Thanks Christie D but do I have to wait that long? I already separated one of the females.?

Question

Are there any other options. The females layed eggs last February, that's the 12-egg clutch and it's been six months. Isn't it enough for them to rest? Thanks.

Answer 1

Clutches should be kept to no more than two in a 12 month period.  During the next 6 months, you should work on slowly introducing the male to one female, separate from the other, another room if possible.  As stated before, lovies are notorious for killing their mates, so bonding could take 6 months or more.  

Start with their cages apart from each other with perches at the same height and side.  When they are comfortable, start slowly moving their cages closer, this can take months, so don't rush.  When you eventually get them next to each other, watch for them sitting near each other.  The whole time you may have supervised out of cage time.  You must be there though, just in case she decides to attack.  

When they are sitting near each other and chattering to each other, then you can start off with another, larger cage and introducing them to it at the same time.  This will keep them from having territorial disputes.  This bigger cage should also have an exterior nestbox door so you can easily check on chicks and make sure they are being fed.

Hens will also kill their own chicks, so you must be fully prepared to handfeed 24/7.  If you cannot have chicks with you and feed every 1-2 hours around the clock, you are not ready to breed.  You will need to learn to properly handfeed chicks, and have an avian vet on call for emergencies.

You need to make sure they are not on an seed only diet.  They need to have fresh foods, egg food, cooked food and more.  This requires lots of time from you since fresh food needs removed after 2 hours and the dish needs completely cleaned.

After you have chicks, what do you plan to do with them??  They will not sell for much and you will incur a loss in breeding them.  Are you prepared to house them if you can't find buyers??  Are you going to band your birds with closed bands?  Do you have a supplier of proper sized bands?

Not to be harsh on breeding, but it needs to be carefully done and with a clear plan in mind.  While I breed, I make sure that all of the potential chicks already are sold before I set up my pairs for breeding.  If I don't have a buyer, I don't allow breeding.  If I suspect that a bird may be sick, they are immediently at the vet, even the finches.  

While breeding can be rewarding, it is costly and very time consuming.  With the overabundance of some breeds out there, I highly suggest you do all your research first.