Thinking of getting a lovebird?

Question

okay so my sis wants to get two love birds and she will .but i want and need to know all about them.it would be nice if u guys could tell me all about love birds like how to train them and want r there habits what foods they like and all sorts of things : ).thank u

Answer 1

I don't really know to much about lovebirds.  The one thing that I have heard is that they are aggressive.  At a local pet store one lovebird got into a cockatiel cage and killed one of the cockatiels.  If you do get lovebirds don't have them in with other animals.  

Make sure that you get birds that have been handfeed.  Buy some books on lovebirds.  Books will give you more accurate information.

Answer 2

Hello Ive owned lovebirds... Great birds!!! I was told if you really want to be able to hold them and tame it you should only get one... if you get two they bond to each other vs to you... so if you dont plan on handling them then get 2 to keep  each other company but if you intend to want it to bond with you just get one..I have a cockatiel now and I miss my lovebird....Also the brighter colored ones are usually the males...I just bought the birdfood for them and those oh I cant think of what they are called... millet seeds? Enjoy your birds!!! PS another bad thing about getting 2 is if one dies the other ones gets very depressed.. so take that into consideration too...

Answer 3

You are in for a real surprise! I just sold my lovebirds today. They make a lot of noise and they are loud screamers. I also have cockatiels which I like much better and more cleaner. Lovebirds will cling/climb on the cage and p**p on the floor. I had to put cardboard box around the cage except the front to keep all that p**p in the cage. They will chew at anything. My cockatiels don't do that. Hand tame cockatiels are friendly. Hand tame lovebirds will bite and it will hurt.

If you still want lovebirds, then get them from a breeder in your home town. Check out this popular site www.kijiji.com. Do a lot of reading and visit some breeders and ask questions.

Answer 4

First and foremost, do a LOT of research beyond YA. Go to forums that are lovebird or parrot oriented.

Second, ask yourself "how much noise can I tolerate? How much time every single day can I devote to interacting with these birds? Can I stand getting bitten? Can I stand not being able to burn incense or scented candles?"

I'd recommend your sister NOT get lovebirds from a pet store -- get them from a private breeder. She'll pay a fairer price and the birds will already be well-socialized.

Answer 5

You ideally don't want to buy them from a petstore. Just because the store gets them from a breeder doesn't mean anything. All stores have to get their birds from someone who's breeding them.

A tame, hand fed, socialized lovebird from a breeder, will end up a much better pet than a pair bought at a petstore most times. If you guys are planning on being able to play with these birds, you really need to make sure you have tame ones from the start. Lovebirds don't tame down as easily as cockatiels.

If you're getting a "pair" will you know if they are male or female (have them DNA tested- you can't tell any other way). There could be issues with that. If you buy 2, without knowing the s*x, and they're related, you can end up with inbred, mutated babies, which is not ideal.

For more info on lovebirds in general check out the African Lovebird societies page -- http://www.africanlovebirdsociety.com/

This is a link to a fantastic forum that has a large archive, and you can ask new specific questions if anything hasn't already been covered---http://www.lovebirdsplus.com/community/i...

Just keep up the research before you buy. I can't tell you how many mean, untame, poorly cared for lovebirds I've seen come into rescue.