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Conference 7.286::pet_birds

Title:Captive Breeding for Conservation--and FUN!
Notice:INTROS 6.X / FOR SALE 13.X / Buying a Bird 900.*
Moderator:VIDEO::PULSIFER
Created:Mon Oct 10 1988
Last Modified:Tue Jun 03 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:942
Total number of notes:6016

695.0. "Peach Faced Lovebirds" by GERBIL::MAGEE () Fri Jun 05 1992 14:48


    Happily I am adopting two peach faced love birds
tomorrow :-).

    As I've had other birds but not lovebirds I'm a
novice in that sense. Could we use this note so that
Lovebird people can offer advice on what to do and 
expect from them. As always I appreciate all comments.

   Chet
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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695.1Please- this is too much reading for me!!!GERBIL::MAGEEMon Jul 06 1992 14:1614
    
    Please slow down the pace of the replies in 
    this note. Zero replies in one month- I can
    hardly read them fast enough!!!
    
    Are love bird owners just naturally shy or
    do they like to keep all of their secrets to 
    themselves?
    
    Hmmm- maybe a seperate note that would discuss
          the character traits of the owners of
          various breeds of birds. Tiel people
          vs. finchers- canarians vs. parrotors....
    
695.2Love monthROYALT::PULSIFERUNHAMPERED BY FACTS AND INFORMATIONTue Jul 07 1992 13:376
    Chet,
    
    June is Love month, maybe all the lovebirds are keeping thier owners
    too busy to reply.
    
    Doug
695.3HYEND::C_DENOPOULOSWHO.....MADE.....YOU!!!Tue Jul 07 1992 15:567
    
    I think it's just that love bird owners don't want to admit it in
    public!!!
    
    :^) :^) :^)
    
    Chris D.
695.4Still hopingANGLIN::RECEPTIONMTue Jul 07 1992 17:1611
    When choosing a breed for my first set of birds, I had considered these
    lovely birds.  I chose not to get them because of the room they
    require.  I settled on finches (do not tell my birds I said that!)
    because of the size of the cottage I live in.  Was I off base?  Do
    lovebirds require quite a bit of space?  I could not let them fly about
    the house, my cats would enjoy that far too much.
    
    Since I could not get these birds, could some one please let me know
    how much space, excersize etc these birds need?
    
    Catherine
695.5My birdsGERBIL::MAGEETue Jul 07 1992 17:4318
    
    RE: .3 Thats what I wanted- a little controversy!
           Are you love bird owners going to just lay
           back and take this?
    
    RE: .4 My two love birds are both handicapped,(one
           missing a leg and one with a splayed leg), so
           I can't speak for average birds.
           
           I've tried three seperate cages in the last
           month to find which seemed better for them. The
           cage they have settled into is just a large sized
           parakeet cage and they seem to do quite well.
    
           Of course flying for exercise is very limited with
           my two, (one legged landings are difficult). 
    
    chet
695.6ChirpRANGER::PEASLEEFri Jul 17 1992 13:2820
    I have four lovebirds (which I have mentioned in other notes).
    One is a peach-face, two black masks, and one fischer.
    I used to have two peaches but one passed on a year ago, so the
    peach bonded with one of the black masks.
    The other black mask was "the odd man out" so I got a fischer lovebird
    (from someone in this notesfile) but after a month or two, the fischer
    is terrified of people and is bullied by the other birds.  I am
    currently keeping him in a separate cage so he doesn't get beaten up.
    
    I am hoping that the fischer (Fruit-loop is his name) will be more 
    friendly toward people and I hope Chet, Nat and the Peach are abit
    more friendly toward Fruit-loop.    
    
    All of the birds (except Fruit-loop) get flight time three times a
    week.  And they all have pleasant dispositions (like their owner!) ;^)
    
    I think lovebirds are wonderful little guys and they are a joy to
    have around.  
  
    nmp 
695.7What a great name!GERBIL::MAGEEFri Jul 17 1992 13:5217
    
    What a double pleasure.
    
    1- A love bird owner responded
       &
    2- One of the birds is named after me! (chet)
    
    Questions
    
    Do these birds ever get very friendly? These guys
    get into such a tither when I come close that it's
    comical!
    
    My guys shred what ever I put in the bottom of the 
    cage. Do they need chew toys?
      
    chet 
695.8Chirp, chirp, chirpRANGER::PEASLEEMon Aug 10 1992 16:418
    Lovebird Update:  ;^)
    Fruitloop is overcoming his introverted tendencies and has
    been mingling with Chet.
    My peachface loves to chew magazines, preferably the newest
    one in the stack that I haven't read yet.
    They make alot of noise, three were noisy, four are deafening.
    
    But they are adorable!!
695.9They are little snobs.AKOCOA::PEASLEEFri Aug 14 1992 15:322
    RE: .7    no, my lovebirds are not particularly friendly
    to people.
695.10exitGERBIL::MAGEEFri Aug 14 1992 16:0215
    
    What about breakouts?
    
    My guys have been in three different cages and
    have managed to break out of all of them repeatedly.
    
    You have to see me chasing two birds around the floor
    trying to throw a towel over them. One has a splayed leg
    and one is missing a leg and they still make me look bad!
    
    They certainly do provide me with the most comic action
    of any of my birds.
    
    chet
     
695.11Try a Fish Net...SWEETP::EAGERMon Aug 24 1992 19:3120
    
    Hi Chet,
    
    	I just got back from vacation and saw your note on escapes. I used
    to Breed Love Birds and had over twenty-five of them at any one time.
    
    	I found that the easiest way to catch a Love Bird is to go out
    and buy yourself a large Fish net. You know, the kind one uses to 
    net one's fish in an aquarium. It works very well for catching small
    birds, (and even bigger ones), and doesn't hurt them. Once you net the
    bird, gently turn it over, using your hand to cover the opening and 
    return the bird to the cage. 
    
    	I've been using this method for eight years of more and have never
    had a bird get hurt using it. It even works on my African Greys, who
    are better lock picker then even the Love birds.
    
    							Mark
    
    							Mark
695.12Good idea!GERBIL::MAGEEMon Aug 24 1992 21:337
    
    thanks Mark I'll try that-
    
    good news is I have aquariums 
    so I already have the nets.
    
    chet
695.13KERNEL::WITHALLG" GODS GIFT "Thu Oct 22 1992 21:5622


 Chet, 

     I have two love birds and two rather normal ??  budgies. They are all 
 let out to fly together.  I used to have a nice flat but now the Love birds 
 have modified everything. They chew the carpet, the doors , umbrellas, 
 shoes, cardboard and photographs are a particular favourite. The also enjoy
 climbing the curtains, swinging from anything that swings, divebombing me,
 divebombing the budgies, climbing on the sofas, climbing up and down chains
 hanging the cages from the ceiling and  getting me to swing the telephone cable 
 up and down while they hang from it squealing there little heads off. If I 
 dont swing them from the cable they sit on the floor and pick it up and just 
 wait for me to start playing.



 Never swap them for anything, they are hilarious.


 GaryW.
695.14They are energetic!AKOCOA::PEASLEETue Oct 27 1992 19:5513
    Yes, I can relate to the chewing and another problem I have is that
    they poop all over everything.  I have some custom made curtains and
    when they are not pooping all over them, they are chewing them up.
    They will land on anything that is high off the ground and certain
    things like lampshades are "off limits".  
    They can chew up a lampshade in record time!.
    They like to land on the venitian blinds and I didn't realize it
    but they chewed the cord on one side the holds the little blind
    type thingies and they ruined on of the blinds before I even
    knew what they were doing.
    They are very comical to watch however they can be very destructive
    if not watched carefully.
                  
695.15One LovebirdPOWDML::PPARKERMon Oct 25 1993 22:3614
    My Mother got one peach faced lovebird for her birthday.  We have two
    questions.
    
    Will one bird be happy?  The pet store owner said he would with
    adequate attention and be trainable.
    
    She has him in a large round (12") tall (2') parakeet cage.  The pet 
    store owner says it is to small and yet a cage for two birds 
    would not be double that.
    
    Any advice would be appreciated.
    
    
    
695.16Okay for now....SPARKL::COMPTONTue Oct 26 1993 15:4323
    Hi,
    
    I agree that one bird, if taken out and played with regularly, will
    be quite happy.  I also agree that the cage - horizontally - is too
    small, but the added height might compensate for that.  I keep my
    lovebirds in a cage that is 18" left to right and back to front, and
    22" high (these are compatible breeding pairs).  I would think you
    could avoid the immediate expense of a new cage by making sure all
    the area inside the cage can be used -- put in enough perches for the
    bird to fly to and from, but not so many that he/she *can't* fly
    inside the cage.  Lovebirds are wonderful little clowns and acrobats,
    so toys that hang from the ceiling and a swing are a big plus to
    keep them busy and healthy.  If your cage has a solid top, it is not
    the best for a lovebird.  Also, the round shape won't give the bird
    a place to 'pretzel' in a corner, which many birds like to do.  So
    when you can move to a more horizontal, square cage, the bird will
    be better off.  In the meantime, the cage you have sounds adequate,
    again assuming that the bird gets out each day.  
    
    Linda C.
    
    p.s. I have kept two lovebirds in a three foot by three foot cage and
         they used every inch!! So I don't think you can go too big!
695.17help neededMR1MI1::DHOWEMARIETue Aug 23 1994 14:1310
    I am the new proud owner of a peachfaced lovebird that I acquired last
    night!!  However, I'd like to get some advice.  I have a very nice
    roomy cage currently with only two perches.  I want to go out tonight
    and purchase the rest of the essentials.  What kind of toys do
    they like?  Can I feed him any kind of vegetables?  Can he haveoden
    toys?  What kind of vitamins should I get?  I have looked through
    alot of the notes here.  What is the difference between a mineral
    block and cuttlebone?  Should he have both?  Thanks everyone!!
    
    deb
695.18my $.02VIDEO::PULSIFERUNHAMPERED BY FACTS AND INFORMATIONWed Aug 24 1994 17:0020
    Hi Deb,
    
    Congratulations !
    
    until you get a response from a lovebird expert....
    
    for toys leather and wood would probably be good. you shouldn't give
    him Parakeet or Cockatiel toys as most them are not strong enough for a
    strong chewer like a lovebird. small parrot toys would be best.
    untreated boards and the cardboard tube from toilet paper rolls.  
    
    for Veggies and Fruit, give him anything you are having except for
    Avocado.
    
    For Vitamins, you could go to a good pet store and ask. I forget what
    brand I have. Prime I think.
    
    Mineral block and Cuttle bone provide pretty much the same benefit.
    
    Doug