush them to breed. Let them do it at their own pace.

Matt

[dsm2nv]

its called daily nutrition ur suppose to add a drop in there water i think its vitamins also how would i no if there ready to start breeding again they seem happy there always singing and flying around there new huge cage lol but i dont no when i should expect to start breeding them again and what to do to start it off im new to breeding love birds but have been a lovebird owner for over 10 years now.

[Monica]

I don't think right now is the time for breeding. What does the breeder mean by proven? They laid eggs? The eggs hatched? They raised chicks?

Or just that eggs were laid? If that's the case, it could be two hens.


Personally, I'd suggest waiting until Spring/Summer before allowing them to breed. Don't feed them spinach, unless you are feeding in extremely small amounts. Personally, I'm not a fan of Hartz. Are there any other brands out there without dyes and a larger variety of seeds? Can you get a good sprouting mix to sprout?

Check out this thread for some ideas on a better variety of foods you can feed.
Bird Safe Fresh Foods & Toxic Food Lists + Sprouts



You can also feed pellets, although if you are feeding pellets, you do not want to supplement with any vitamins/minerals.

[dsm2nv]

When he said proven i think they have raised before 3 months ago and there's not much variety of food around me i have been going to every pet store around the aria and cant find much right now they are eating also egg a friend that use to breed birds told me it was good to feed to them mixed with carrot they seem to really enjoy it also I'm asking about breeding them because i bought 2 baby lovebirds about 2 days ago and he had 2 couple that had just laid eggs and they were suppose to hatch sometime in November. I just called him and he told me to close off the nest box for another 15 days since there in a new house and sutch but he did tell me they raised babys 3 months ago should i take out the nest box and put it back later on or close it off or can i just leave it there?

[Monica]

Make sure the egg is cooked thoroughly! Scrambled or boiled! However they like it best! Just don't feed eggs too often as it's high in protein which isn't good for birds.

Any possible way to order over the internet?




My personal opinion, and I'm not a breeder, is to remove the nestbox, or at least close it off, and wait until next year to breed them.

[dsm2nv]

i closed off there nest went out got some food and also bought a supplement called prime gonna feed it to them with there seed mix and also gonna give them fresh veggies daily they seem really happy at the moment they been making noise in the sun all day gonna try to breed them once there more used to there surroundings but if it doesn't happen then ill wait till spring time.

[personatus]

No more than 2 clutches a year. Make sure they are in condition before you breed again. I always start breeding in Autumn and through winter.

Dont bother with the vitamins in the water if they are on fresh foods aswell as seeds. Start them on vitamin supplement 2-3 weeks before offering them a nest.

Make sure they have a big enough nest. I use one of 18" x 6" x 6" for masked lovebirds. They make very elaborate nests! LOTS of nesting material, ideally willow branches and leaves. Fresh bathing water every day, they like to drag nesting material through the water before adding it to the nest.

Personally, I would wait. You don't know how many clutches they have raised in the past 12 months, so I would give them 9-12 months before offering them a nest again. This way you can perfect their diet, do more research and learn the habits of the birds prior to nesting. Rushing into breeding will only give you bad results. You need to learn about your individual birds first and then channel that knowledge for better breeding results.

[LovelySydney]

Originally Posted by personatus

You don't know how many clutches they have raised in the past 12 months, so I would give them 9-12 months before offering them a nest again. This way you can perfect their diet, do more research and learn the habits of the birds prior to nesting. Rushing into breeding will only give you bad results. You need to learn about your individual birds first and then channel that knowledge for better breeding results.

100% agree. Do not have your birds over breed, this is bad for them and messes up their mating cycle not to mention can give you bad results as the above poster said. There are good foods you can purchase over the internet. I am also not a fan of Hartz, their foods seem a bit too processed for me. I would definitely let them settle and do your research so you are 120% prepared for them breeding.